Backing up
To reduce the risk of the possibility of personal injury while
backing the vehicle, always be sure your vehicle’s path is clear.
Before backing your vehicle, be sure you can do so safely. If anything
behind the cab limits your view, do not rely on mirrors alone to assure
that your intended path is clear. If other people are in the vicinity, have
someone standing well behind your vehicle and outside of your intended
path (visible through an exterior mirror) guide you as you back up.
Although OSHA or some governmental regulations may require the use
of an electrical or mechanical back-up alarm to warn bystanders, such an
alarm does not assure that the intended path is clear. When in doubt, get
out of the vehicle and visually check the intended path is clear; back-up
slowly as to allow others time to move, if necessary.
If an electrical back-up alarm is installed, it should be connected to the
back-up lamp circuit.
Parking your vehicle
Always use the parking brake. When parking on a grade, block the
wheels and turn the front wheels to one side so that if the vehicle rolls,
the front tires will act against the curb to stop the vehicle. The front
wheels will be more effective at stopping a rolling vehicle than the rear
wheels.
When parking your vehicle, do not leave the transmission in
gear; if the key is in the ON position and the vehicle rolls, the
engine could start. Failure to follow these instructions could result in
an unattended vehicle moving, possibly causing personal injury or
property damage.
Driving through water
If driving through deep or standing water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly especially if the depth is not known. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of the hubs (for trucks) or the bottom of
the wheel rims (for cars). Traction or brake capability may be limited
and your vehicle may stall. Water may also enter your engine’s air intake
and severely damage your engine, drive axles or the transmisison
(through the breather ports).
Once through the water, always dry the brakes by moving your vehicle
slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal. Wet brakes do
not stop the vehicle as quickly as dry brakes.
Driving
92
The reserve system provides reduced braking power, so the vehicle
should be operated under these conditions with caution, and only to seek
service repair and remove the vehicle from the roadway.
For Hydromax, under normal operating conditions noise of the fluid
flowing through the booster may be heard whenever the brake is applied.
This condition is normal. Vehicle service is not required.
If braking performance or pedal response becomes very poor, even when
the pedal is strongly applied, this may indicate the presence of air in the
hydraulic system or fluid leakage. Stop the vehicle safely as soon as
possible and seek service immediately.
If the red BRAKE warning lamp in
the instrument cluster remains
illuminated after engine start up,
this indicates a system failure in the
master cylinder of the brake system. Stop the vehicle safely as soon as
possible and seek service immediately.
If the yellow BRAKE RESERVE
(E-motor) warning light remains on
while the engine is running, this
indicates inadequate hydraulic
booster pressure or reserve pump
system failure. Stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible and seek
service immediately.
BRAKE
Driving
94
ABS warning lamp
The
ABSwarning lamp in the instrument cluster momentarily illuminates
when the ignition is turned on and the engine is off. If the light does not
illuminate momentarily at start up, remains on after the vehicle reaches
5–10 mph (10–15 km/h), or continues to flash, the ABS needs to be
serviced.
With the ABS light on, the anti-lock brake system is disabled and normal
braking is still effective unless the brake warning light also remains
illuminated. (If your parking brake warning lamp illuminates, have your
vehicle serviced immediately).
Using ABS
•In an emergency or when maximum efficiency from the ABS is
required, apply continuous full force on the brake. The ABS will be
activated immediately, thus allowing you to retain full steering control
of your vehicle and, providing there is sufficient space, will enable you
to avoid obstacles and bring the vehicle to a controlled stop.
•The ABS does not decrease the time necessary to apply the brakes or
always reduce stopping distance. Always leave enough room between
your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to stop.
•We recommend that you familiarize yourself with this braking
technique. However, avoid taking any unnecessary risks.
TRACTION CONTROL(IF EQUIPPED)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a Traction Controlsystem. This
system helps you maintain the stability and steerability of your vehicle,
especially on slippery road surfaces such as snow- or ice-covered roads
and gravel roads, by reducing engine power and/or selectively applying
the rear brakes. The system will allow your vehicle to make better use of
available traction in these conditions.
Note:The traction control system will not apply the brakes when the
vehicle speed is above 25 mph (40 km/h).
During Traction Controloperation,
the traction control light in the
instrument cluster will flash and the
engine will not“rev-up”when you
push further on the accelerator. This
is normal system behavior and should be no reason for concern. If the
traction control light does not flash or stays illuminated, the system is
not functioning.
Driving
114
To avoid sudden, unexpected vehicle movement and possible
personal injury or death:
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Shift the transmission into: N (Neutral).
3. Apply the parking brake and make sure it is holding properly.
4. Turn the engine off when you leave the vehicle.Never leave the
vehicle unattended when the engine is running.
Allison 2400 automatic transmission with park pawl feature
Note:For Allison automatic transmission-equipped vehicles, also refer to
the separate Allison Transmission Operator’s Manual.
A parking pawl effectively grounds the transmission’s output shaft
preventing rotation of the driveline. If the vehicle is stationary, selecting
the P (Park) position places the transmission in neutral and engages the
parking pawl (always use the parking brake, also).
Note:If the P (Park) position is selected when the vehicle is in motion,
the parking pawl mechanism will ratchet andNOThold the truck.
Always set the parking brake fully. Do not use the gearshift in
place of the parking brake.
To avoid sudden, unexpected vehicle movement and possible
personal injury or death:
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Shift the transmission into: P (Park). Slowly lift your foot from the
brake pedal to engage the transmission parking pawl mechanism.
3. Apply the parking brake and make sure it is holding properly. Do not
rely solely on the parking mechanism of the transmission.)
4. Turn the engine off when you leave the vehicle.Never leave the
vehicle unattended when the engine is running.
