Gentlemen, a farmer friend bought a '14 Pete 384 yesterday with an autoshift. 1st one either of us has ever been around. On the test drive, and following him home, I noticed it runs thru all the gears. Now, if it had been a regular trans, would have normally left the stoplights and signs in maybe 3rd. Didn't have that option with the autoshift. Or do we? Dash mounted push button shift select. Bobtail, or empty trailer, can you stop at a stop sign, select manual, bump up to about 3rd and take off. Up to speed, then select drive and allow it to finish shifting itself? Hate to take the eyes off the road for complete manual shifts, but can you just do it once to go from manual to auto?
Try it.
advance it to any gear you want to start off with. off road and steep hills and downgrades use the manual button then advance the gears with the arrow buttons. It should skip gearsin auto if they are not needed I have a 1st generation 18 spd auto shift. I like it. Not worn at the end of the day
Lantraxco, Edward, Thank you. Was servicing today, maybe some driving and learning tomorrow.
The one I drove would automatically start in 3rd unless you manually downshifted it into 1 to take off at a stoplight. It was a ZF 12 speed. I haven't driven a eaton one.
As said above. But one thing about Eaton auto shift transmissions, The transmissions can lurch in forward and reverse and tough backing under a trailer especially in winter conditions. If the Solo clutch gets grabby or slightly out on it's self adjustment you can easily slam the trailer king pin, very common problem that exists with all Eaton auto-shifts no matter the make of truck. Reason--------The transmission is made to cover several types of engines/ECM's. Where as it wasn't specifically designed to communicate with a single brand of engine. The Detroit DT12 transmission combined with a Detroit DD13, 15, or 16 is a way smoother transmission with many more capabilities.
Truck Shop, yes on the lurch, literally the first thing we noticed pulling out of the parking spot on the dealers lot. Odd to be this old and starting at the bottom of the learning curve. Oh well, a day we don't learn something is a wasted day. And Thank You !
I had a bit of a search and there are a number of instructional videos, includsing one from Eaton, on how to shift one of these transmissions. I imagine that possibly different OEMs might just have different types of shift control though. This might be a good place to start. http://videos.eaton.com/roadranger/...t-transmission-driver-training?autoStart=true
I watched the video, it seems to be complicated. Lots of taking your eyes off the road and still a clutch comes into play (or not)? I drove a Volvo 12 speed autoshift for 2 days a couple years ago and didnt like it but amazed at how the thing worked. I give them a thumbs down but then, I'm an old coot. I like the 18 speed manual........
The early models of Eaton Auto Shift had a clutch pedal, but that was dropped about nine or ten years ago now and that model is called Ultra Shift plus. Clutch is operated electronically.
For the last 4 years, we have had at least one leased tractor that was an automatic, to pull band trailers in our school district. I have had kind of a love hate relationship with them. Yes, they are great in heavy rush hour traffic, and traffic jammed freeways. However, I found them very slow to shift and it thus took a long time to gain speed after stopping at a traffic light. I also have experienced the "jump" in reverse. In fact, I had a lady band director that almost got run over, by me, when reversing a trailer. I finally decided the best way to drive one on the road was to leave it in drive, and just put my foot to the floor, leaving it there until I reached the desired speed. This year, instead of leasing, they bought 4 Peterbilts, all with automatics. I am kind of glad I retired from that driving now. Jeff
Somebody remind me again, what is the disadvantage of an Allison transmission? I have worked with the Allison man to get the shift points tuned just right on new trucks and after that they are really nice to drive. But there is never any lurching because it has a converter the same as your car, or any tractor, or garbage/fire/dump truck. Maybe they consume more fuel over the road, don't know about that one. Maybe the manufacturers would rather sell their own proprietary transmission.
Despite Allison claim of better fuel mileage which is false. Service centers are too far apart for one thing the other is warranty. Detroit Transmission will cover to 750,000 miles. AMT transmissions have become reliable. Third-manufactures want to sell their stuff. Fourth-a truck is then all one brand and manufacture has less chance of a pi$$ing match with a vender. which is pretty common these days.
