engine brake while towing?
OK, so just getting a feel for towing my 5er with the 2013 Ram Cummins. When tow enabled (heavy tow used with appropriate tire pressure) and engine brake on, going downhill after taking foot off gas ...
Forum Discussion
brulaz wrote:
I think that "buttery smooth" shift referred to has a lot to do with how long and how often the torque converter is unlocked. When unlocked it generates heat which is the #1 tranny killer AFAIK, and the main issue here.
With T/H activated, the torque converter spends a lot more time locked up, keeping the tranny cooler. It's still unlocked in first gear and when shifting between gears, but I think the rest of the time in T/H it's locked in.
Pulling up hill with the TC unlocked is clearly a no-no. There would be a lot of engine torque being converted to heat. I would always have the T/H on when going up.
But I'm not so sure about going downhill without T/H. Especially when manually forcing the tranny to downshift. I suspect the TC is locked anyway when you do that, but don't really know?
Doesn't the EB only work when the TC is locked up? If so, you should find out pretty fast if the TC is locked or not when going down. If locked, even without T/H on, I can't see a problem.
The torque converter locks up 2-3 seconds after the shift has already been made and the clutches are locked in therefore torque converter lockup does not effect whether the truck shifts smoothly or firmly.
