Appologies right from the start for this being my first post and having to use it to ask some advice from you guys.
I run two Daf LF 45’s (yeah i know, not a proper lorry more of a big motorhome really) over in France where i operate a small business doing mainly building supplies deliveries. One Daf has a Palfinger crane, the other is a tipper.
The crane lorry, a 2003 model started developing a strange problem with the speedo last week.
As the speed of the truck started getting close to the limiter, all of a sudden the speedo needle started bouncing around all over the place dropping to 60kms then back up to the limiter. It stayed like this until i dropped the speed to below approx 80kms and all went back to normal. Bring the speed back up to above 80kms and it starts dancing again.
I figured it was a speed sensor problem but when i checked around the g/box i cant seem to see anything fitted.
My question therfore is this: How does my Daf’s tacho and speedo read the vehicles speed? Does it do this through the ABS wheel sensors?
Thanks in advance and appologies if i have posted this in the wrong section.
Looking at the spare parts available for my Keinzle tacho it would seem that i must have a speed pickup somewhere…just got to crawl around a bit more to find it…
i have just had a similar problem with a MAN tractor unit, it was swarf on the sender unit on the gearbox, you will need to take the vehicle in to a garage that does tacho repairs and calibrations to get it fixed, the sender unit has got a seal on it to stop (or at least show any signs of) tampering
the sender unit will need to be removed, cleaned and replaced with a new seal
I was driving it at the time when it first started playing up…interesting to say the least.
I was sat on a motorway, on cruise control at just under the limiter when all of a sudden the speedo dropped to 60Kph resulting in the cruise control putting full fuel on the engine. When i realised what was happening, i disengaged the CC and glanced over at the GPS to se me doing 108kph
Will pull it into the workshop tomorrow and see if i can spot this elusive sender.
I was driving it at the time when it first started playing up…interesting to say the least.
I was sat on a motorway, on cruise control at just under the limiter when all of a sudden the speedo dropped to 60Kph resulting in the cruise control putting full fuel on the engine. When i realised what was happening, i disengaged the CC and glanced over at the GPS to se me doing 108kph
Will pull it into the workshop tomorrow and see if i can spot this elusive sender.
Thanks again
Simon
on the bigger vehicles, it is on either the 1 o’clock or the 7 o’clock position, towards the rear of the gearbox on the side, it has a tell tale sign of being the sender unit, as it will have a wire through it so that you can’t remove it or tamper with it, hence the advise of taking it to a tacho approved repair place
Found the little bugger…
For some reason it wasnt mounted on the g/box but was fitted to the top of the propshaft PTO clutch/gearbox (which used to drive a screw compressor used for pneumatic air tools).
As you have correctly stated, it is fittd with a tamperproof seal.
I have another 7 months before this truck’s test is due but what would be the consequences of me disturbing the seal and cleaning/replacing the sensor myself? When it comes time to test the limiter, would i be fined if the seal has been found to have been tampered with…even though the limiter/tacho is working correctly at the correct speed?
Forgive my ignorance with this but its the first time ive had an an issue with the speedo/tacho/limiter.
Well, I don’t know what the situation would be in France, but I have my truck serviced by a Renault main dealer in the UK which is also an approved tachograph centre, and in Reception there is an official looking sign on the wall saying that they are legally required to inform VOSA if they come across any tachograph irregularities, including missing seals.
Think this is going to be a case of me saving a few quid (or Euros) now to find that its going to cost me much more later on…
You can bet that if there"s anything official and adminidtrative concening a wagon in the UK then it will be multiplied by 3 in both complexity and severity over here in France…
Both my trucks are UK spec, right hand drive units which we bought back in the UK and took over here… the French Vosa equivalent made us jump through hoops for 4 months to get the first one registered, the second went a bit quicker. point is, they just love all things formal and administrative! Will take the truck to our (local…35 miles away) DAF dealer and bite the bullet.
Thanks all for the advice and help, much appreciated.
