Service Bulletin

Volvo Bus Corporation

Göteborg, Sweden Buses
Date Group No. Release Page
5.04 59 24 01 1(8)

Retarder
Multiplex electrical system Version 2
Retarder

The function concerns activation/deactivation of the retarder — both foot operated and
hand operated. For further information, please refer to:

• “Conditions” page 2
• “Function” page 2
• “Functional diagram” page 5
• “Signal description” page 7
• “Checking measurements” page 8

20 012203
ENG14650 English
Printed in Sweden
Volvo Bus Corporation Date Group No. Release Page
Service Bulletin 5.04 59 24 01 2(8)

Retarder
Purpose
The function concerns activation/deactivation of the
retarder — both foot operated and hand operated.

Conditions
• Engine running
• The road speed of the vehicle must exceed a certain
predetermined level
• Accelerator at idling position
• Clutch not activated

Function
The following control units are involved:

• Vehicle control unit (VECU)

• Brake control unit (EBS)
• Retarder control unit (RECU), built into the gearbox
control unit (TECU) on certain variants
• Instrument control unit (BIC)
• The engine control unit (EECU)

The retarder is an auxiliary brake that is connected to

the gearbox output shaft or is built into the gearbox.
Automatic gearboxes normally have the retarder built into
the same housing as the gearbox.
Volvo Bus Corporation Date Group No. Release Page
Service Bulletin 5.04 59 24 01 3(8)

Variants:

• Buses with foot operated retarder

• Buses with hand and foot operated retarder
Foot operated retarder
A foot operated retarder is activated via a switch on the
dashboard. The switch is hard-wired to the VECU. When
the switch is active, VECU sends a VP43 message via
control link J1939 to EBS to inform that the function is
active.
The retarders foot brake control (807F) is hard-wired to
EBS. Once EBS has received the VP43 message from
VECU, it monitors the EBS signal from the foot brake
control continuously and sends the position status to
RECU via a TSC1 message on control link J1939. Once
RECU is active, it sends a PID 47 message via information
link J1587/1708 to BIC, which displays a symbol for the
driver showing that the retarder function is activated.

When the foot brake control is activated, the brake control

system calculates the retardation torque requested and
sends this to RECU via the same TSC1 message as
earlier. The retarder will then execute the retardation
order. At the same time, RECU sends an ERC1 message
via control link J1939 to EBS and EECU, containing the
retarders active status.

Hand and foot operated retarder

In buses with both hand and foot operated retarder, the
activation of the function is controlled via the hand switch
control (807H), which is hard-wired to the VECU. In order
to use the foot brake control, the hand switch control
must be set to position “A”. In position “A” the hand
switch functions in the same manner as the switch on
the dashboard mentioned above and only the foot brake
control is activated in this position.
Volvo Bus Corporation Date Group No. Release Page
Service Bulletin 5.04 59 24 01 4(8)

The hand switch control has four fixed positions for

retardation. The retardation values of these positions can
be programmed in the VECU, via VCADS Pro. When the
hand control is set to positions 1, 2, 3 or 4, the VECU
will send a VP43 message via control link J1939 to
EBS containing information concerning the requested
retardation torque. The torque is obtained from the
parameters in the VECU for hand control positions 1, 2, 3
and 4 respectively. EBS sends the request for retardation
in the same manner as described previously.

VECU will also send information concerning which

position the hand control has to BIC via information link
J1587/1708. During retardation activated by the hand
control, BIC will display which position the hand control
has — A, 1, 2, 3 or 4.

Terminate function
Retardation is terminated, by the driver:

• Discontinuing braking, i.e. releasing the foot brake

control (hand control in position A if the bus is equipped
with a hand control).
• Setting the hand control to position “0” (hand control
only).
• Turning the switch on the dashboard off (foot brake
control only).
• Moving the accelerator from the idle position.
• Declutching (applies to buses with manual gearbox).

In addition, the function will also be terminated if either of

the vehicle’s safety systems, ABS or ESP, is activated.
Volvo Bus Corporation Date Group No. Release Page
Service Bulletin 5.04 59 24 01 5(8)

Functional diagram

T5014051

List of components
Component number Component Component name
A03 Control unit Instrument control unit (BIC)
A14 Control unit Engine control unit (EECU)
A17 Control unit Vehicle control unit (VECU)
A21 Control unit Brake control unit (EBS)
A65 Control unit Retarder control unit (RECU)
B23 Sensors Temperature sensor, retarder
B25 Sensors Accelerator pedal sensor
B900 Sensors Retarder, pressure sensor
B903 Sensors Retarder, coolant temperature sensor
F16 Fuse Fuse
F53 Fuse Fuse
Volvo Bus Corporation Date Group No. Release Page
Service Bulletin 5.04 59 24 01 6(8)

Component number Component Component name

K1 Relay Relay
K15 Relay Relay
K16 Relay Relay
S24 Switches Retarder
Y17 Solenoid valve Solenoid valve, retarder
Volvo Bus Corporation Date Group No. Release Page
Service Bulletin 5.04 59 24 01 7(8)

Signal description
• “Hard-wired signals” page 7
• “Control link SAE J1939” page 7
• “Information link SAE J1587/1708” page 7

Hard-wired signals
Name Input/output Signal type on ECU Signal description
signal
Foot retarder IN LDI The switch sends information to the retarder stating
enable switch that the retarder is activated via the foot control.
Hand retarder lever IN AI The hand retarder lever sends information concerning
the torque for the position which the hand retarder lever
currently has to the VECU.
Foot brake valve IN AI The valve sends information in the form of an analogue
value, concerning the status of the ABS, to the VECU.
Foot brake valve IN LDI The valve sends information in the form of an analogue
value, concerning the status of the EBS, to the VECU.
IVS IN HDI The sensor sends a signal concerning if the accelerator
is in idle position or not to the VECU.

Control link SAE J1939

Message Signal description
ERC1 The message informs the EECU that the retarder is activated.
TSC1 The VECU sends a message to the retarder requesting a certain retardation
torque.
EBC1 The message informs the ABS/EBS that ABS/EBS is active and that the
retarder is therefore inactive.
VP43 The message informs the VECU about the position of the retarder lever.

Information link SAE J1587/1708

Sending MID Sending Receiving MID Signal name
PID/PPID
RECU: 222 PID 47 BIC: 234 Retarder status
Volvo Bus Corporation Date Group No. Release Page
Service Bulletin 5.04 59 24 01 8(8)

Checking measurements
Measurements Measurement method Meas- Key Expected Other
urement position value
points
Supply (+30) A2 — II U ≈ Ubat
Ground

Supply, sensor A34 — II U≈5V

Ground

Signal, PWM valve A40 — A46 II U=0—6V

Sensor, air A37 — II U ≈ 0.5 V At 0 bar pressure

pressure Ground

Control link SAE A50 — U = 2.5 —

J1939, high Ground 4 V

Control link SAE A51 — U=1 —

J1939, low Ground 2.5 V

Information link A52 — U=0—5V

SAE J1587/1708, Ground
high

Information link A53 — U=0—5V

SAE J1587/1708, Ground
low

Sensor, oil A13 — 0 R = 0.5 — 2

temperature Ground k

PWM valve A40 — A46 0 R = 10 — 30

Sensor, coolant A32 — 0 R = 0.5 — 2

temperature Ground k