Volvo VNL (and other trucks) have no more engine brake

[sethtriggs]

Engine/Jake Brake just isn't on even though I did nothing to change my configuration. This seems to have been lost a couple game versions ago, apparently. There is the retarder though thankfully but I really miss that sound. it was a nice ambiance.

I even tried driving in another truck equipped with engine brake, and *nothing!*
ATS version 1.53.2.5s

This is running on Linux Mint 64-bit.

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.15.0-134-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 11.4.0 Desktop: Cinnamon 6.0.4
    tk: GTK 3.24.33 wm: muffin vt: 7 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 Distro: Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia
    base: Ubuntu 22.04 jammy
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: Gigabyte model: B550 AORUS ELITE AX V2 v: x.x serial: <superuser required>
    UEFI: American Megatrends LLC. v: FD date: 06/08/2023
CPU:
  Info: 8-core model: AMD Ryzen 7 5700G with Radeon Graphics bits: 64 type: MT MCP smt: enabled
    arch: Zen 3 rev: 0 cache: L1: 512 KiB L2: 4 MiB L3: 16 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 3709 high: 4466 min/max: 1400/3800 boost: enabled cores: 1: 3573 2: 3576
    3: 3605 4: 3249 5: 3573 6: 3583 7: 4365 8: 3573 9: 3565 10: 3570 11: 3573 12: 4466 13: 3573
    14: 3573 15: 3573 16: 4359 bogomips: 121364
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA GA106 [GeForce RTX 3060 Lite Hash Rate] vendor: ZOTAC driver: nvidia
    v: 535.183.01 pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 ports: active: none off: DP-1
    empty: DP-2,DP-3,HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:2504 class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.4 driver: X: loaded: nvidia gpu: nvidia display-ID: :0
    screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 47 s-size: 1038x572mm (40.9x22.5") s-diag: 1185mm (46.7")
  Monitor-1: DP-0 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 48 size: 1020x570mm (40.2x22.4") diag: 1168mm (46")
  OpenGL: renderer: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060/PCIe/SSE2 v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 535.183.01
    direct render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: NVIDIA vendor: ZOTAC driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16
    bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:228e class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD Renoir Radeon High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie:
    speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 09:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:1637 class-ID: 0403
  Device-3: AMD Family 17h HD Audio vendor: Gigabyte driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie:
    speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 09:00.6 chip-ID: 1022:15e3 class-ID: 0403
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-134-generic running: yes
  Sound Server-2: JACK v: 1.9.20 running: no
  Sound Server-3: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
  Sound Server-4: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes

Attaching my game.log.

This profile has never had mods.

Thanks in advance if anyone can figure this out!

[Space_Night]

a few things.

1: newer engines do not have that popple that older engines have, this is due to a change in how the exhaust brakes work, they now tend to hiss, or they're heavily muffled.

2: activate your engine brake button and see if the dashboard indicator comes on, if it does you still have a functioning exhaust brake, it just doesn't have that old school rattletattle sound that you get with the older engines.

I thought id do a test. at NO time was the foot brake used, all braking is with the exhaust brake. It's there. just doesnt have that rattletattle sound of the older C15s and such.

Watch on YouTube

[Space_Night]

The way Jake brakes work and the way exhaust brakes work is different, a Jake brake holds the exhaust valves closed preventing the exhaust gasses from leaving the engine until just before top dead centre when they open as required atop the exhaust stroke causing the gasses which have been under pressure to exit the cylinder with a hammer blow force, this is what gave you your signature tommygun sound.

A more modern exhaust brake works down stream of the turbocharger, rather than the cylinder head, it closes off to restrict gas flow but doesn't completely close it off, the result is the same, but without all the noise, making them less obnoxious to residents who live by a busy truck road near the bottom of a hill, typically where you would see "NO JAKE BRAKE" signs

[sethtriggs]

Quote removed - Don't quote videos - Rule 2.3

That's interesting. I just was used to it because it was modeled; it made the noise before. Was this a correction SCS did? I do remember that the VNL didn't make the same engine brake noise as the other trucks like the 379 and such. But it's apparently just the retarder noise. I do like that the noise is different though. I do feel like the stopping performance is reduced though.

And yes I do have the engine brake display on the dash and I get the lever activation. Just feels like it's doing nothing.

[Space_Night]

Stopping power should not have changed. They did alter a few patches back to make the lever alter the stages on the exhaust brake rather than the gearbox, operating on 2, 4 or 6 cylinders. (My cascadia will lock the tyres up on full exhaust brake! - which is fun on a wet road).

To activate the exhaust brake now in ATS its not just tapping the lever on the wheel by pressing your increase or decrease buttons, you need to trigger the exhaust brake by binding "exhaust brake toggle" on keys, or "exhaust brake" if using a non latching switch on a button box or SKRS shifter head. This arms the exhaust brake.

Check your key bindings.

Also, exhaust brakes work better when you get the revs up as they rely on gas pressure against the slide valve.

Find a hill, get to about 55 and activate the exhaust brake and downshift to raise RPM above 1500rpm and see what happens

[sethtriggs]

Okay I will give that a try. Now I should say that I am using a Logitech G29 wheel.

My current config in Keys and Buttons is:

Engine Brake - {N/A} {N/A} - I took the B off because nothing was happening. I will replace this default subsequent to my post. I only really use the wheel controls.
Engine Brake Toggle - { - } {Joy Trigger Happy 8} - this is the push button inside the little red rotating switch lower right. It's got an enter key symbol on it.
Automatic Engine Brake {B}{N/A} - I am going to change things back to the default.
Engine Brake Increase {N/A} {Joy Trigger Happy 6} - this is the rotation clockwise on the red wheel.
Engine Brake Decrease {N/A} {Joy Trigger Happy 7} - this is the rotation counterclockwise on the red wheel.

The engine brake toggle IS working, mind you. The brake switch animates in any truck so equipped and I do see the display change. So I will try this on a current mission. But I swear even with high RPM I am not getting it to drop. Maybe I just have been driving it wrong all this time. I have tried it in other trucks, so perhaps I just never caught up to it comporting more with reality.

[Space_Night]

use a G29, just no shifter as I run auto but map a manual over-ride on my farmsim box.

/\ and X increase and decrease the exhaust brake to work on 2, 4 or 6 cylinders.

[sethtriggs]

use a G29, just no shifter as I run auto but map a manual over-ride on my farmsim box.

/\ and X increase and decrease the exhaust brake to work on 2, 4 or 6 cylinders.

That's interesting! I don't have one of those. I use the little red wheel for mine. The weird thing is the brake shifter and the display on the dash increase. I just can't get it actually engage for me. I even give the throttle all the RPM on the highway, jam on the brake pedal with it enabled, and nothing. I am assuming it just must be something wrong with me then if it works fine for everyone else. I don't know if anyone else here is playing on Linux but really if I'm getting the UI change it *should* be working.

It doesn't matter the kind of truck I drive, even in Quick Jobs, just won't work! I'll just live without it then.