Stralis manual/auto question

The only truck I’ve never driven is a Stralis, but I had the misfortune of driving one a few nights ago (the only truck on the fleet limited to 52 instead of 56 - God forbid!). I’m not sure if it was a consequence of our garage playing around with the settings, or whether this is a standard thing for a Stralis, but I couldn’t get it to hold the manual function. It remained in auto the whole shift (a 12 plate model with the R, N, & D buttons on the dash). So when I preempted a hill and knocked it down a cog, the lorry decided to change back up after a few seconds - effectively rendering the manual override as pointless.

Assuming this is not the way our garage has set this lorry up, how can I put a Stralis into manual mode, and for it to stay in manual mode so I can hold gears?

ezydriver:
The only truck I’ve never driven is a stralis, but I had the misfortune of driving one a few nights ago (the only truck on the fleet limited to 52 instead of 56 - God forbid!). I’m not sure if it was a consequence of our garage playing around with the settings, or whether this is a standard thing for a Stralis, but I couldn’t get it to hold the manual function. It remained in auto the whole shift (a 12 plate model with the R, N, & D buttons on the dash). So when I preempted a hill and knocked it down a cog, the lorry decided to change back up after a few seconds - effectively rendering the manual override as pointless.

Assuming this is not the way out garage has set this lorry up, how can I put a Stralis into manual mode, and for it to stay in manual mode so I can hold gears?

You can’t. That’s how they’ve been set up at your place. One of the companies I occasionally drive for has them set up exactly the same. Very very frustrating to have it change up again just as you start climbing the hill. It’s supposedly done all in the name of fuel economy but personally I think it’s a load of bollox. Last time I was driving one I was coming up Windy Hill at full weight and it spent all its time flicking between 11th and 12th. The ECU set up must be absolutely bonkers because it would only change down to 11th once your speed had dropped to about 45mph then lose a few more mph whilst it takes its sweet time changing cogs, so then you’re down at 40mph before it will start pulling again, but then the moment it hits 48mph it changes back up into 12th which puts you below the torque band and it promptly loses speed again and the process repeats over and over until you’ve back on the level. How the ■■■■ that saves fuel over just holding it in 11th for the duration of the hill I’ve no idea. :unamused:

DAF seem to have this figured out just fine. I was recently driving a new 95 460 for a few weeks mostly at max weight and even leaving it in auto you can pre-empt the hills and manually knock it down into 11th. It is intelligent enough to “sense” the need for full power when you start climbing the hill and will stay in 11th until the speed drops and climbs back to about 53-54mph then change itself back into 12th. Volvo and Renault also seem to have this concept nailed pretty well too. Stralis though, forget it :unamused: (same issue with the MANs as well).

If I remember correctly, there was a button on the end of the stalk to put it in manual mode?

Nearly said press and hold D for 2 secs, but that’s crawler I think

Rob K:
The ECU set up must be absolutely bonkers because it would only change down to 11th once your speed had dropped to about 45mph then lose a few more mph whilst it takes its sweet time changing cogs, so then you’re down at 40mph before it will start pulling again, but then the moment it hits 48mph it changes back up into 12th which puts you below the torque band and it promptly loses speed again and the process repeats over and over until you’ve back on the level. How the [zb] that saves fuel over just holding it in 11th for the duration of the hill I’ve no idea. :unamused:

This describes my whole shift (except on the flats) perfectly! I was wondering how on earth fuel was being saved with the erratic auto changes. I find myself yearning for manual gearboxes to make a return.

waynedl:
If I remember correctly, there was a button on the end of the stalk to put it in manual mode?

Nearly said press and hold D for 2 secs, but that’s crawler I think

The button on the end of the stalk was to set the cruise control - at least it was in the lorry I was driving.

Yes, the 2 sec thing was for crawler.

ezydriver:

Rob K:
The ECU set up must be absolutely bonkers because it would only change down to 11th once your speed had dropped to about 45mph then lose a few more mph whilst it takes its sweet time changing cogs, so then you’re down at 40mph before it will start pulling again, but then the moment it hits 48mph it changes back up into 12th which puts you below the torque band and it promptly loses speed again and the process repeats over and over until you’ve back on the level. How the [zb] that saves fuel over just holding it in 11th for the duration of the hill I’ve no idea. :unamused:

This describes my whole shift (except on the flats) perfectly! I was wondering how on earth fuel was being saved with the erratic auto changes. I find myself yearning for manual gearboxes to make a return.

