I’ve often wondered what is the point of using this to go an extra 7 km/h faster down the first part of a hill before the unit goes back into gear and the exhaust brake comes on? I have the impression that decending a hill in gear uses no fuel, yet to go down with the engine idling uses about 3 litres an hour? Is it to do with engine and transmission wear and tear as I doubt it would have any benefits to fuel economy? I have also on quiet nights allowed my speed to drop down to about 70km/h going over the top of a hill prior to decending long stretches like near high Wycombe on the M40 so as to not get over speed warnings (most of the time I couldn’t care less as long as I don’t go (much) over 60mph) however makes a change to just about get upto 60mph before dropping back to 56 well within the minute or whatever. Strangley these units have the option to turn eco roll off but it comes on again after turning the engine off? Perhaps this one Joe could answer given that he was driver of the year so many times…
Hey mate
It’s called engine breaking, when your truck is in gear the transmission is still turning which consumes fuel. You need to take your truck out of gear and put it in neutral which will stop fuel being consumed in other words you need to coast down hill. Is it safe? Completely. You’re going down hill so no need to accelerate at all. When you’ve resched the bottom of the hill you just stick it back into gear.
Was referring to the bit where the unit ecu decides 91km/h isn’t fast enough so it goes out of gear and picks up speed while idling the engine to 97km/h then using the engine brake… often it will roll along at 93 94 km/h for more than long enough for the over speeds to appear on the tacho all the while using fuel.
Eco Roll gets switched off before each journey, along with AEBS, ACC, PCC and LDW. Quite the pre-flight checks 
EcoRoll is supposed to knock the truck into neutral to allow it to coast - yes, using more fuel than keeping it in gear as you roll down the hill. The payback is supposed to be that with the truck in neutral, you’ll roll for longer, so the very small amount of fuel you’ve used idling the engine is less than using no fuel, but picking up the load sooner.
I couldn’t tell any difference in my mpg figures when using it and when not. The company doesn’t want us to go over 56mph, and also didn’t spec the trucks with a decent auxiliary brake* so I’d rather have as much help as possible keeping the speed from rising before I have to start snubbing the brakes.
- That said, the 67 plates now coming onto the fleet have been specced with the proper 3-stage engine brake, so perhaps someone noticed how much brakes were costing.
ItsJoe:
Hey mateIt’s called engine breaking
Breaking the engine just leaves you stranded, i just use the brakes its far less expensive…
ItsJoe:
Hey mateIt’s called engine breaking, when your truck is in gear the transmission is still turning which consumes fuel. You need to take your truck out of gear and put it in neutral which will stop fuel being consumed in other words you need to coast down hill. Is it safe? Completely. You’re going down hill so no need to accelerate at all. When you’ve resched the bottom of the hill you just stick it back into gear.
Wind your neck in, you dribbling cretin.
OP, the idea is that you coast over the top of the hill and roll down it, making up the time and speed lost from rolling the last bit going up. Neutral will use a little fuel over being in gear but it will roll further under its own momentum.
Its a good theory, useless in the UK, it’s too busy and full of bellends. I use it on the continent if I’m not in a hurry, does make a difference to the average fuel consumption over a distance.
A.
Adonis.:
Its a good theory, useless in the UK, it’s too busy and full of bellends.A.
In true Adonis fashion, told how it is without holding back… 
… 
Works well on a night. It’s really no different to lifting your foot off the gas in a manual vehicle.
Eco roll will have the fuel system switched off, coasting is akin to idling ie the injectors are still fuelling the engine.
AndrewG:
Eco roll will have the fuel system switched off, coasting is akin to idling ie the injectors are still fuelling the engine.
But if the fuel system is switched off, the engine would try and stall and you’d effectively be using the rolling wheels to turn the engine. In the MAN that we use, the engine still revs at idle speed in eco mode.
AndrewG:
Eco roll will have the fuel system switched off, coasting is akin to idling ie the injectors are still fuelling the engine.
You do still use fuel Andrew, but as others have said the theory is that you coast further with the gearbox disengaged than you would by merely coasting in gear. With the right amount of weight on I can eco roll for miles on certain sections, particularly the M1 southbound south of Shepshed.
As Adonis succinctly 
stated though some spunktrumpet will usually interfere with that and stop you from taking advantage of gravity.
Love the replies on here as always makes me laugh. Especially Joes showing his “knowledge” using fuel because you’re in gear lol. Also it amazes me just how often car drivers feel the need to get in front of you to then slow down to 46.2 mph…
AndrewG:
Eco roll will have the fuel system switched off
It doesn’t. You end up in neutral with N displayed on the dash with the engine idling around 600RPM or whatever it normally does until the eco-roll decides it needs to put you back into gear.
ItsJoe:
Hey mateIt’s called engine breaking, when your truck is in gear the transmission is still turning which consumes fuel.
Not on overrun which is when you leave it in gear and take your foot off the accelerator. On overrun all fuel is cut to the engine.
You need to take your truck out of gear and put it in neutral which will stop fuel being consumed in other words you need to coast down hill.
No, that USES fuel as it keeps the engine running on tickover. Can’t do that without fuel.
Eco roll will not cause the fuel system to shut down. If the engine is not running, What do you nuggets think will provide drive for the power steering, maintain air pressure and electrics?
Eco roll may provide some advantages on long , gentle descents, as the vehicle will travel further before fuel has to be used to maintain progress. However, as someone else has pointed out, our roads are so busy, and everyone drives so close together that it’s pretty much useless here.
No doubt some slick salesman will have been able to sell the concept as “the next big thing” to some graduate engineer who has never actually driven a truck for a living.
The I-roll works a lot better with the I-see system than without it.
slowlane:
Eco Roll gets switched off before each journey, along with AEBS, ACC, PCC and LDW. Quite the pre-flight checksEcoRoll is supposed to knock the truck into neutral to allow it to coast - yes, using more fuel than keeping it in gear as you roll down the hill. The payback is supposed to be that with the truck in neutral, you’ll roll for longer, so the very small amount of fuel you’ve used idling the engine is less than using no fuel, but picking up the load sooner.
I couldn’t tell any difference in my mpg figures when using it and when not. The company doesn’t want us to go over 56mph, and also didn’t spec the trucks with a decent auxiliary brake*
- That said, the 67 plates now coming onto the fleet have been specced with the proper 3-stage engine brake, so perhaps someone noticed how much brakes were costing.
+1, if my new steed has bloody eco roll its getting switched off every time, oh and by the way when did they make coasting (which is what ecoroll does) legal?
nobody told me about eco roll , so when I drove this wretched 410 scania, shortly after they came out , it was a bit of a shocker when it suddenly decided to go into neutral going over a hill. having at first thought I’d broke it , the old cogs started whirring and I remembered I’d read about it somewhere. when I got back - ‘you didn’t tell me about this eco - roll thing’ answer ‘what’s an eco-roll’
eco roll well thats a new name for silent 6th,my old erf tanker would go for miles up and down those 3 long hills north of l/forest service,s speedo right the clock,no wonder i have grey hair.happy days.
regards to all truckers
sm1 (11 yrs retired)
Been around for years just had a name change from paddies overdrive to eco roll, most drivers whinge as they don’t know how to adjust it to the maximum speed before transmission re engages all done in the name of progress and euro 6 of course.
I set a record at my old company with eco-roll, they weren’t too impressed, dunno why 