Technical specification of truck tractor MAN TGX 18.440 4×2 BLS Euro-5

Case from practice

Daniil Minaev, photo by the author

Competition against the backdrop of a pan-European economic downturn forces manufacturers to look for new markets, make special price offers, and adapt existing models and modifications to customer requirements. Sometimes you have to create special versions altogether.

One way or another, the MAN truck tractor model TGX is a good choice. This German vehicle entered the fleet of a large Russian logistics operator in mid-2012, and over the past period has managed to travel a little more than a hundred thousand kilometers as part of a refrigerated road train that regularly runs along the route Moscow - Perm - Novosibirsk - Moscow. In total, the carrier purchased two such tractors for movement on this regular route. In my opinion, this is a good reason to look a little at the car through the eyes of its crew.

The external design of the car evokes respect - after all, this long-haul tractor belongs to the flagship line of the “Big Seven”, and therefore it is comfortable and prestigious to work on it. The interior also matches, although a little conservative, as it seemed to the younger crew member. But what a misfortune, just raise the cabin! No, this is not a reproach to the reliability of the car, it’s just that the designers, taking care of the safety of the components from dust and dirt, “hid” a lot of things under it. For example, an air filter. In theory, the need to replace it, as well as scheduled maintenance, is notified by sensitive electronics, but visual control is sometimes necessary in our conditions. You will have to raise the cabin to check the oil level using a dipstick, and, if necessary, pump up the fuel manually - this option is provided here.

Design

Truck tractors have a conventional design. The truck is not characterized by smooth and streamlined lines - the whole thing looks a little angular. Everything here is usual - both the trapezoidal daytime running lights and the foglights located under them, as well as the small staircase, have a purely functional meaning.

The bonnetless cab, elevated above the ground, gives the car a confident appearance. The company’s logo is located on the small radiator grille – perhaps the only element by which the model’s German roots can be recognized. The color palette is also not original - anyone can be surprised by the combination of white and black.

To summarize, we can say that the MAN TGS 4×2 has a standard appearance for trucks and does not stand out in the general mass of truck tractors, which will allow it to quickly merge with the fleet of vehicles familiar to the Russian driver.

Engine / Cooling system / Intake / exhaust system

• Engine make and model - MAN D2066LF62, Common-Rail, OBD2
• Engine power - 440 hp (324 kW) at 1,900 rpm
• Torque 2,100 Nm at 1000…1400 min¹
• Engine Management - EDC
• Liquid radiator and intercooler
• Fan with viscous coupling
• Electric torch device for facilitating cold start
• Heated fuel filter
• Additional fuel filter with water separator, heated
• Noise reduction measures, 80 dB (92/97EWG)
• Control module for external data exchange (KSM) with fleet management interface
• 1 cylinder air compressor 360 cm3
• Cruise control
• Intake system, with filter drier for difficult conditions
• Engine protection function: idling at very low temperatures
• Adjustable engine brake (EVBec)
• Radiator grille for stone protection
• Electronic speed limiter, 89 km/h

Cabin and its design

German engineers approached the design of the cabin more responsibly and created three classes for different transportation conditions:

1. Type M creates ideal conditions for short distances and urban conditions. The large glass area creates a good overview and helps to navigate in dense traffic, and the possibility of installing an additional seat and a folding berth allows the tractor to be used on intercity routes.
2. Type TGS L for using the vehicle as part of a road train on interregional routes. It is equipped with a berth, but at the same time has good maneuverability due to its small width, and the possibility of rearrangement allows you to adjust the cabin to the driver’s needs.
3. Type LX for particularly long trips. Tall and narrow, it is well optimized for transport with high payloads. A comfortable sleeping place and a microclimate control system, included in the basic package, will make drivers feel like they are at home.

The interior is also top notch. The MAN TGS 4×2 cabin is equipped with comfortable seats that follow the curves of the body and are upholstered in soft fabric material. The driver's seat is air-sprung with a large number of settings and armrests.

A large number of niches for small items are at hand - you don’t have to reach for them, as well as for the controls. The audio system is neatly located to the driver's right on a small ledge. The interior is made in calm beige and gray tones, does not put pressure on the eyes and is pleasant to look at even after thousands of kilometers.

