~ 'ZF-AS TRONIC TRANSMISSION ADVANTAGES' ~
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On the cutting edge
«~» Mike Mazzeo, the head of maintenance for Lakefront Lines, credited the AS Tronic with
being "very reliable."
«~» He told us that now that Lakefront has many months of experience with the AS Tronic, they
are finding numerous unexpected advantages to the ZF transmission. Among other things, Mike
said that according to his calculations, the AS Tronic offers a 30 percent savings in diesel fuel
usage over powershift transmissions while coaches are idling. He credits the fewer moving parts
in the AS Tronic for this and indicates that this is a significant savings given the typical amount of
idling done by the fleet.
«~» Mike said that another unexpected advantage of the AS Tronic is less tire wear compared
to buses equipped with a powershift transmission. He indicated that the difference in tire wear
becomes more and more noticeable as time goes on. Mike suggests that the powershift
transmission may be harder on tires because of its constant power.
«~» Another comment from Mike is that he is impressed with the modern computer technology.
He said that in his opinion, the interaction between the AS Tronic and the Detroit Diesel engine
is wonderful. In his words "they talk to one another." This makes parts last longer and reduces
the need for maintenance. Mike said that based on his experience, coaches equipped with the
AS Tronic have reduced overall maintenance cost.
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«~» Many who purchased the AS Tronic on their new coaches (Passenger Buses) indicated that
the fuel efficiency of the AS Tronic offset the reduced fuel efficiency of the new engines so they at
least remained even.
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May God Bless
KC
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Source :
National Bus Trader
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