Another Tow Haul ?

[Spindrift]

This feature is driving me crazy. When going downhill with a big load I'll need to brake. As soon as I do, the truck will downshift. OK, understand that, but the truck will continue to gain speed so I'll have to brake again and so the truck will immediately downshift again, and I'll gain speed again. If Tow Haul had its way, it would downshift all the way into 1st gear. I just can't seem to find the road speed I want to maintain while using the brake, without Tow Haul forcing me down into a lower gear. I suspect I'm either clueless, or Tow Haul is absolutely worthless.

I've resorted to going down steep hills in Manual but I suspect in the Manual mode I'm not getting the advantage of the turbo breaking that I believe is only engaged in the Tow Haul mode.

Any insight and/or advice would be appreciated.

 

[sledhead_24_7]

What year of truck?

Have you tried locking out all the higher gears while still in drive?

My 2011 was terrible on anything steep. It would down shift to 3rd in tow haul but never would drop into 2nd. Plus at the first hint of something flat it would up shift to 6th. As a result I always put it manual or locked out all the gears from 2nd up.

The 15's do much better, and the exhaust brake really is a functional system now. Instead of a it might be on or not deal.

 

[truckman1974]

What do you mean lock out the gears from 2nd up?

I was in the mountains (while home on leave from Deployment) and was trying to play with the (I call it the Jake Brake button.....but it's the button with the truck rolling downhill) button that is supposed to, I think, slow you down without braking so much on declines..... Well, it would tell me I needed to be going less than 20mph to engage it but I could never really figure out how to get that button to work properly for me.

ONE TIME is did some braking thing for me but I couldn't tell if that was it's purpose or I did something wrong/different/etc....

I just gave up with playing with it and went on back up to a comfortable speed OVER 20mph....

btw....I wasn't towing anything.

 

[Spindrift]

It's a 2012. Don't know what you mean by locking out the gears...

 

[Platinumf250]

One your shifter hit the "+" button and it will show you what gears you are in. You can press the "-" button and you'll see 6th, gear disappear, that means the truck won't shift into 6th until you hit the "+" again. You can keep hitting the "-" until you reach the gear you want to stay in. This is all in drive by the way, not manual.

 

[Spindrift]

This is all in drive by the way, not manual.

In "drive" with TH engaged?

 

[StrokinDuty]

In "drive" with TH engaged?

Doesn't have to be in tow haul.

 

[sledhead_24_7]

In "drive" with TH engaged?

Tow haul or not in tow haul it makes no difference as far as locking out gears. Just have to be drive. Hit the - button till you are satisfied with the gear you chose. No more up shifting when not wanted.

For me I have several 10% + grades second gear is the only one that would hold back my 2011 with 3.55 gears empty. Towing heavy I had to go to first gear.

My 15 will do it in 3rd with exhaust brake on, still have 3.55 gears empty. Towing it varies between 3rd and 2nd.

 

[Spindrift]

I thought the ECM programming of the turbo brake was only activated in TH. Am I incorrect?

 

[jcain]

What do you mean lock out the gears from 2nd up?

I was in the mountains (while home on leave from Deployment) and was trying to play with the (I call it the Jake Brake button.....but it's the button with the truck rolling downhill) button that is supposed to, I think, slow you down without braking so much on declines..... Well, it would tell me I needed to be going less than 20mph to engage it but I could never really figure out how to get that button to work properly for me.

ONE TIME is did some braking thing for me but I couldn't tell if that was it's purpose or I did something wrong/different/etc....

I just gave up with playing with it and went on back up to a comfortable speed OVER 20mph....

btw....I wasn't towing anything.

That's hill descent. That's for crawling off-road or similar. 20mph or below only I believe.