Cabin of truck tractor MAN TGS 19.440 4×2 BLS-WW

• Cabin L- sleeper
• Aerodynamic package including spoiler and side fairings
• Cabin suspension: spring;
• Comfortable driver's seat with air shock absorption;
• Passenger seat with longitudinal and backrest adjustment
• Air conditioning with automatic temperature control
• Air heater
• Nordic cabin insulation
• Electrically adjustable rear view mirrors • heated;
• Right side curb mirror and passenger side front mirror
• Central locking with remote control;
• Electric windows
• MAN Tronic on-board computer
• MAN Media Truck Advanced radio with 7-inch display, video playback and navigation system
• Speakerphone for two mobile phones
• Preparing to install a radio station
• AUX-in/USB connector
• Refrigerator, with folding table

Engine and transmission

Truck tractors are equipped with Euro-5 engines. In the basic configuration, this is a D20 diesel unit with a volume of 10.5 liters and a power of 540 hp. These 6-cylinder engines are characterized by a high torque of 1900 Nm, which is maintained over a wide speed range.

The fuel injection system is designed using Common Rail technology and is electronically controlled by EDC. This significantly reduces energy consumption and exhaust emissions. The turbocharger has intercooling, which, in combination with the combined lubrication mechanism and water cooling, has an excellent effect on the service life of the power plant.

The power plant is paired with a 16-speed ZF manual transmission, which transmits power to the MAN TGS 4×2 rear axle. Its ideally selected gear ratios save engine life and reduce fuel consumption. The rear axle has a lockable cross-axle differential, which increases the cross-country ability of the tractors.

The combination of a manual transmission with a powerful power plant accelerates the car to 90 km/h when fully loaded. Fuel consumption is 30 liters per 100 km.

On the run

For transporting standard cargo, the power of a 440-horsepower engine is quite enough, but if you have to hurry, then incorrect use of the transmission can cause serious excessive fuel consumption - MAN does not forgive mistakes, but decent smoothness and ride comfort in combination with a spacious cabin and a minimal engine tunnel forgive " MAN" a lot.

Unfortunately, quite often drivers are not involved in choosing the configuration of the cars they order. Only later did the crew find out that various fuel tanks are available for this tractor, and in one of the versions it is possible to install an additional spare wheel on the tractor frame, which is not a superfluous option for Siberia! And so, for our true professional, we can handle everything, no matter where we send it, and it’s simply a shame not to be able to cope with such equipment! With a powerful engine, disc brakes backed by an effective motor retarder, comfortable sleeping bags and excellent headlights.

Technical characteristics of the car MAN TGX 18.440 BLS type 06XZZ1C

Evgeniy Trunov, driver:

“MAN TGX is the first tractor of this brand in my experience. Previously, I had the opportunity to work on all domestic trucks, then there were Isuzu, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz Actros, Volvo VNL, Volvo FH12. I didn’t have any problems with adaptation, getting used to it, or any questions about the ergonomics of the MAN. I immediately sat down and drove off. When I need to drive a “tadpole” (only a tractor without a semi-trailer), for example, to the traffic police for registration or for the next service, I never cease to admire the car’s dynamics. Our gearbox is mechanical, with a range and a divider, it operates on 4 strokes of the lever with two “flags”, so the driver in the city spends quite a lot of time changing gears, and still, despite this fact, I can sometimes allow myself to “misbehave” ", lifting up some cars! The payback for driving too fast comes later - at the gas station. The fuel consumption of a road train with a MAN TGX 18.440 tractor, although it fluctuates around average values ​​- from 28 to 35 liters (depending on load, road, weather), somehow imperceptibly tends to the upper limit, you just need to let the situation out of control a little control.

The company where I work purchased two identical tractors at the same time. When winter came, and the roads in Siberia during this period can be slippery like glass for many hundreds of kilometers, I realized that in order to confidently control the car I have to seriously reduce the speed, sometimes down to 40 km/h, otherwise it’s just scary to drive, the car “ doesn't hold the road. After the next flight, I complained about this to the guys from the crew of the other “twin” of our tractor. They were quite surprised and said that they did not have any problems with stability and controllability; on the contrary, they were completely satisfied, as a modern car listens perfectly to the steering wheel. I had no reason not to trust my colleagues, and I asked the mechanics at the next scheduled maintenance to check the alignment angles of the steered wheels. I suspected that the toe-in needed to be adjusted. This is where I first encountered the specifics of a car service. You can change oil, filters, and brake pads without any problems at any MAN dealership. But as soon as the work goes beyond the standard, it turns out that behind the scenes of the reception, decorated in a single corporate style, specialists of completely different qualifications are working. At the service station, which is located on the outskirts of the city of Zheleznodorozhny in the eastern part of the Moscow region, the first time they refused me, citing the fact that the box with the adjustment stand was occupied by some kind of semi-trailer, the second time there was no specialist, the third time they made the adjustment, but it only got worse. And at strong technical centers in the Moscow region, for example, which are located in Shcherbinka and Podolsk, you have to sign up in advance; free “windows” happen at inconvenient hours, which disrupts the flight schedule. But when I had a sudden failure of the standard immobilizer, they solved this problem promptly and under warranty. In the regions, the variation in the level of stations is even more noticeable, so our crew tries to schedule maintenance when we return home to the Moscow region.