I used to say the same, but to be honest they are getting there now with the auto boxes. I’ve raved about the swift and smooth changes in Reanult Premium autos before on these fora, which is quite something from me as it was only a few years prior that I hated all auto boxes with a passion and would always opt for manual. Even DAF seem to have pulled themselves out of the dark ages and now have a decent auto box in their latest offerings that doesn’t take a light year to swap cogs. Still not as quick to change as the Premium but fast enough that you won’t be left with a tight sphincter pulling out onto a busy roundabout :astonished: . It’s only Stralis and MAN that are still stuck in the dark ages (and possibly Scania but I haven’t driven one in years so can’t comment).

ezydriver:

Rob K:
The ECU set up must be absolutely bonkers because it would only change down to 11th once your speed had dropped to about 45mph then lose a few more mph whilst it takes its sweet time changing cogs, so then you’re down at 40mph before it will start pulling again, but then the moment it hits 48mph it changes back up into 12th which puts you below the torque band and it promptly loses speed again and the process repeats over and over until you’ve back on the level. How the [zb] that saves fuel over just holding it in 11th for the duration of the hill I’ve no idea. :unamused:

This describes my whole shift (except on the flats) perfectly! I was wondering how on earth fuel was being saved with the erratic auto changes. I find myself yearning for manual gearboxes to make a return.

waynedl:
If I remember correctly, there was a button on the end of the stalk to put it in manual mode?

Nearly said press and hold D for 2 secs, but that’s crawler I think

The button on the end of the stalk was to set the cruise control - at least it was in the lorry I was driving.

Yes, the 2 sec thing was for crawler.

Ahh, ok, been a while since I’ve drove 1.

Did you just press the D again then for manual.

Most of my time was spent in the old style Stralis which had the jet plane style gearbox, but I’ve drove quite a few of the newer ones and never had any trouble at all.

I don’t really note that much on a day to day basis, just get in and drive.

you press D again on our 8 wheelers to get it in manual too

waynedl:
Did you just press the D again then for manual.

Yes, but it stayed in auto. I tried everything. Also, the kickdown function didn’t do anything.

I have a feeling our garage has tinkered with it because they did this to a Daf CF about 7 years ago. Probably monitoring it for economy.

It was a horrid thing to drive.

ezydriver:
The only truck I’ve never driven is a Stralis, but I had the misfortune of driving one a few nights ago (the only truck on the fleet limited to 52 instead of 56 - God forbid!). I’m not sure if it was a consequence of our garage playing around with the settings, or whether this is a standard thing for a Stralis, but I couldn’t get it to hold the manual function. It remained in auto the whole shift (a 12 plate model with the R, N, & D buttons on the dash). So when I preempted a hill and knocked it down a cog, the lorry decided to change back up after a few seconds - effectively rendering the manual override as pointless.

Assuming this is not the way our garage has set this lorry up, how can I put a Stralis into manual mode, and for it to stay in manual mode so I can hold gears?

Sounds like you have the Eco Stralis. If it was a 460bhp then it was an Eco Stralis. Normal Stralis are only 450bhp. They come from the factory with a top speed of 85kph I think. Also you are not able to manually control the gears the same as a normal Stralis either. All in the name of fuel economy apparently.

I’m starting to feel like a true steering wheel attendant.

ezydriver:

waynedl:
Did you just press the D again then for manual.

Yes, but it stayed in auto. I tried everything. Also, the kickdown function didn’t do anything.

I have a feeling our garage has tinkered with it because they did this to a Daf CF about 7 years ago. Probably monitoring it for economy.

It was a horrid thing to drive.

It was deffinatley an eco stralis if the kick down and the manual select is switched off. They come set at 52 from the factory as well. I wont have one if you
Paid me totally set up wrong as I see it. Told iveco if they tried to palm me off with one I would set it on fire, they got the message, and thats from some one who drives a stralis :sunglasses: :sunglasses: :sunglasses:

Surely it’s a false economy?

Firstly, it took me 1 hour 33 minutes to get from Nottingham to Northampton - a journey which usually takes me about 1 hour 20ish. Secondly, all it seemed to be doing at some points is flicking up and down through gears, which lost me momentum and speed.

The engine was running for a good 10 minutes longer than normal, and the gearing was not smooth or consistent at times. So by my logic, on that particular journey I used more fuel than say, a semi-auto Renault Premium limited to 56.