**Realistic Diesel Start — Advanced Engine Start System**
Tired of starting an engine with a single key press? This mod turns ignition into a realistic sequence, just like a real diesel.
**🔧 MULTI-STAGE STARTING**
- Short press of the engine key: ignition ON (the dashboard powers up).
- Glow plug pre-heating with a HUD indicator next to the speedometer that changes color as it heats up.
- Pre-heat time depends on temperature: in deep winter it can take up to 25 seconds; with a warm engine or in summer it's nearly instant.
- Hold the key to crank. Crank before the glow plugs are ready and the engine may cough, fail to start, and take slight damage.
- After a cold start the engine idles for a few seconds before responding to the throttle.
**🚛 COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEM (trucks)**
- HUD pressure gauge showing tank pressure.
- The compressor builds air while the engine runs (timings calibrated with real truck data).
- Pressure bleeds off while parked: leave the truck sitting and you'll need to build air back up before leaving.
- Realistic air brakes: run out of pressure and the **spring brakes** engage, locking the truck in place — just like real life, you don't lose your brakes, you get stuck!
- Audible low-pressure warning buzzer.
**⚙️ FEATURES**
- Keyboard and gamepad compatible. Uses the vanilla engine key, no new keybindings.
- Multiplayer and dedicated server support.
- Sounds: low-pressure buzzer, failed-start cough, air release.
- Configurable via console (`rdsConfig` command): toggle damage, air system, and adjust timings.
- Repositionable HUD (`rdsHudPos` command).
- Translated to Spanish, English and German.
- AI workers are not affected.
**Credits:** the ignition/contact concept was inspired by the "Real Ignition" mod by Guner348.
Made with passion for realistic farming simulation. 🚜
⌨️ MOD CLUTCH KEY: from L to Alt+L
· To start the engine, you must hold the mod's clutch, as with most modern vehicles. This is a dedicated mod key, NOT the game's clutch, so it does not change how the vehicle is driven.
· L is the game's default key for straps and bale types. When two controls share the same key, the game only keeps one active: either the clutch or the straps would stop working.
· It is now assigned to Alt+L. If you were using L, the mod will automatically change it once and notify you on screen. If you had already assigned it to another key, your setting will be preserved.
🚛 TRUCK BRAKE LIGHTS (battery drain issue)
· With low air pressure, the emergency brake (spring brakes) could leave the brake lights on while the truck was parked. With Real Vehicle Breakdowns, this would drain the battery.
· With sufficient air pressure, the brake lights would not turn on when braking.
· The game now controls the brake lights through the brake pedal, just like on a real truck. The emergency brake continues to work normally.
🌬️ TRAILER AIR SUPPLY (with Realistic Brakes 1.3.0.0)
· When connecting a trailer equipped with air brakes, its air tank is filled using air from the truck. The truck's air pressure drops and the compressor raises it again.
🖥️ HUD ICONS
· With a HUD scale other than 1, the icons could become misaligned from the speedometer or appear behind the gear column (with or without Advanced Damage System). They now remain correctly positioned alongside the gauge at any HUD scale.
· A vehicle excluded from Advanced Damage System now displays the mod's temperature gauge.
🔧 ADVANCED DAMAGE SYSTEM
· The engine would not start on some tractors, displaying "check the starting system". Now, when a difficult-starting fault occurs, hold the ignition key and the starter motor will continue cranking until the engine starts.
· The start key no longer starts the engine instantly while bypassing the glow plugs, nor does it shut the engine off when released.
· Tested with Advanced Damage System 0.9.2.8.
Compatible with savegames from 1.3.x: no new game is required.
Multiplayer and Dedicated Server supported.
- Now compatible with Advanced Damage System.
- More realistic glow plug preheating: in cold conditions, the duration is no longer so long.
- Fixed: the air system used to freeze the Helper while filling the tank.
- Fixed: the engine no longer appears to be running if the start-up did not actually occur.
- New dashboard icons: glow plug, temperature, air pressure.
- The icons arrange themselves automatically, whether you have Advanced Damage System or not.
What's new:
In-game options menu (Esc → General Settings): toggle clutch-to-start and lights-without-ignition, no console needed.
Clutch requirement is now optional — disable it from that same menu if you don't want it.
Fixes:
Default clutch key changed from X to L (conflicted with combine functions).
Sounds converted to mono — the previous format triggered a constant log warning.
Background panel behind the air gauge no longer shows on tractors, only on trucks.
Clutch prompt simplified to "Press the clutch fully".
**New Features:**
- The **clutch** must now be depressed to start the engine (**X** key, reassignable in Options → Controls). This is solely for starting the engine and has no other function.
- The engine warms up based on **actual RPM/load**, not a fixed time — and loses power when cold.
**Lights and hazard lights** no longer turn off automatically when the ignition is switched off.
- **Air pressure gauge and thermometer** have been **redesigned** with realistic icons and more vibrant colors.
- The HUD now **locks automatically** to the in-game speedometer at any resolution.
- **Italian** translation.
- Sounds converted to **OGG** format.
- Various stability improvements.
**Credits:** OGG sound and Italian translation provided by **FirenzeIT**. Thank you!
v1.0.4.1 — Critical multiplayer fix
🐛 Fixed a serious bug that could freeze or force-close the game for connected players (never on the host). A function in the air system was missing from the code, causing a constant error on every client.
🔧 Hardened the air system's network sync for better overall multiplayer stability.
Update is strongly recommended if you play multiplayer.
Thanks to the community for the detailed bug reports that helped track this down fast! I'm continuing to improve this mod and already have more projects coming under GN Realism. 🚛🔧
🎨 New mod logo and icon.
🌍 Added French translation (now 4 languages: ES, EN, DE, FR).
⚙️ More realistic air system:
- Air consumption while braking now depends on the truck's speed and load.
- A well-maintained truck no longer loses pressure while parked; air leaks now depend on the truck's condition/damage (poor maintenance)
🔥 Reworked cold start:
- Ambient temperature now has a much bigger effect on starting difficulty. In extreme cold the engine won't start without properly pre-heating the glow plugs; in warm weather it starts fine.
- Rushing the start without pre-heating now always causes slight engine damage, in any climate.
🛠️ Other improvements:
- Engine warm-up now depends on workload.
- Improved stability and protection against invalid values.
