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LOVE IT OR HATE IT
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Four years after its UK launch the TG-A has had plenty of time to establish itself. As Andy
Salter discovers, after a rocky start the big
MAN is winning friends throughout the industry
Cast your minds back four years... anybody who was anybody in this business was gathered at various sites around Europe for a truck launch of monumental proportions. Eurovision-style satellite linkups, simultaneous translations, enough food and drink to sink any warship you can think of and, oh yes, the new MAN TG-A range — what a night!
As a launch we'd never seen the like, and the vehicle seemed equally impressive.
The first TG-As were only available with XXL and XL cabs: 2.44m wide with high and standard roof respectively. The XXL offered a lofty 2.1m (6ft 10in) ceiling height and some 13% more living space than the outgoing top-of-the-range model.The cab range was subsequently extended to include the slightly narrower LX,L and M. representing high-roof, sleeper and day cab options.
Power in the newTG-A came from the F2000's tried and tested engine range:a 12-litre lump rated at 310,360 and 410; and a 12.8-litre with 460hp on tap (subsequently uprated to 510hp).
This spring MAN took the wraps off the 10.5-litre D20, available at power ratings up to 430hp and soon to be joined by the longerstroke 12-litre D26 offering 530hp top power.
The engines in the firstTG-As were established products but the transmission received a comprehensive revision. Standard gearbox offering was, and remains, the 16-speed ZF Ecosplit, but with the addition of a Comfortshift package.This incorporates the Servoshift shift aid package, with a clutch actuation PI* button on the head of the gearstick, effectively introducing a clutchless manual transmission. MAN also introduced the latest version of ZF's auto box,which it calls the TipMatic; other driveline innovations included a singlereduction rear axle.
The other major change was the addition of a revised braking set-up and a CAN-bus multiplex electronic control system. This allowed computer control of all major components — the high-tech theme was extended to electronically controlled disc brakes.
We said at the time the TG-A looked very impressive on paper but would need to prove itself in service. With so much new technology on display the TG-A leapt to the top of the innovation league table, but heading that list might compromise reliability.
So now the honeymoon's over, how is the TG-A coping with workaday road haulage? We spoke to nine TG-A operators to find out.
Reliability
The first few months following the launch marked a twitchy time for M.AN.The initial reports filtering back to the CM office were that drivers strongly approved of the newmodel, but all was not as it might be on the reliability front. This mixed response is confirmed by Michael Lacey, operations director at Aberdeen-based Grampian International which took some of the first TG-As in the country. "We had a very bad experience with the TOA," he says. "We had a lot of computer problems Basically the computer kept saying there was a fault and the light would flash, but no one could sort the trouble. We also had problems with the transmission."
HH Transport, based inAvonmouth, was another TG-A pioneer, putting a 410hp 4x2 unit with LX cab on the road in December 2000. Director David Harris pulls no punches: "I have had a gut full of it. We've had a lot of problems, mainly with the ECU, which keeps failing. It's a recurring fault with them, as the first time it went down we were told we were 24th in the queue and had to wait two weeks for a replacement.The second time we were number 14 in the queue. It's been off the road for a long time."
Other users had a far more positive experience with their early TG-As. John Smerin is transport and warehouse manager with Heathrow-based air-freight speciahst Hankyu Cargo. which took delivery of a 410hp,4x2 tractor with the XL cab in the first year. "It's a lovely vehicle and has been completely trouble-free," he says. "I was aware they were having a few issues with the TG-A, as the guy at the service centre told me they'd had lots of modifications on the truck for various items.All were carried out by our dealership, but they never affected our operation." After three years thatTG-A was replaced by another with the same specification. "It's used for shifting air freight around the airport and so had only done 43,000Icm in three years," Smerin reports."The original one was bought by a friend of mine and it's still going well."
Most of the operators we spoke to have encountered problems with the ECU, though most see it as a minor issue. "We've had a niggling fault on the computer," says David Allen, a director at Wrexham-based Cecil S Allen Transport.The company runs nine trucks, all MANs, including four TG-As."It keeps throwing up a fault, but we can't find the problem," he explained. "It doesn't stop us operating, though."
Stuart Allison is fleet engineer at Mitchells of Grangemouth. He's in charge of 100 trucks, including 65 TO-As. He cites the ECU glitch as the only issue with the TG-A,adding:"It's only a minor fault."
The only other recurring fault appears to have been door hinge failure, possibly caused by the TG-A's heavy doors.This appears to have been dealt with by MAN, although not to HH Transport's satisfaction. "We never experienced the door hinge problem." Harris reports,"but the dealer insisted it had to be modified. Since then we've had nothing but trouble!"
More recent versions of the TG-A seem to be much improved. Judging by our sample any operator taking on a TG-A in the past two years appears to have acquired a much more reliable beast, notwithstanding the recurring ECU fault code, with none of our survey reporting any major problems.
Fuel economy
MAN engines have always had a fine reputation for fuel economy, and while the power unit wasn't substantially altered from the outgoing F2000 the economy doesn't appear to have suffered. In fact, according to David Harris it's the saving grace which has prevented him chopping in his troublesome TG-A:"If it wasn't for the decent fuel economy we'd have got shut long ago. The X-reg is returning 9.5mpg on 38-tonne work. It's a little behind an equivalent Actros, but is still respectable.The 44-tonne TG-A is returning 8.5mpg. which is the same as the 460hp Volvo FH12 we operate.They're all on more or less the same work."
Last year Derbyshire operator BJ Waters added three used TG-As to its 45-strong fleet.These ex-ARR Craib vehicles had 450,000km on the clock when they arrived