Ive always fancied a go in a T Range auto. The premium was supposed to have a good box and of the people I know that have driven them none have had anything bad to say about the box, their only complaint is that it looks like a smashed up crab.
There is nothing to sto anyone from passing their test in an automatic and then booking an hour or 2 in a manual to get the feel of it.
Drove one on Thursday Nick (Salford van hire). Uglier than all my ex’s put together.
But drove really nice. Comfy seats, spacious cab, excellent auto (Volvo gearbox)-just need to remember to stay in ’ Drive ’ when you switch to reverse (rotary switch on the right hand stalk).
Couldn’t quite fathom the CC though. Managed to do it eventually!
eagerbeaver:
Drove one on Thursday Nick (Salford van hire). Uglier than all my ex’s put together.But drove really nice. Comfy seats, spacious cab, excellent auto (Volvo gearbox)-just need to remember to stay in ’ Drive ’ when you switch to reverse (rotary switch on the right hand stalk).
Couldn’t quite fathom the CC though. Managed to do it eventually!
That would confuse the ■■■■ out of me, as your natural reaction would be to get out of drive. I’ve been in one as a passenger before and pretty impressed from a comfort point of you, made my fat ■■■ feel comfortable, could be worth looking at one Peter, bet there isn’t anyone else using one as a training tool, and used ones must be hitting the market now
dcgpx:
You could always get the stupid Hybrid OptiCruise crap that my new Scania has!What a pain at times it is.
Should be either full manual or full auto, not in between dross lol
Can be a nightmare in city centres if you have to stop suddenly and then try to set off again in a gap just to get faced with no gears and an annoying ‘clutch down’ message!
Never driven an auto with a clutch before.So daft question time,in case I get to drive one.
What happens next when you’re faced with " no gears and an annoying clutch down message " clutch down,then what do you do ? 
Ramon123:
dcgpx:
You could always get the stupid Hybrid OptiCruise crap that my new Scania has!What a pain at times it is.
Should be either full manual or full auto, not in between dross lol
Can be a nightmare in city centres if you have to stop suddenly and then try to set off again in a gap just to get faced with no gears and an annoying ‘clutch down’ message!
Never driven an auto with a clutch before.So daft question time,in case I get to drive one.
What happens next when you’re faced with " no gears and an annoying clutch down message " clutch down,then what do you do ?
The clutch pedal is only needed for stopping and starting, rest of the time the vehicle will act as a normal auto box.
If clutch down message appears its usually because you’ve come to rest still in gear and haven’t depressed the clutch, so simply press the clutch pedal and the gearbox should select the appropriate gear to move off again, if it doesn’t resume just slip the gearlever into neutral then back into D.
In practice after a little while with a 3 pedal Scanny auto it will become quite normal and once you’ve done a few tight manoeuvers you will probably appreciate it.
Juddian:
Ramon123:
dcgpx:
You could always get the stupid Hybrid OptiCruise crap that my new Scania has!What a pain at times it is.
Should be either full manual or full auto, not in between dross lol
Can be a nightmare in city centres if you have to stop suddenly and then try to set off again in a gap just to get faced with no gears and an annoying ‘clutch down’ message!
Never driven an auto with a clutch before.So daft question time,in case I get to drive one.
What happens next when you’re faced with " no gears and an annoying clutch down message " clutch down,then what do you do ?The clutch pedal is only needed for stopping and starting, rest of the time the vehicle will act as a normal auto box.
If clutch down message appears its usually because you’ve come to rest still in gear and haven’t depressed the clutch, so simply press the clutch pedal and the gearbox should select the appropriate gear to move off again, if it doesn’t resume just slip the gearlever into neutral then back into D.
In practice after a little while with a 3 pedal Scanny auto it will become quite normal and once you’ve done a few tight manoeuvers you will probably appreciate it.
As said the clutch is for starting/stopping after which it does quite well going into auto
My issue is when stopped at a busy roundabout for instance.