In general, the car pleases me with its German-built logic, which is manifested here in everything: from the arrangement of buttons on the dashboard to pleasant little things in the form of a panel of additional fittings for the pneumatic system, being, as it were, a continuation of my personal passenger “German”.

Suspension, steering and brakes

The frame of the tractor is the frame of the ladder structure. The cabin is attached to it by means of front and rear spring shock absorbers, which protect drivers from shock and vibration. The car can be equipped with two different suspensions:

• Combined spring-pneumatic design TGS - parabola-shaped springs at the front, and a reinforced pneumatic system at the rear. This combination guarantees stability both during empty trips and when fully loaded.
• The fully air suspension dampens any vibrations, protecting the load and drivers from mechanical stress. This system is installed for transporting fragile goods.

In both cases, the tractor is equipped with power steering. In this case, the steering wheel shaft lock is equipped with an immobilizer, and the column is equipped with height and tilt regulators.

The braking system of cars is equipped with disc structures on all wheels. It has a mechanism for automatically varying the braking force, a dual-circuit braking center, an ABS system and an ASR traction control mechanism. All this creates comfortable conditions for traveling and driving.

What is good for a German is not entirely and not always good for a Russian

And the cabin rises in the classic “German” way - with the help of an assembly, using a pump located between the steps of the cabin on the right side. Yes, before lifting the cabin, please fold back the radiator grill so as not to break it. Of course, European drivers have not looked under the hood for a long time (fifteen years) unless absolutely necessary. And this is still perceived with an intonation of slight “offense.” Either they have it or we have it... It seems that the car is not cheap, but the solution is from the category of budget highways. Although, in parallel, a sliding rear-cabin spoiler was used in the same model - access to the coupling station is convenient, and road dirt does not get in. However, the German mentality is a mystery to the Russian soul. For example, I recently discovered that a new German “D+” class passenger sedan produced in 2013 may easily not be equipped with a rear seat armrest and rear electric windows, and this with a price tag of under a million rubles...

The MAN cabin is strict and democratic. On the instrument cluster, which is easy to read and consists of two large and four small classic dial instruments, the focus is on warning lamps in the very center, and the on-board computer display, which cannot but be found in a truck of this class in the second decade of the twenty-first century, modestly lurks , so as not to interfere... Do not interfere with concentrating on the road, and the on-screen “controls” field is silent in gray and black until the situation requires it. Only, according to drivers, there are too many buttons to control the on-board computer, you need to educate yourself, read the manual, on the one hand this is self-development, but on the other hand it is an inconvenience.

In a word, everything is orderly and noble, and, in my opinion, with a slight hint of revenge on the closest competitor.

However, both in severity and in the fight against excesses that distract from management, there must be a certain limit. Power sockets, so necessary for a truck driver for his everyday life, are present, of course. We had to do additional wiring on our own so that, without affecting the standard wiring, we would not lose the warranty, but still ensure recharging of the phone and radio communication. Again a familiar situation, isn't it?

However, this did not allow the creators to “forget” about the skylight, leatherette curtains with guides and anti-fatigue lighting.

Price MAN TGS 4×2

The price of truck tractors with a 4x2 wheel arrangement in Russia is about 5.5 million rubles. For used cars, depending on the number of kilometers traveled, you will have to pay from 1.2 to 2.7 million rubles.

German tractors, thanks to their reliability and versatility, low fuel consumption, and adaptability to harsh climatic conditions, will be an excellent help for any business. The created comfortable conditions inside the car will appeal to any driver, and the wide possibilities for configuration and re-equipment of TGS will allow them to be used in a wide variety of fields of activity.