@Birken Vogt If I could find an automatic in a big truck that worked as well as the auto in my 02 GMC I might like that. Also I see we are in the same area, I drive the lowbed for C&D at least til I try to retire (again) at the end of June. Dave
Your 02 GMC, is that the Allison or the GM transmission? The Allisons in the GMC of that era were nice, but in a medium duty, the same transmission had the more "commercial" shift points and was even better. First gear, converter, inch around all you want. Take off down the road, it shifts to second, and midway through second gear, it locks up the converter. From there on out it becomes a solid locked powershift transmission basically and the converter stays locked at all times, until you slow down. The big ones work pretty much exactly the same. Regular is 6 speed but you can also get them in a 7 speed version which has a granny low. 6 speeds does not sound like a lot but it pretty much just works. I am sure there is a penalty to pay for running the big oil pump all the time, but it has to beat replacing clutches, u-joints, king pins and any injuries to a person on the ground who got hit because it lurched. Line haul I am sure that the scales tip in favor of the AMT but for short trips with lots of stop and go and manuvering I think an Allison would at least be worth a look.
Local mail hauler and a grain/fertilizer hauler have AMTs, NOT happy with them on secondary roads they frequent with sudden onset hills as the mechanisms cannot 'anticipate' a gear change where the drivers tend to run them in over ride to get them to run optimum speeds. The company owners spec'd straight manuals next run of replacements.
Really until a person drives a DT12 in slow hilly condition or on highway-it can't even be compared to the rest of AMT's or Allisons. The 12 is a pretty smooth transmission. And rated for high hp and torque.
Does it operate the same was as a classic AMT? Sliding gears in and out? They just put better programming on it? Or is there more to it than that.
Check this link. In creep mode there is no lurching, smooth. And helical cut gears zero noise. https://www.oemoffhighway.com/drive...on-detroit-dt12-automated-manual-transmission
Did Ron get his new truck figured out? Last I heard he wasn't too happy with the auto trans.
I dont know, I was trying to find some of his comments about it on that "old" site to no avail.. I might send him a PM and ask.
Here's what he wrote about it. I have an Allison 4700 RDS (7 spd) with a 4 spd spicer aux trans behind it. Running 4.78 gears (52k) totally hated it for the first 5000 miles starting to grow on me at almost 15000 miles it has some drawbacks versus a traditional -18 the rpm separation on the higher gears is far apart - so when you are not super heavy (say in the 120-140k range) setting a gear to descend a steep grade can be annoying. To get the RPMs necessary for the hake to hold you back maybe 1800 - you get 32 mph in 4th gear or 50 in 5th gear. Versus having more gears to choose from to go 40 mph. The plan was to change ranges in the aux to help bridge the gap but can’t lock the Allison from trying to change gears while shifting the aux. if this happens you get to stop the entire mess and get them back in a gear (yes I found this out the hard way on the el Centro grade ) Allison will allow you to lock in a gear from up shifting but you can’t lock in the downshifts - so still working a solution for shifts g the aux on the fly the Allison will try to kill you on off ramps - I have mostly figured this out in a regular 18 with the jake on - the jake will engage as soon as you let if the accelerator. The Allison will coast - as it. It sure what you want to do. This can cause you to be going tooooo fasssst when entering a sharp turn - kinda scary just have to tap the brake and then it will apply jake and start to downshift so there are the major downsides having said that - the reason I got the trans is still the same and it works as advertised starting on a steep grade with weight is amazing- (see above) and in traffic lights it is a breeze this is just an added benefit not why I bought it. How is oxbow - good I hope he disappeared during the purge now I just need work for my trailer instead of running around the country like 35 yr old freight hauler
I'm not sure how to interpret some of that writing, no offense to anyone. But it sounds like it is mostly programming. The Allison can be programmed to not turn the Jakes on until you tap the brake but that is not necessary. Also programmed to downshift, again not necessary. I prefer it to work just like a manual, let off the pedal and the Jakes come on and it stays in whatever gear it was in. If you don't want the Jakes there is a switch, use it. Same thing with downshifting, no need for it to downshift automatically when you let off the pedal or step on the brakes - there is a pushbutton shifter, that's what it's there for. So you can use the Jakes nice and easy at low RPM if that is what the situation calls for. All those other things are fancy features so that you can hire less skilled drivers and it will attempt to save brakes for you. It assumes every time you let off the pedal or step on the brakes you want to come to a full and complete stop immediately. It can be very annoying. Again, all in the programming. In the old days they didn't have the computer so they operated more like I describe.
