Fuso FG dash lights

[wild1]

My traveling partner called me last night from the wilds of eastern Montana with a concern over his new to him 2007 FG. He just got it and the seller did not send the owners manual yet so he is unable to check what the dash light that is coming on signifies. When he lets off the throttle while desending a hill at highway speed an orange light shaped like a coil comes on the dash. If he give it a bit of fuel it goes away. Any ideas what this indicates? Thanks

[wild1]

In searching for an answer to the intermitant dash light I ran across a reference to the driver-activated vacum-actuated exhaust brake on the Fuso FG's.Now the loose nut behind the wheel only need's to figure out which switch he inadvertantly turned on.

[engineer]

There are 2 possibilities, one is the stalk activation opposite the indicators, the other is a rocker switch that controls the engine warm up on the dash. By the description you give, it is a light to show glow plug operation, but the exhaust brake light is also orange.

[kerry]

It's the exhaust brake light. Not to worry. The exhaust brake comes on when your foot is removed from the accelerator and goes off when the accelerator is depressed. The glow plug light only comes on in cold weather conditions when starting (less than 40 degress F or so). There is a rocker switch to turn off the exhaust brake, should you want to but I don't see a reason to do that.

[wild1]

Thanks for the reply,this is his first long trip and he is a little nervous. He is currently having a camper box built to sit on the flat bed of his truck. It's a great looking rig and should very versatile once he gets it finished. I will get him to post some pictures once its done.

[kerry]

We want to see pictures well before it's done. In fact, we want to see pictures NOW! Tell him to get busy with his cellphone, pull into the nearest wireless equipped rest stop and upload them if he wants to get any further advice.

[FusoFG]

I would turn it on and leave it on. It makes driving in hilly country safer and saves the brakes. After 110,00 miles my brakes are only 25% worn.

The only time you need to turn it off is off road in low range or in very poor traction conditions.

In those situations the exhaust brake can stop the rear axle completely and the rear wheels will just skip along the ground locked up.

[engineer]

The rocker switch below the hazard lights is a warm up only, as it bypasses oil to make it heat up quicker, we don't use it in the tropics, but in colder environments it is a handy thing. I personally wouldn't use it as the exhaust brake, even though the exhaust brake is one of the functions of the warm up. You'd be best advised to use the exhaust brake on the stalk. I've run one with and one without exhaust brake use, the one that used the exhaust brake had dirtier oil than the one without, but we change the oil every 5000K, Filter @10000K. So for us, it made no difference with or without. Brake linings and wheel bearings and wheel cylinders are changed @ 40000K intervals, and there was no discernable difference for the one without the exhaust brake, but the trial was only 5000K. I'd imagine that if one was to go without using the exhaust brake, The gains made are minimal.
As most here are owner/drivers, we are all more cautious than an employee who is trying to maintain a schedule. I advise use the exhaust brake function only, and use the warm up function for it's intended use.

[kerry]

The rocker switch below the hazard lights is a warm up only, as it bypasses oil to make it heat up quicker, we don't use it in the tropics, but in colder environments it is a handy thing. I personally wouldn't use it as the exhaust brake, even though the exhaust brake is one of the functions of the warm up. You'd be best advised to use the exhaust brake on the stalk. I've run one with and one without exhaust brake use, the one that used the exhaust brake had dirtier oil than the one without, but we change the oil every 5000K, Filter @10000K. So for us, it made no difference with or without. Brake linings and wheel bearings and wheel cylinders are changed @ 40000K intervals, and there was no discernable difference for the one without the exhaust brake, but the trial was only 5000K. I'd imagine that if one was to go without using the exhaust brake, The gains made are minimal.
As most here are owner/drivers, we are all more cautious than an employee who is trying to maintain a schedule. I advise use the exhaust brake function only, and use the warm up function for it's intended use.

Does that apply to 99's? I'm pretty sure my 'warm up switch' is just the exhaust brake switch unless I am completely mistaken. Turn off the warm up switch and the exhaust brake goes off. Never seen anything that indicates the stalk has anything to do with the exhaust brake. Maybe I've been missing something.

[engineer]

Gee Kerry, now I'm trying to remember... were they an FG647, I seem to recall something I worked on having the exhaust brake on a stalk that worked like a high beam dipper switch, but I think that was an NPS.
I didn't think that the 99 models had a warm up, as they only came out on the 3.9 t. charged intercooled on th later models,
So I'd say your right kerry, i'm trying to find a picture of the rocker switch to post...