Allison MD (Medium Duty) electronic World Transmission (WT)
Two modes are available for the Allison MD-WT: Performance and
Economy. Performance mode will give you the best all-around
transmission operation; Economy provides operation at lower engine
RPM while maintaining adequate performance. The transmission will
automatically default to Performance mode when you start the engine.
Pressing MODE on the shifter will activate the Economy mode; this will
also illuminate the Mode ON lamp.
Driving
119
Manual transmission shift patterns
are displayed on either the shift
lever knob or the sun visor.
Study this information carefully before you drive the vehicle even though
you may be familiar with similar units. Do not attempt to drive the
vehicle without knowing the exact shift pattern of the transmission.
Consult your authorized dealer if any questions exist as to the shifting
instructions posted in your vehicle.
Do not coast the vehicle with the clutch pedal depressed or with
the transmission in neutral. This practice could result in loss of
vehicle control.
Always use a gear ratio low enough to allow the engine to operate above
the minimum engine operation speed range. Do not lug the engine. When
more power is required, shift to a lower gear and accelerate the engine
near the governed speed.
Driving hints
The following driving hints are provided as a brief, general guide in
operating the different manual transmissions used in your vehicle.
•Always use the lowest gear to start the vehicle.
•Do not slam or jerk the gearshift lever into gear.
•When shifting into 1 (First) or R (Reverse) with vehicle standing still,
quickly release and depress the clutch pedal (if necessary to complete
gear engagement).
Shifting with a synchronized transmission
With the clutch pedal depressed, use 2 (Second) gear synchronizer to
stop the clutch disc rotation; this allows smooth engagement of 1 (First)
or R (Reverse) To complete the gear engagement, it may be necessary to
apply light pressure to the gearshift lever during initial engagement of
the clutch. It takes a second or two to match gear speeds; steady
pressure on the gearshift lever will help the synchronizer perform its job
more quickly. If the gearshift lever is forced into position, this action
defeats the purpose of the synchronizer by causing gear clash.
R 1 3 5
4
6 2
Driving
124
To go forward
With the engine idling, depress the
clutch pedal and push the range
control button to the LO range
position. Shift into the LO gear
position and engage the clutch while
pressing on the accelerator to start
forward. Operate the clutch and
upshift through the pattern as
required by driving conditions. To
shift into the HI range from 5th gear
(LO range), place the range control
in the HI range position, then shift into 6th gear. When downshifting
from HI to LO, place the range control into the LO range, then downshift
from 6th gear to 5th gear (below 1,500 engine RPM).
To go backward
Reverse is obtained by putting the
gearshift lever in R (Reverse) and
the range control button in LO or
HI.
Power-take off operation (PTO) with a manual transmission
Transmission-mounted power take-off units are available for local
installation on your vehicle. See your Body Builder’s Layout Book for
restrictions on use and installation of power take-off units.
To engage the PTO unit, stop the vehicle and place the transmission
control in neutral. Depress the clutch and allow the gears to stop
rotating, then engage the PTO unit. The PTO can also be selected with
the transmission in gear as long as the clutch is depressed.
When operating the PTO unit with the vehicle stationary, first set the
parking brake (chock the wheels if the vehicle is on a hill or other
unlevel surface).
7
29
4
8
3 6
1
10
5
R
Neutral
Driving
129
Sudden accelerations on slippery surfaces could cause the
wheels to spin, the vehicle to turn sideways on a crowned road
surface or in a turn, possibly resulting in loss of vehicle control and
personal injury.
Some Dana/Spicer drive axles have a driver-controlled differential lock.
The differential lock can lock or unlock the differential when the vehicle
is moving or stopped. When extra traction is required, the differential
lock will provide full power to both axles.
When the differential is locked, the vehicle’s turning radius will increase
(vehicle will“under-steer”)
The differential can be locked or unlocked when the vehicle is moving at
a constant speed of less than 25 mph (40 km/h) and while the wheels
are not slipping. The differential must not be locked when the vehicle is
traveling down steep grades and traction is minimal.
Note:Never use the differential lock at vehicle speeds above 25 mph (40
km/h).
Note:The driver-controlled differential lock function will vary with some
transmissions.
•Vehicle equipped with an Allison MD transmission:The
differential lock and differential lock light will automatically disengage
at speeds above 40 km/h (40 mph). The differential lock will remain
off until either the vehicle is restarted or the differential lock switch is
turned off then back on.
•Vehicle equipped with a 5–speed, 6–speed or 7–speed manual
transmissions or a non-MD automatic transmissions:The driver
must manually deactivate the differential lock if using it at speeds
above 40 km/h (25 mph).
•Vehicles equipped with a 10–speed transmission:The differential
lock can only be activated when in low range and it will only stay
activated until it is turned off or when the transmission is put into
high range. When active and shifted into high range, it will temporarily
deactivate automatically until low range is selected again.
Driving
131
Trailer towing tips
•Practice turning, stopping and backing up before starting on a trip to
get the feel of the vehicle trailer combination. When turning, make
wider turns so the trailer wheels will clear curbs and other obstacles.
•Allow more distance for stopping with a trailer attached.
•The trailer tongue weight should be 10–15% of the loaded trailer
weight.
•After you have traveled 50 miles (80 km), thoroughly check your
hitch, electrical connections and trailer wheel lug nuts.
•To aid in engine/transmission cooling and A/C efficiency during hot
weather while stopped in traffic, place the gearshift lever in P (Park)
(if available on your automatic transmission) or N (Neutral) (manual
transmissions and automatic transmissions without a P [Park]
position).
•Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a grade. If you must
park on a grade, place wheel chocks under the trailer’s wheels.
Driving
138