Hi
Did my first class one run on Sunday in a Scania R420, managed to stay away from all street furniture and other cars 
.
Really enjoyed the drive was all nerves at first but managed to settle into it.
Only dramas i had was reversing, and the 3 over 3 box,
Reversing
I am not bothered about the reversing cause it is just down to not enough practice, kept my cool and in truth has a good laugh with the forklift driver, due to the fact i had so many shunts i lost count.
3 over 3 box
My main dramas with this box was i struggling to get fourth from either third in the low box or fifth in the high box, it also had a splitter on the side of the gearstick still dont have a clue if it was supposed to be switched up or down 
Great shift, loads and loads to learn
Flipside
In top gear, try the switch.
First move the switch, then de-clutch, then lift your foot off the clutch, it will then change ratio.
Hear some pictures (please correct me if I’m wrong as I drove this 480 two months ago)
First the layout:
Second the range change - aluminium collar - shown in low range:
Now slid up to high range:
Splitter in low:
Splitter in high:
Lower black collar allows lever to fold:
Steering wheel adjustment lever: One way for rake, other for reach.
Suspension control pad:
Up arrow = raise
Down arrow = lower
M1 = 1st preset height
M2 = 2nd preset height
Red = stop
Green = self-level
Top middle activates/deactivates the pad, lights up one of the leds and allows the other buttons to be used.
or something like it… can’t really remember at the minute 
Forgetting to self-level the suspension after coupling and you’ll see a light on the dash half the day (looks like a lorry with an arrow on the load bed diving forward, sorry about the picture quality)
Hope this helps.
Hi the switch you are talking about on the left hand side of the gear stick gives you half a ration for example over taking rather than drop a gear flick the switch drop the clutch let it back out you’ll see a geen light come on the dash then when your done with over taking or maybe a hill climb flick it up drop the clutch light goes out release the clutch. One thing i will say though is it doesnt always engage so if your revs all of a sudden go shooting up just leave the switch in the postion you have it in dip the clutch and realse and you’ll find it should of engaged.As for 4th gear it’s a common fault just the old wear and tear. If i know i have dodgy 4th i sometimes drop to 5th flick the front switch and drop to 3rd it goes in easier no crunch as no doubt you’ve found but you have to be doing around 20ish to do it or the engine will rev it’s ■■■’s off.
thanks for the info everyone
Geordieboy64 what is the normal position for that switch on the left when not in use i take it is down?
i did get the crunch a few times, had me flapping a bit :>. i will try droping into the low box about 20is and see if that does the trick.
I meant to do something with the pictures when I took them just over two months ago. It’s unlikely that a learner will encounter them ( 3 over 3s), but I thought it was worth adding as it is likely[/b] that a newbie might encounter them on a first assignment/job.
I’d never learnt much about the suspension until after I passed my test.
Thanks a lot ROG! I’ve been putting off going Pro with my Flickr account for ages and now I’m going to have to so the pictures don’t get lost!!! 
:lol::lol:
Think there’s a couple of different gearstick designs depending what cab type you have, lowcab pictured above I think? The hiline and topline have the long stick with range change and splitter switches rather than collars.
The splitter switch on the side has no position when not in use, because it’s technically always in use, you’re either in hi or low spit depending if its up or down. If you’re heavy you just use it aswell as the gears, so change into 5th with the switch down for low split then flick it up for 5th high, then flick it down and change into 6th for 6th low then flick it up for 6th high etc. You just choose the right gear for whatever speed you’re doing and sit in hi or low split depending which puts you at the best revs, if that makes sense.
4th gear is always the one to go crap, its often hard to get in and when it does will crunch and grind every time making you look like a pratt. If you’re not heavy you can go from 3rd in hi split straight to 5th low split without any trouble, therefore skipping 4th. Also if the box isn’t really beyond hope double clutching helps, some may tell me i’m wrong or that it’s no help on synchro boxes but it honestly does help if you shift from 3rd to neutral, clutch out, clutch back in and shift to 4th it’ll often go straight in easily with no grind, though some really bad boxes even this didn’t help.
the truck i was driving did not have a collar, but it did have a range change and splitter switch
i remember a green light coming on in the dash, down green arrow so i must have used the low split, not knowing it
i have a better grasp of how the split works, just need to play with it a little
thanks everyone
Flipside
4th gear is always the one to go crap, its often hard to get in and when it does will crunch and grind every time making you look like a pratt
Mine is on the way there.
Its all to do with taking yr time. Scanias GRS gearbox’s are not to be rushed, they just don’t like it. I don’t wish to sound like an old ■■■■, but don’t you think you should ask about something if yr not sure? A genuine scania box is some where in the region of £7500. plus the down time. Not only that, it would stop the embarasment o breaking down. Any driver who’s worth his salt will never mind being asked.
100% right Mr H. Modern clutches are designed with a long life in mind but lightweight to save on excess weight. Not using the appropriate gear (1st in a scania and volvo i believe) will cause a very premature end, especially in heavy traffic or built up areas. Excess heat just ruins it. Plus i’ve always been led to believe it warps the synchro plates between the gears resulting in a poor gearshift between 1st and 4th gears (12 speed).
howatsi:
Kiowan:
Think there’s a couple of different gearstick designs depending what cab type you have, lowcab pictured above I think? The hiline and topline have the long stick with range change and splitter switches rather than collars.
No it’s to do with the age of the truck, they changed from the collar to the switches in 2003/2004
That must be it then howatsi, it was a 2002 Topline 480 (164L). Given that duck bills are common, it useful to know they can be collars too.
Just to carry on what others have said. Mine was a 420 with the switches rather than a collar. The gearbox was the only complaint I had. Fourth was crap, but I knew the bloke that had it before me and he wouldn’t have looked after it. Also, on a cold morning the splitter would often refuse to go from high to low until I’d travelled about 20 miles.
Mr Vain and howatsi, dead right, they won’t be rushed… bit like me really. 
I drive these 3 over 3 boxes a lot and the well used units do often have a difficult gearchange compared to a nice new one.
As has been said above, take your time…but what really helps me is to give the throttle a gentle blip as you change into the gear that’s giving you grief and it will generally engage nice and smoothly.
I’ve found the same thing happening with some of the older Scania 4 over 4 boxes as well.
As a relative newcomer I also found the 3 over 3 splitter a bit confusing at first, but once you’re used to it it’s a really flexible gearbox - you can find the perfect gear for just about any situation.
thanks everybody for the advice, slow and gentle i am sure i can manage that
Flipside