Volvo xl 480 57 reg - (The directors cut)

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS OWNER AND FLEET OPERATORS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

I wonder if i can have some advice.

As above i drive a volvo xl 57 reg on groupage multidrop european work. The problem is im only getting 7.5 - 8 mpg on an i shift.

I brought the subject up at work and was told its been notice and my trucks return is diabolical compared to the others.

At the moment im doing paris run which can cover northern france to orleans and over to mezt so the there is quite a bit of national road running. I do like to work the truck a bit but not to the effect off losing up to 3 mpg, as far as i know the i shift and as tronic the computer is meant to sort the gear changes and i always leave the truck in auto.

having been asked about a heavy right foot im a little bit concerned.

One other thing is a couple of weeks ago i had a delivery and collection near heathrow so had an experiment at 50 mph there and back and still only got 8.3 mph from leeds to their and back.

:neutral_face: :neutral_face: :neutral_face: :neutral_face: :neutral_face:

2

jessicas dad:
One other thing is a couple of weeks ago i had a delivery and collection near heathrow so had an experiment at 50 mph there and back and still only got 8.3 mph from leeds to their and back.

sometimes 50mph isn’t the most efficient, it depends on the truck , try running at 52 or 53 ( or any other speed you like) to see if that makes a difference.

3

Is the lorry the same spec as all the others it’s being compared with? Does it have the same gearing etc, if it doesn’t then it cannot be compared with the rest of the fleet :bulb:

I would get them to do a download of the ECU, this will show the range the engine has been operating in while you’ve been behind the wheel, as long as you’ve been driving it properly it will put you in the clear and then they can look further to discover the reason behind the poor fuel returns.

First thing I would check is the tyres (I know, here I go again :laughing: ) it won’t cost a penny to look at them, if you have the same tyres as the rest of the fleet, then it can be discounted, but if you have different tyres the rolling resistance could be the culprit.

Now you’ve got to start looking at the health of the engine, first step here is to check the intercooler for leaks, it should ideally be pressurised to 35psi and the loss of pressure measured, anything over 2psi in 15seconds and the intercooler is junk.

Next would be to get the valves set up right, this is commonly overlooked, but a regular adjustment will really make a difference to an engine, they should be done every 100,000miles at least and at any time when fuel consumption changes.

If that is good then take an oil sample, you’ll be looking for fuel dilution or excessive soot, both will indicate bad injectors. Soot could also mean that there’s an exhaust restriction or that the intake side has an issue, you’ve already checked the intercooler, but there could be a crack in the intake manifold or something as simple as a rag misplaced in the air filter housing reducing air flow into the engine.

It’s six years old now, so there could be deterioration in the fuel lines, as strange as it seems a fuel restriction will make an engine burn more diesel, so swap all the rubber fuel lines if it has any, they may look good from the outside, but internally they will swell, a bit like blocked arteries in your body.

Fuel economy is not smoke and mirrors, it’s just basic physics, you go through a process of elimination and you’ll find the problem, start with the cheapest things first and work your way through the list, most of the things I’ve mentioned are good practice anyway :wink:

4

check, clean or renew air filter,
the truck i used to drive had a new air filter every 12 weeks as the boss saved more by improved mpg compared to the cost of the filter
even if you blow the filter out with an airline it still can be blocked due to the paper element being dirty/damp and restricting the airflow

5

difference in driving style between you and the other drivers

it is not all about the speed that you do, it is also dependant on how you get to that speed

6

shuttlespanker:
it is not all about the speed that you do, it is also dependant on how you get to that speed

and how you stop from that speed! when I’m driving and have to slow down using the brakes, I feel I have not paid enough attention to the traffic. If the gps says there’ll be a roundabout in 1.5km and I’m heavy, I’ll back off the gas and let it coast in gear. there is not much you can do to save fuel while accelerating, if using auto, but you can definitely make sure to use as much use of the energy in the fuel to move the truck forward.

7

The difference in fuel economy between a good driver and a bad driver is up to 30%. I-shift and its peers are supposed to balance this out, but as milodon so rightly says, it’s not just about being steady with the right boot, it’s also about when you use it :wink:

8

newmercman:
it’s not just about being steady with the right boot, it’s also about when you use it :wink:

^^^^^Thats it in a nutshell, brisk acceleration and unecessary use of the brakes is as detrimental to economy as running it flat out on the limiter.
As has been said, forward planning is important to fuel economy, remember that using service or engine brakes is turning power you’ve not needed into useless heat, and iShift cannot compensate for hard accelerating tear asses :grimacing: .

9

I have a feeling that someone somewhere could be regretting starting this thread :laughing:

10

I’m getting better than that in a not run in 750 so there’s clearly a problem somewhere

11

Are you maybe leaving it idling unecessarily for long periods?

