Down Grades & Gear Selection

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by RogerThat72, May 10, 2014.

  1. RogerThat72

    RogerThat72 Road Train Member

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    yes, it will for a while. But, then it will not. Then I'll flip it off and then back on numerous times and from there on out it won't. If I'm on a long trip it will magically work again. Usually I'll stop for a break or restroom and then it will like reset because the truck will be turned off and then on again. But, eventually it does it again. It's been going on for weeks now but I don't want to be in the shop. On the other hand with summer xoming it could be a problem. I think I might just request which probably won't happen a newer t660 or a t680. This trucks been giving me all kinda of problems so I think there is a chance they could put me in somthing newer or different model. Well see.

    the truck is faulty new 2012 281,750 on it and I put probably 35,000k on it
     
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  3. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

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    That had to be a switch issue or something then.

    The only time your engine should ever quit if switched on, is when your engine speed gets too low. Otherwise it should always activate and stay activated whenever you let off the pedal.
     
  4. Balakov100

    Balakov100 Road Train Member

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    Dunno I was working for Swift at the time.

    And well Electrical Issues can be tough anyway.
    So never bothered to tell them about it.
    Even If I had...it would have prolly worked just fine the day I took it in, and they would have told me...
    'It's working fine'.
     
  5. bigdogpile

    bigdogpile Road Train Member

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    Some trucks have a small foot pedal to the left of the clutch that you must step on to engage to the jake..If theres dirt and junk on the floor around there it could affect to jake too.
     
  6. 70s_driver

    70s_driver Medium Load Member

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    Ive noticed some of those Volvos, the jake quits working after it drops to a certain rpm. My 2013 did that. Don't know if its supposed to or not but Ive driven 3 of them (2009 and newer) that did that. Yea 77 has some pretty good grades on it. Tough way to go in the winter because W.Va don't clean it much at night if it snows. Next time youre using your jake, if it quits working, kick it down a gear or let your rpms build and see if it starts back working. Obviously, if youre going down a steep grade, you don't want to take it out of gear but rather let your rpms build back up and let off of it and see what happens? If not, there may be something wrong with it?
     
  7. north cakalacki

    north cakalacki Light Load Member

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    how heavy were you, if your heavy it doesnt matter if the jake is on you will gain speed and rpms and have to use the brake, 77 in wv has some pretty good descents so the jake is not gonna do all the work. maybe weak jake, i had a truck like that, practicaly had no jake at all, had to ride the brakes all the time.
     
  8. gpsman

    gpsman Road Train Member

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    Have you considered being in the hospital, jail, unemployed, or dead...? It's funny how things can go wrong in a truck at exactly the worst possible moment.
     
  9. freightlinerman

    freightlinerman Road Train Member

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    In the winter town running through Maryland and Virginia on one interstate, I left it in 9th gear and never saw 10th gear on this hilly, slick road ways. I used a combination of jakes and service brakes to keep it in check. On steep grades I will drop two gears and run 2,100+ RPM. Getting off of off ramp, I slow down to 59 MPH, pull it out of gear, mash the throttle to 2,200 RPM and drop it into 8th gear and begin slowing down at a good speed. Of course, in slick conditions you don't want to be running 2,100 on your jakes.
     
  10. GasHauler

    GasHauler Master FMCSA Interpreter

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    I hope the hill you're talking about is an overpass. Downhill at 65mph is ludicrous in my book unless you're in a pick-up . The way I look at it you should have 100% of your braking power all the time no matter where you are. Plus I'm sure most judges will look at it the same way. If you're empty and can stop in the same distance than ok (maybe). What if you come around a turn and there's an accident with people walking all over the road? Which way are you going to go or how many people are you going to run over? What happened with your training and please tell us it was one of those mega carriers where the driver trainer has only 6 months experience.
     
    mattbnr Thanks this.
  11. RogerThat72

    RogerThat72 Road Train Member

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    Wow. Why are you so quick to judge off of my one little sentence? I never stated I was blowing down a grade or hill at 65MH. You took that way out of context. I ment I was driving at 65 approaching a down grade and before it to slow down I tried to flip on my jake brake and it didn't come on. Why are you questioning my training? I was taught at one of the best schools around I never go around corners at the posted speed limit whether it's 65 70 or even 55. I'm always going around corners, down grade corners, off ramps, clover leafs 10 mph BELOW the speed limit posted. My trainer always said you can go around a corner as fast as you want ONCE, but you can go through any corner every time if you drop your speed. To answer your question about if I was to go around a corner blind and there was a wreck with people everywhere out of the cars I would slow down as much as possible and do what I was trained in school, steer to the right. And if that means going over the median and possibly dieing that's the price I'll take with this industry to save others life's. But that's the last option for I was trained to always have some kind of out and keep your head moving and know what's going on around you. It's already happened to me once in training. In PA at 10:30 I'll never forget me and my trainer who was sitting to my right experienced this. Four pack of cars where about one and a half football field ahead of us. I knew somthing was up one brake lights and cars both went to opposite sides. We were heavy and I couldn't stop in time. The middle of the double lane was open and that's when I realized a deer had been struck but was still doing the one the side run but couldn't move. I decided to drive over the deer we clipped it on the under carriage but we saved our lives and the other drivers. My trainer was upset saying you could have pulled an air line out. In sure he didn't want to damage his truck be he realized like me we saved lives and no body was hurt. We pulled over and checked underneath and all was good so we went on.

    don't question me and maybe it's my fault if I didn't make it clear enough. I take pride and use common sense when it comes to driving.
     
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