Think this is going to be a case of me saving a few quid (or Euros) now to find that its going to cost me much more later on…
You can bet that if there"s anything official and adminidtrative concening a wagon in the UK then it will be multiplied by 3 in both complexity and severity over here in France…
Both my trucks are UK spec, right hand drive units which we bought back in the UK and took over here… the French Vosa equivalent made us jump through hoops for 4 months to get the first one registered, the second went a bit quicker. point is, they just love all things formal and administrative! Will take the truck to our (local…35 miles away) DAF dealer and bite the bullet.
Thanks all for the advice and help, much appreciated.
Simon
if you get caught without the seal intact, you may as well bend over for Bubba, because you will get well and truly shafted, without lube
it makes no difference if you say that the tacho is legally recording the correct speed/distance, it shows evidence of tampering, and that is all the authorities need to prosecute
Think this is going to be a case of me saving a few quid (or Euros) now to find that its going to cost me much more later on…
You can bet that if there"s anything official and adminidtrative concening a wagon in the UK then it will be multiplied by 3 in both complexity and severity over here in France…
Both my trucks are UK spec, right hand drive units which we bought back in the UK and took over here… the French Vosa equivalent made us jump through hoops for 4 months to get the first one registered, the second went a bit quicker. point is, they just love all things formal and administrative! Will take the truck to our (local…35 miles away) DAF dealer and bite the bullet.
Thanks all for the advice and help, much appreciated.
Simon
A sender unit is normally around 120~150 Euros. it also need to be programmed to your tachograph so both components can ‘talk’ to each other. Normal cost to fit,programme & seal in this part of the world for that would be around 40~50 Euros.
How much did our French friends charge you for doing this?
Wagon going into a dedicated tacho service center next week in Avranches (luckily only about 16miles from me).
I will post the results as soon as ive picked myself up off the floor after reading the invoice…
Well i well and truly dodged a bullet this morning with my speed sensor issue…
Took the crane wagon to the tacho service center first thing yesterday morning for the technician to pull the sensor…and find it gunked up with loads of sh*te!
Gave it a good clean, replaced it back in situ then took the truck on the motorway for 5or 6 miles and…voila, problem sorted.
They recomended i run the truck all day yesterday to make sure it wasnt a dodgy sensor for certain before bringing it back today to pay the bill (and re-seal the sensor)
Cost me one hours labour at 53 euro’s (they actually only wanted to charge me 1/2 labour but because they were really helpfull i bumped it up to the full hour.)
They had a new VDO sensor in stock in case it had to be replaced …at 280euros (Ex vat)
But luckilly i didnt need it. Great to be able to use the cruise control again too
Thanks all again for the advice…really appreciate it.
if you have a 6 speed zf 6 s 850 box and it fails again it may well be the input shaft bearing failing ,common issue .as the sender is magnetic it attracts any metal particles floating about in the box and then you loose the tacho .sometimes the tacho fault is a red herring to the true fault .in your case i hope not
norb:
if you have a 6 speed zf 6 s 850 box and it fails again it may well be the input shaft bearing failing ,common issue .as the sender is magnetic it attracts any metal particles floating about in the box and then you loose the tacho .sometimes the tacho fault is a red herring to the true fault .in your case i hope not
Thanks norb
Luckily buth units have the 5 speed box…
The DAF with the crane (the one that was giving me the problem) has a secondary PTO gearbox/clutch which was used to drive a road compressor ( for jack hammers etc…). ITs a bit of a PITA. I removed the compressor last year as I wasnt using it and with the ancilliary bits and pieces the whole system weighed a couple hundred Kg’s. I removed it just prior to putting the truck through the French homologation testing process (both trucks are from the UK but are now on French plates) which gave me a couple more hundred Kg’s of payload.
Ideally i would like to remove this now redundant secondary gearbox and relocate the speed sensor to the main gearbox where it should belong but it sits mid way on the propshaft meaning i would need to source a whole complete prop to fit in its place.
Eventually i will get around to it…i would like to think anyway…probably when it pack’s in completely like .