You see a gap so set off, at this point clutch is up and suddenly some loon tear arses round and you have to stop.
Now in a manual or full automatic this wouldn’t be a problem as your in gear so set off again.
Optishite however ,because you set off, stopped, and want to raise clutch to set off again quickly to get onto roundabout, gets confused and doesn’t recognise clutch has been down and back up so quick so gives you no gears and a message to clutch down.
Which you duly do but it takes a good 5-10s before dumb thing gives you a gear!
Since got it have learned to do as Juddian says and I pop selector into N then back to D and it’ll give me a gear but first few days had me stranded at times on roundabouts and some junctions as I was trying to drive like a manual with a bit of clutch dipping but learnt quickly it doesn’t like that style so adapted to its nuances shall we say!
Still think it’s an ill thought out turd of a system.
Oh and maybe some models are different setup but I found if I tried to stop without pressing clutch in it definitely shuddered into a stall so not sure Juddian how you get one to stop in gear without pressing the clutch?
I’ll get used to it, only had it 3 weeks, it’s just the busy roundabouts/junctions where I find problems with it.
Just needs me to adapt more and figure out best way to go/stop/go quickly.
Cheers Juddian and dcgpx.
Sounds a barsteward.
Though…
I’ll be ready for the beggar now (should I get the keys for one chucked at me) 
As said the clutch is for starting/stopping after which it does quite well going into auto
My issue is when stopped at a busy roundabout for instance.
You see a gap so set off, at this point clutch is up and suddenly some loon tear arses round and you have to stop.Why? If you were driving a manual in this situation your clutch would be engaged, gear selected and ready to rock and roll. Same with your 3 pedal Opticruise.
Now in a manual or full automatic this wouldn’t be a problem as your in gear so set off again.
Optishite however ,because you set off, stopped, and want to raise clutch to set off again quickly to get onto roundabout, gets confused and doesn’t recognise clutch has been down and back up so quick so gives you no gears and a message to clutch down.
Which you duly do but it takes a good 5-10s before dumb thing gives you a gear!No it doesn’t. If it’s taking 5-10 seconds to select a gear, take it to a workshop, it’s broken. It just feels like it takes an age if you get it wrong.
Since got it have learned to do as Juddian says and I pop selector into N then back to D and it’ll give me a gear but first few days had me stranded at times on roundabouts and some junctions as I was trying to drive like a manual with a bit of clutch dipping but learnt quickly it doesn’t like that style so adapted to its nuances shall we say!
Still think it’s an ill thought out turd of a system.
Oh and maybe some models are different setup but I found if I tried to stop without pressing clutch in it definitely shuddered into a stall so not sure Juddian how you get one to stop in gear without pressing the clutch? You can’t, I think Juddian might either be miss remembering or was going so slowly, or perhaps had selected neutral with the stalk. As you say, if you are driving in a gear, you will need to use the clutch to come to a complete stop.
I’ll get used to it, only had it 3 weeks, it’s just the busy roundabouts/junctions where I find problems with it.
Just needs me to adapt more and figure out best way to go/stop/go quickly.
I’ve had 2 trucks with this box. My current one is only 9 months old, my gaffer asked me which box I wanted on the truck, and I chose the 3 pedal because it knocks spots off the full auto if driven correctly, and is better than the manual for the type of work I do, ie not off road and more than 50% urban driving.
Stick with it, I promise it will get better once you have leant how to use it to its full potential.
Our fleet is virtually all full auto, but here’s the issue, we still have 2 4 over 4 trucks and when we get hire vehicles in we get anything. We have 3 at minute, one is auto, 1 scandal opticruise with 3 pedals and the last is 3 over 3 with splitter. So don’t think your safe even with a company with full autos.
austers:
So I’m just wondering what type of gear box you’d normally find these days, as I see a lot of people arguing about whether you should learn in an auto or manual or a semi automatic
You will encounter all types of gearbox. None of them are rocket science.