I'd like to test one out for a few days here in the hills around GV but I dont think I'll get the chance.
The AMT's are the same way it's all programable. The correct way to descend a grade is down shift to correct gear then put in cruise control mode with jake on and it will be under control on a 6% grade no matter how long without using the brakes. That's a DT12 AMT. Our trucks will or can if the driver takes the time to understand it come down Cabbage I-84 at 100,000 GVW at 44 miles an hour and never touch the brakes.
Probably not something you want to teach to the "average fleet driver" but am I the only one who likes to run a little fast down grade and use the brakes once in a while to slow down? Time is money and brakes these days are pretty good, both Jakes and foundation brakes are much better now than the old days so I am not against running a higher gear, Jakes still on max of course but running in a higher gear so that speed very gradually increases and it needs a little air brake once in a while to maintain where it should be. Not getting them hot or anything. One advantage of an automatic is if you feel you bit off a little more than you can chew on a downgrade, you can select a lower gear and let the brain worry about downshifting while you jam on the service brakes one time to slow it down to a speed appropriate for the lower gear. Not recommended of course, but it gives you options.
Unless end up with electronics glitches as the FrtLnr I often drive has Start truck all is good, first couple loads again good then it starts. W/S wipers run and stop, no rhyme nor reason or bounce, use engine brake on occasion where in middle of use just shuts off may resume on next upshift may remain inoperable remainder of day. Radio is on then off so have stopped using. Techs in company shop and at local Freightliner dealer find Zip to causes, never codes and if trip a code as one tech tried will just go away as if never there. Will stop to refuel and at times will blow Ign fuse replace that snd starts runs like never a problem and have not raised amp size of fuse. Weird little wagon.
DM I am no mechanic but that sounds like a wiring harness or ground issue.
Just what year and Weird little model is it?
2016 114HD DD13 and 8LL trans. Freightliner Columbia MO had it a week, pulled harnesses inspected and tightened grounds, did continuity checks, just a gremlin haunted machine, bought used out of Maine.
Local ready mix company we deliver to, same type issues with theirs, explained they will NOT buy more of these.
That's why I asked model----------Columbia's and Century's mainly Columbia model's 2012 to 2019 have had major electrical issues. That's why it was on the market in the first place. Who ever had it before probably wanted to shoot it. It's past warranty and FRTLNR has washed there hands of it, more than likely. I smile when I read on forums someone has just made a stupendous buy on certain late model trucks, without asking someone in the industry what kind of a turd they are looking at. Before buying any late model trucks no matter what brand have the Vin # run and see just what and how many times it's been in the shop for the same problem and other work.
We have probably 6-700 Columbia and Coronado gliders at work our mechanics are getting pretty good at tracing wiring issues my current truck has an issue with the speed sensor randomly showing me running up to 100mph with the brakes set so with elog have to shut off key or it throws you in drive time
Best advise-when these problems arise is to disconnect the main battery ground cable and let set for 15 minuets then reconnect. If it has a Sam module that will clear it. But if problem remains it's Sam replacement time. A key indicator is very odd issues with lights and various accessories.
That would be this turd!! Is it late enough year wise to be a SAM victim?
Yeah it has multi-plex wiring and the possibility this ******* below has taken up residence in the dash.