Geartronic turns right
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by John Kendall • The first right-hand-drive Volvo FL10 Geartronic tractive units built at Volvo's Irvine plant in Scotland will go on sale in June.
The Geartronic fully automated manual transmission system has previously been available only on left-hand-drive F10 and Fl2s.
Volvo chose the FL10 for righthand drive because it is the company's best selling tractive unit in the UK, and as a fleet tractor it is commonly used on stop/start distribution routes where conditions make the automatic option particularly attractive.
Series production begins next month and we have driven one of the first batch of demonstration vehicles.
EDC system As previously reported (CM 1420 January), the FL10 is fitted with the same SR 1700 12-speed synchromesh gearbox and EDC electronic diesel control system as the F12 Geartronic. This adds around £2,750 (ex-VAT) to the price of an FL10: Volvo believes this could be recouped in about two years on a truck averaging 120,000km a year.
In Volvo's own tests the FL10 Geartronic has recorded fuel savings of up to 6% compared with an FL10 using a conventional manual box. Asked if Volvo had considered fitting the gearbox as standard to the FL10, Alistair Robinson, General Manager Trucks at Volvo GB, says: "It will be standard in three years, with a manual option, in my opinion."
When Volvo's EDC system has been engineered for the smaller seven-litre engine, Geartronic will also become available on FL7, FS7 and F1.6 tractors and rigids.
The clutch pedal has been replaced by a footrest incorporating the exhaust brake button. The conventional Volvo gear lever has also gone; in its place is a smaller lever from the Volvo 940 car. The driver can select any ratio in low range (between 1L and 3H) to pull away and change up manually to 3H. Alternatively he can select A for fully automatic changes.
Other gearbox features are identical to those on the F12 Geartronic we drove last year (CM 22-28 Oct 1992)—the driver can choose between the standard "Economy" or "Performance" mode; hold the current gear; select from four reverse ratios; or activate the "marshalling" mode which offers more clutch slip for coupling/uncoupling and tight manoeuvres.
Linked to the EDC foot-off cruise control, Geartronic offers the driver as much, or as little, influence over gear changing as he wants.
On the road the simplest method is to leave the gearbox in "K. The current gear and driving mode is shown on an LCD display at the top of the instrument panel.
The system is a little slow to take up drive from rest so more planning is needed at roundabouts if a stop is called for. Progress is rather jerky in perforupward changes are taken in half gears with the engine holding changes to around 2,100rpm. In economy mode upward changes are taken at around 1,800rpm. The box will also take upward shifts in whatever pattern is the most fuel efficient.
Effective The integral exhaust brake is particularly effective. It will brings about an immediate down change so the engine is spinning in the blue sector, between 1,500 and 2,500rpm. Selecting the performance mode with the exhaust brake will cause the gearbox to change down repeatedly if the revs drop below 1,900rpm to provide maximum braking. But if the revs rise above 2,500rpm Geartronic changes up again automatically unless "Hold" is selected.
Cruise control becomes a much more flexible system than with any other truck we have driven. A touch on the brake pedal or exhaust brake immediately cancels i.he selected speed and normal pedal control is resumed.
EDC holds the pre-set speed in its memory, so when exiting a roundabout, for instance, all the driver needs to do is flick the dash-mounted joystick control to "Resume" and the FL10 will accelerate up to the selected speed, with Geartronic taking care of gear changes.
Flicking the joy-stick control to "Off" cancels the speed setting in the memory; it can be re-selected using the "Set –" or "Set +" position.