Today I was driving a 63-reg DAF LF and was somewhat annoyed to find that the act of turning the ignition key (but not starting the engine) caused the tacho to throw me off my break and put me on other work. Apparently that is how they work. Seems incredibly pointless and unfair.
Take it to a Tacho centre. It can be changed to default to any setting.
A whole mini fleet of Axors i drove on agency was similarly wired arse backards like this, logistics company concerned not bothered, OK when you know about it, but a PITA when you can’t open a window or anything else without interrupting break.
You should be able to get it rewired correctly.
Our problem is the opposite. Turn the ignition off and it defaults to rest. You can see that during the day but at night the display turns off and its dark so it can easily catch people out. They should not default to anything 
There where similar issues when digi first came on the scene about 8 year ago. Like someone has already said it can be fixed, 2 minute job on the lappy at an approved centre of course.
Seen a memo about our drivers with new trucks getting infringements on the new type version 1.4 iirc? Maybe it’s this same issue didn’t really pay attention to it as it didn’t affect me.
scanny77:
Our problem is the opposite. Turn the ignition off and it defaults to rest. You can see that during the day but at night the display turns off and its dark so it can easily catch people out. They should not default to anything
You drive those big ugly bastart trucks? Was in Iceland on Sunday first time I’ve seen them, no seen them on the road yet.
Cosmic:
Today I was driving a 63-reg DAF LF and was somewhat annoyed to find that the act of turning the ignition key (but not starting the engine) caused the tacho to throw me off my break and put me on other work. Apparently that is how they work. Seems incredibly pointless and unfair.
I have driven a couple of motors where the tacho head does that.
You have to be aware of it, if you change it back to break whilst the symbol is still flashing then your alright. PITA though.
You can change the mode within a certain time of turning the ignition key and it will keep recording as rest.
Generally during PDI and when the Tacho is calibrated it will be set to what the customer has requested ,if nothing is requested it will be left as is.As previously said approved tacho centre can change it ,though there was a thread on here recently that said drivers could set it on newer tachos …I don’t know if it’s true or not
If you turn the key are you not then in control of the vehicle.
And if you are in control of the vehicle then you are doing “other work” and cant be on break at the same time.
No stupid electronic rubbish on one of these, that only works on a Wednesday, if it’s not raining, and happens to be the 31st of June.
Cosmic:
Today I was driving a 63-reg DAF LF and was somewhat annoyed to find that the act of turning the ignition key (but not starting the engine) caused the tacho to throw me off my break and put me on other work. Apparently that is how they work. Seems incredibly pointless and unfair.
Technically it is correct and had a VOSA official seen you doing it then decided to stop you as you pulled away from the 45 the result would have been the same - failure to take sufficient break.
Yes its nit picking but technicially its correct.
scanny77:
Our problem is the opposite. Turn the ignition off and it defaults to rest. You can see that during the day but at night the display turns off and its dark so it can easily catch people out. They should not default to anything
Same thing on our 63 plate merc actros, usually remember, sometime forget.
Tacho records in block minutes, so effectively you have 59 seconds to change the mode back again IN THE VEHICLE I DRIVE.
If you think about it, the tacho shows whole minutes, so if you had it on other work for 55 seconds then switched back to rest, it can’t possibly record anything other than ‘0’, because the smallest number it can record is one minute.
I’ve never tried this when wanting to move the vehicle when on rest, for example if it would take less than a minute. Don’t want to be the first to try either! 
Javiatrix:
Tacho records in block minutes, so effectively you have 59 seconds to change the mode back again IN THE VEHICLE I DRIVE.If you think about it, the tacho shows whole minutes, so if you had it on other work for 55 seconds then switched back to rest, it can’t possibly record anything other than ‘0’, because the smallest number it can record is one minute.
I’ve never tried this when wanting to move the vehicle when on rest, for example if it would take less than a minute. Don’t want to be the first to try either!
I tried this, it was cool, drove around the yard with a stopwatch to see if it worked
AND IT DOES!
The new “One Minute Rule” Tacho heads fitted on anything 62 reg or newer rounds up/down to the minute
SO - For example
00:00:00 - 00:00:31 Rest
00:00:31 - 00:01:29 Drive
00:01:29 - 02:02:31 Rest
etc…
Will not count any driving at all!
So, once it changes to work with the ignition, you have about 30 seconds to turn it back to break.
You can only change the default mode on the Stoneridge head units with a company card, VDO units are still tacho centre jobbies
I got caught for it & was told by vosa that i should not be in drivers seat turning keys whilst on my break ! You can’t win with them,vosa make rules up as they go ! It was a woman vosa at South Mimms. She said she’d been in the job 15 years & was still learning. I told her she was learning how to stitch people up,that was after i told her i was only opening window & already been fined. ■■■■■ !
The way they’ve messed with the tachograph is ridiculous, it should not be allowed for switching the ignition on to change the mode.
As far as I can remember this problem never existed with the early digital tachographs.
As others have said, it depends how the unit has been set up. If you pay attention to the display when you switch the ignition on (e.g. to open a window), you will notice that the mode symbol flashes (on “other work”) for a short time. If you click (Up or Down arrow) it back to Break while it is flashing, no interruption in your Break will be recorded.
Yes, it is a minor annoyance, but once you know how to deal with it, it becomes second nature.
AF1:
Take it to a Tacho centre. It can be changed to default to any setting.
Agreed.
It is ludicrous to expect a driver to know all the different ways in which these work.
John.c.1474:
I got caught for it & was told by vosa that i should not be in drivers seat turning keys whilst on my break ! You can’t win with them,vosa make rules up as they go ! It was a woman vosa at South Mimms. She said she’d been in the job 15 years & was still learning. I told her she was learning how to stitch people up,that was after i told her i was only opening window & already been fined. ■■■■■ !
That’s crap, you can sleep in the drivers seat if you so wish, the regulations only say the vehicle, “must be fitted with suitable sleeping facilities,” not that you have to use them.