This won’t be popular but I used to say to drivers that other drivers or so and so’s getting better fuel returns than you. In truth they were all getting pretty much the same but, every little helps as Mr Tesco says. :laughing:

12

Do you use the eco roll function, JD ■■ You’d be surprised what that can save. :open_mouth: The I shift will hang to gears unnecessarily if you keep our hoof planted. Once she’s picking up speed in a gear lift your hoof a bit and it should shift up quicker :wink:

I’m getting way better from my 420 i shift and although not always heavy it’s a real wind catcher especially running wide/high and I don’t “economy” drive, I drive to get there and get in the bar :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

13

Some say the most economical way to drive it would be to put it into manual and then accelerate by putting the pedal to the metal and running it up to peak power in every gear using as few gears as possible.Although don’t blame me if it just makes the situation worse. :smiling_imp: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=89371&hilit=progressive&start=330#p1285071

14

newmercman:
I have a feeling that someone somewhere could be regretting starting this thread :laughing:

Not all, if I can gleam some help from this thread I will. As I said at the beginning ive tried various speeds and various tatics and strugglling to get it over 8.5.

Im on the same run next week so il set the trip computer and nurse it see how I get on.

15

instead of putting your foot to the floor on the throttle when accelerating, try just putting it half way

you will feel the difference on the smoothness of the gear changes for a start, instead of revving the ■■■■ off the engine between gear changes, it will keep it more in the green band and change gear earlier

16

shuttlespanker:
instead of putting your foot to the floor on the throttle when accelerating, try just putting it half way

you will feel the difference on the smoothness of the gear changes for a start, instead of revving the ■■■■ off the engine between gear changes, it will keep it more in the green band and change gear earlier

what i do is …

when the engine is first started and setting off i have the throttle halfway and let the computer do the rest, once im on a journey i use the " over 30 mph function " the button on the left stalk to reset cruise speed so therefore letting the computer do the work again as thats how i understand the i shift and as tronic work.

shuttlespanker:
difference in driving style between you and the other drivers

it is not all about the speed that you do, it is also dependant on how you get to that speed

having being nicked in the ardennes for overtaking i now go as fast as the slowest lorry which is normally 50mph, at the differance in speed is’nt helping.

i will hold my hands up and admit im sometimes a heavy breaker, but taking on milodons comments il sort that out this week.

17

I’ve similar problems with Dafs and Scania’s. It usually boiled down to bad maintenance and where the fuel was bought.
Regular changing of the fuel filter and air filter generally did the job.
The mechanics are usually from the same school. (it’s not due yet). The filters are due for renewal when they are due, Not when the chart or computer says so.
Like its been said, Blowing the air filter out now and again will make a difference. They often have plastic, ■■■ packets, straw, and dust in there.
Also look in the fuel tank, They can often be full of a layer of crap in the bottom resulting in frequent filter changing.

18

jessicas dad:

shuttlespanker:
instead of putting your foot to the floor on the throttle when accelerating, try just putting it half way

you will feel the difference on the smoothness of the gear changes for a start, instead of revving the ■■■■ off the engine between gear changes, it will keep it more in the green band and change gear earlier

what i do is …

when the engine is first started and setting off i have the throttle halfway and let the computer do the rest, once im on a journey i use the " over 30 mph function " the button on the left stalk to reset cruise speed so therefore letting the computer do the work again as thats how i understand the i shift and as tronic work.

shuttlespanker:
difference in driving style between you and the other drivers

it is not all about the speed that you do, it is also dependant on how you get to that speed

having being nicked in the ardennes for overtaking i now go as fast as the slowest lorry which is normally 50mph, at the differance in speed is’nt helping.

i will hold my hands up and admit im sometimes a heavy breaker, but taking on milodons comments il sort that out this week.

firstly, i have never driven the Volvo FH version 2, or an I Shift, so, i don’t know the layout of the controls

as an example, same lorry, same driver, different driving styles, when i had the 530 DAF with the ASTronic box, if i drove it hard, foot to the floor between every gear change, and ran at 56/57 on the limiter, i would get around 7.5 average for the week (worked out using calculator, not the on board computer), BUT, if i drove it carefully, and accelerated gently, running at 52, i was getting between 9 and 9.5 regular (again, worked out using calculator)

that adds up to a big saving on fuel at the end of each year

19

shuttlespanker:
instead of putting your foot to the floor on the throttle when accelerating, try just putting it half way

you will feel the difference on the smoothness of the gear changes for a start, instead of revving the ■■■■ off the engine between gear changes, it will keep it more in the green band and change gear earlier

This is what I found too. I used to be a foot to the floor chap until I gt this lorry, if I floor this from a standing start it annihilates my fuel consumption. So it’s gentle gentle, well unless some bloke in a V8 Scania is trying to race me and needs bringing down a peg or two :wink: Anither thing, don’t use resume on the cruise control, it just causes the truck to use all the power it’s got getting up to speed. Ease it up to the limiter. I’ve found driving in ths steady way makes for a very calm relaxed drive. No more hurtling about for me. In fact if I’m not in a hurry I even tend to set cruise at 85

20

Gentle accelaration and gentle braking, and switching on cruise once you hit optimum speed are the main factors in my opinion, I have found no benefit from running at 52 as opposed to 56 as while your consumption appears lower the extra time used from A to B negates this and in a 2 week test done by a friend of mine on 2 trucks, same load, distance,trailers and weather conditions, the week spent at a constant 52 used 2% more fuel and took more gear changes on hills.
If you drive with an imaginary glass of water on the dash, or in my case a bucket of it in the load area, and don’t manage to spill it then you’ll find that your fuel usage and indeed wear and tear in general will be greatly reduced.