^^^^ This def applies!
I’ve driven manual, auto and now the OptiCruise.
So whilst I might have a mini whine about opti, none of them are hard to drive and in a month or so I’ll look back and wonder what I was whining for [emoji6]
You just adapt to each gearbox as you come across them.
Each have there advantages/disadvantages depending on your viewpoint at the time you come across them.
In reality I wouldn’t worry too much about what type you come across and just get in and go [emoji39]
F-reds:
You can’t, I think Juddian might either be miss remembering or was going so slowly, or perhaps had selected neutral with the stalk. As you say, if you are driving in a gear, you will need to use the clutch to come to a complete stop.
.
Gord bless yer mate, what you really meant to say was the silly old sod is going gaga, which is more like the truth of it… 
S’true it’s been over 6 years since i drove one full time but i did have that one for around 4 years full time.
What i should have said is that from 3 weeks old i drove it in manual ** and to be fair almost never does it put a foot wrong in manual, its a lovely responsive box for manual driving, pity the same cannot be said of Arsetronic, of which i’m struggling to think of one redeeming feature… 
The reason i drove it in manual, from this moment, is that i’d just dropped off two cars at Citroen Stroud, which is on a hill on a road just off the Cirencester road, when you leave the garage you turn onto the main road up a bloody steep incline, i was in auto and pulling away, turned left and of course the heap changed gear on me in its own sweet time, bloody ages, well the next gear the poxy engine couldn’t cope with and the soddin things stalled out on me…cue dummy spat out, i’d had it three weeks and from that moment on i’ve never driven an automated manual (except for Volvo) in auto mode.
What i did discover with going back to manual driving in them is that as well as better progress, especially at junctions, you get better fuel consumption too by the vehicle being in the correct gear every time…the same result in Arsetronic too, and it’s infinitely less frustrating at junction where AS is utterly bloody useless.
** NB, if you want to use manual, and i would suggest for those who get one to learn manual driving whilst you don’t need to cos when you come up to serious steep hills fully loaded, the gearchange cannot cope on its own and you can end up with problems, which isn’t handy with a loaded transporter with little grip for restart due to the vehicle design.
MH setting on a Scania will give you faster changes that normal M.
Try it lads.
Mate, I was always told to not disrespect my elders
Incidentally Juddian is bang on about being in MH around town if a steep hill is going to dealt with. There is nothing more embarrassing than letting it change gear on a steep hill and losing all your revs, this can be countered by either being MH or being careful not to run the revs up too high.
Franglais:
Well Juddian, if I ever meet you the drinks are on me.
that, i cannot disagree with…
Forgot to mention that on the newer Opti, MH is now MP. Sorry my bad.
Where’s the MH/MP button located on these Auto Scania wagons then ? Last time I drove a Scanny I think it was a 3 over 3 gearbox…
You push the r/h stalk. I think it’s A AE AP which are the three modes. (Was on the 2014/15 auto’s at Stobart’s).
eagerbeaver:
You push the r/h stalk. I think it’s A AE AP which are the three modes. (Was on the 2014/15 auto’s at Stobart’s).
That’s it. Just over twist the collar past the D setting to toggle between modes.
E - Eco
A - Auto standard
P or H - Power/Hill
eagerbeaver:
You push the r/h stalk. I think it’s A AE AP which are the three modes. (Was on the 2014/15 auto’s at Stobart’s).
On mine you have to twist it past D and it cycles between modes.
Big differences in how it behaves between modes so well worth looking at depending on how much weight you’ve got on
Also worth noting if in reverse and you press stalk down it goes into Rm for manoeuvring
Twist is a better description than push lol!
At least I knew what I meant !! In AP, your cruise control won’t drop out. I did a couple of day’s at NFT last week though, and it look’s like they have ’ disabled ’ the AP function on their brand new 65 plates.
A tad frustrating.