6 speed transmission questions.
So I came out of the ice age and got a Suburban with the new 6 speed transmission (PRNDM_1). Reading the manual, it seems a little daunting. So how do you use it when towing? And what about steep...
Forum Discussion
TomG2 wrote:
What is different about the GM transmission? My 2500HD seems to operate exactly the same way when M5 is selected. I do tap down to M4 if I see a particularly steep hill coming up. When you say you lock it in 5th, do you mean is will "never" downshift? Even with WOT on a 6% grade?
In an auto with true manual control (I don't know if the Ford is this way or not, but my Subaru and Acura have this feature), you can force an up-shift as long as you're going fast enough to allow the transmission to shift into that gear, and the vehicle will hold that gear as long as mechanically possible. So yes, you can stand on the gas pedal and it will not downshift as long as it can keep the speed within the operating range for that gear.
In the GM transmission, if you have it in M5, for example, and step on it, it will shift down to 3rd or 4th gear to get power to respond to your input. It won't make any effort to stay in 5th gear. Just as it would if you had the transmission in "D" and the truck happened to be operating in 5th gear at the time you stepped on it.
