For those who have or may have driven an IVECO S-Way, I was wondering what your thoughts were on this truck and if it was a common theme or something only affecting mine?
Firstly, the brakes….these are quite frankly appalling, you don’t get much feel through the pedal and there has to be a significant amount of pressure through the pedal until they feel they are actually doing something!
Secondly, there is an ‘almost’ constant hissing of air which is prominent, seems to come from under the back end of the cab, but not exactly sure. Gaffer has spoken to IVECO and they have just said it’s fine or words to that effect! There is no drop in air pressure at all, it only happens when it’s running, it’s almost like an over active pressure relief valve or something! Or maybe the way the air compressor works on these
Thirdly, 7th Gear….just doesn’t seem to like this gear and goes very very quickly from 6th through 7th into 8th! Needs to give a little more through this gear as it makes pulling away at roundabouts, junctions etc rather slow as it loses what momentum you have with the quick gear changes.
Fourth, and not so much a query but more of a point if anyone else has it, there was a random, intermittent and loud “ding ding ding” type alert with no indication what it was on the dash or infotainment system. Had a play about in the sat nav settings last night whilst parked up and turned off some of the alerts on there and seems to have done the trick so could have been linked to one of those!
We are going to get them to have a look at these on the next safety check / service but wondered if they were common or potential issue with the truck!
Would be keen to know if anyone else has or is experiencing any of the above or previously had it and been rectified in some way, and what that rectification was!
I drive S-ways at the moment. The only one I have noticed is the ding ding ding. That, I believe, in my truck anyway, is linked to the AI cameras when they detect a person. I think it’s that. It seems to happen on roundabouts quite bit, and definitely when I pass pedestrians. Sometimes it appears to be random.
My main issue with S-ways are the terrible gearboxes, especially when coming into and pulling out of roundabouts. They feel like the first generation autos with how slow they are to change, and sometimes don’t change down at all. Worst auto I’ve ever driven by a mile. All the ones on our fleet are the same.
Many thanks for your response, yeah the gearbox isn’t that great, think this truck is a couple of years old so maybe 22 / 23 plate.
What age is yours and you haven’t noticed anything with the brakes? The ding ding ding happened a couple of times on the motorway when no one anywhere near me, but hasn’t happened at all today so think mine was down to the truck sat nav alerts / warnings!
Any sign of the hissing noise on yours at all? Maybe the truck is knackered!?
Mine is 24 plate. I drive some of the others, which are typically 23/24/25 plate. Generally all are under 150,000 km.
Not noticed the hissing at all. I couldn’t comment on what that is.
Also, on the ones I’ve driven, I’ve had absolutely no issue with the brakes at all. However, other drivers have told me Iveco are known for having rubbish brakes, and describe what you described from earlier Stralis models. But I haven’t experienced that.
The ding ding ding is certainly something I’ve heard, and been puzzled by, as nothing flashes up on the dash. So I just assumed it was the AI cameras, especially as I’ve heard it several times at low speed going round roundabouts. If I hear it again, I’ll note what and where I was, and try to understand the what and why.
I’m overall not impressed with the S-way. Compared with the Scanias I drove in my last job, there is no comparison at all. I think the S-way is a shoddy truck. Capable, and the 490 feels quite powerful, but the overall quality is shoddy in my opinion. Even starting them has its issues. There’s a knack to it, and if you don’t hit it right you get the ignition warning light, and maybe even the tacho doesn’t eject - they’re just crap.
We have 3, a 17 plate 460 which is actually badged Hi Way which has a very heavy brake pedal which requires a lot of pressure, a very early production S Way 430 on a 70 plate and a 23 plate 430 badged as New Way. The latter two make a ding ding noise when there is a speed camera ahead. Both have a much lighter brake pedal and the brakes are fiercer. I take all these for roller brake test regularly and the results are always very good indeed. The 70 is very sluggish on the road but like the others much better with weight on. The 73 is the best of the lot. This one is either in performance mode or the gearbox software is much better, it certainly does not have the annoying habit of using too many gears when empty. I normally leave it in auto and stick to over riding it when I want a different gear. I have given up attempting to make any of them hold a particular gear. All are 4x2 with the narrow cab and the mirrors are absolutely useless.
Thanks for your comment, the brakes on this are like nothing, nothing, nothing..oh there we go, maybe it is just taking some getting used to but really have to keep your distance, slamming on wouldn’t be very effective and would easily run into back of someone, not that I sit right up behind someone!
Found myself, flicking aux brake down 2 or 3 clicks then apply gentle ish brake and gradually increase brake pedal pressure! But far earlier than I have in the past, must be a nightmare for anyone behind me, thinking wtf is he braking so early for!
But it’s not long past MOT so what can you do!
The hissing is annoying as well! But again passed MOT!
Regarding brakes, gearbox and hissing at the back of the cab for a short while after the engine turned off…. sounds like every 22 to 24 plate S Way I’ve driven. Which is probably about 30 of them at a large fleet.
I didn’t think they were horrendous to drive but I look at them as an improvement on the ivecos from 20 odd years ago.
The top spec ones were definitely nicer to sit in than the base models but they all got the job done.
So with the ding ding ding I went into nav settings whilst parked up and turned off all the alerts and not had it happen at all today and drove through Burton 1st thing with pedestrians and queuing traffic etc and not had a single ding ding ding! Get enough through my own truck nav without the truck throwing out random ones with no indication what it is
Maybe the brakes are just crap on it, something I will just need to adjust to and “deal with” until the gaffer buys a new truck to replace one of the others in the fleet!
I have said that both the brakes and the hissing need to be looked at when next in so hopefully something is found and rectified!
Yeah I have noticed the ignition can be a pain and had a couple of implausible ignition warnings on the dash today!
No issues with tacho as yet!
I don’t mind the truck overall, apart from the brakes and 7th Gear it drives pretty well but my experience isn’t as vast as probably yourself and many other drivers so I don’t have a great deal to compare to! But these are by far the worst braking feel / performance I have had! Had others where you barely touch the pedal and nearly end up through the windscreen!
I think the most annoying feature I find is that the interior light switches are not illuminated so you have to open the door to find them in the dark. Then like so many other vehicles the actual glimmer is pants.
Reading this CM articlefrom earlier in the year it seems that an 18t design weight drive axle is going to be offered. That is going to cause problems getting enough weight on the unit for brake test .
