2017 Ford exhaust brake and cruise control
I've been observing how my truck behaves hooked up to a heavy trailer and going down hills. With CC engaged the computer applies the wheel brakes to maintain the set speed. When using the exhaust ...
Forum Discussion
4x4ord wrote:
It still applies the wheel brakes when set to normal cruise. I did a little more reading in my owner's manual. It explains the following:
Hilly Condition and Trailer Tow
Usage
Note: An audible alarm sounds and the
system shuts down if it applies brakes for
an extended period of time. This allows the
brakes to cool. The system functions
normally again when the brakes have
cooled.
Note: When towing with adaptive cruise
control, turn on Tow/Haul Mode and Diesel
Engine Brake.
Select a lower gear when the system is
active in situations such as prolonged
downhill driving on steep grades, for
example in mountainous areas. The
system needs additional engine braking in
these situations to reduce the load on the
vehicle’s regular brake system to prevent
it from overheating.
Guess I was wrong. Ford seems completely aware of how their AC works under "Hilly Condition and Trailer Tow Usage". They even built in a fail-safe to shut it down when necessary after extended braking.
It would be nice if this shutdown could be manually activated, leaving the old-school CC with just downshifts and exhaust brake control.
