freightliner BUSINESS CLASS M2 Driver Manual page 99

Drivetrain
When operating on-highway, with no load or
under ideal conditions, use first gear when start-
ing to move the vehicle.
For all conditions, use the highest gear that is
still low enough to start the vehicle moving with
the engine idling and without excessively slipping
the clutch.
2. Use the clutch brake to stop gear rotation when
shifting into low (or first) or reverse when the ve-
hicle is stationary. The clutch brake is applied by
pressing the clutch pedal all the way to the floor.
For normal upshifts and downshifts, only a partial
disengagement of the clutch is necessary to
break engine torque.
3. Do not make range shifts with the vehicle moving
in reverse gear.
4.
Never attempt to move the range preselection
lever with the gear shift lever in neutral while the
vehicle is moving. Preselection with the range
preselection lever must be made prior to moving
the shift lever out of gear into neutral.
5. Do not shift from high range to low range at high
vehicle speeds.
6.
Use double-clutching between all upshifts and
downshifts.
7. After your shifting ability improves, you may want
to skip some of the ratios. This may be done
only when operating conditions such as load,
grade, and road speed permit.
Upshifting
1. Position the gear shift lever in neutral. Start the
engine and bring the air system pressure up to
100 to 120 psi (689 to 827 kPa).
2. Position the range preselection lever down into
low range.
3. Press the clutch pedal to the floor. Shift into low
or first gear, then engage the clutch with the en-
gine at or near idle speed to start the vehicle
moving. Accelerate to 80 percent of engine gov-
erned speed.
4. Shift progressively up from low or 1st gear to the
top gear in low range, double-clutching between
shifts and accelerating to 80 percent of engine
governed speed.
8.11
5. While in the top gear of the low-range shift pat-
tern and ready for the next upshift, flip the range
preselection lever up into high range. Double-
clutch through neutral and shift into the bottom
gear in high range. As the shift lever passes
through neutral, the transmission will automati-
cally shift from low range to high range.
6. With the transmission in high range, shift pro-
gressively up through each of the high range
gears, double-clutching between shifts.
Downshifting
1. With the transmission in high range, shift pro-
gressively down to the bottom gear in high
range, double-clutching between shifts.
2. When in the bottom gear of the high-range shift
pattern and ready for the next downshift, push
the range preselection lever down into low range.
Double-clutch through neutral and shift into the
top gear of the low-range shift pattern. As the
shift lever passes through neutral, the transmis-
sion will automatically shift from high range to
low range.
3. With the transmission in low range, downshift
through the low range gears as conditions re-
quire.
Never use the clutch brake when downshifting or
as a brake to slow the vehicle.
Operation, Deep-Reduction Models
Upshifting
1. Position the gear shift lever in neutral. See
Fig. 8.8 for the shift pattern. Start the engine,
and bring the air system pressure up to 95 to
125 psi (655 to 862 kPa).
2. Position the range preselection lever down, into
low range.
NOTE: If conditions are difficult, start out in LO-
LO. Move the DEEP REDUCTION lever on the
dashboard to the IN position. Otherwise start
out in LO with the DEEP REDUCTION lever in
the OUT position.