Exhaust Brake Usage??

[supercub]

When descending a grade where you're using your exhaust brake, once slowed, to below your desired speed, do you turn off the the exhaust brake and accelerate and then turn it back on......or do you leave it on, and use the throttle to accelerate a little. I was just descending a 6% grade, had the exhaust brake on......and slowed to below 55mph and it's still slowing....I usually turn off the exhaust brake and let it accelerate up to 60 or so, then turn it back on.......but was wondering if I should leave it on and use the accelerator. What's best? Pros and cons? does it matter which you use? Thanks
Brian

[JimM68]

ours is not actually an exhaust brake, I think in 2008 it was all worked into the variable vane turbo?

But it works as a previous post described... off the throttle, it does its thing. touch the gas, it shuts off.

I use it a lot. I generally turn it off when driving thru towns, it's just too radical. Out of town, I use it. Typically, even if it is off, I'll switch it on going off a freeway ramp, the help braking is good.

Once when shopping, I test drove a guys Jayco Senenca. (super C with duramax and Allison) I shut off the exhaust brake at one point to just let it coast.... owner had never turned the exhaust brake off! Those things, u let your foot off the gas, they stop like they have hit a wall if the exhaust brake is on....

I generally leave mine off unless I need the braking, but am not shy about turning it on.

[gfs1943]

I learned to love the exhaust brake this past summer. We drove the Crows Nest Highway westbound across the Rockies and Cascades in Canada, then I80 and I70 eastbound from California to Kansas. There are some 6% to 9% downgrades on the Crows Nest. For example, on the westbound descent into Osoyoos, BC, with the exhaust brake on, I only had to briefly tap the service brakes three times. If I get too slow going downhill, I just feather the throttle; that allows the transmission to upshift and disengages the exhaust brake. Driving the mountain passes was a piece of cake.

[cbeierl]

My exhaust brake is configured to operate in conjunction with the cruise control. With exhaust brake and cruise control both on if the vehicle speed gets a couple mph above the set speed the exhaust brake comes on, BUT the transmission doesn't down shift. If the speed continues to increase a few more mph THEN the transmission is commanded to down shift, thus getting the full benefit of the exhaust brake. When the speed has dropped back to the set speed the exhaust brake turns off (and the transmission upshifts if necessary).

Thus you get the benefit of 'coasting' with the cruise control along with fully automatic activation of the exhaust brake.

[J-Rooster]

Brian, when I was driving over the road (I'm now retired) in my Peterbuilt, I alway's left my Jake Brake on. Except when driving in ice or compact snow depending on the road conditions. There would be times when I would turn just one jake head on in adverse conditions usually in very dry snow in Eastern Washington and Alaska. Great Question! Take Care, Rooster

[mowermech]

MrWizard wrote:
My exhaust brake is not Pac Brake
Mine is the "D-Celerator"
There is a main on off switch and a switch on the throttle pedal
With the main On, the brake activates when I take my foot off the throttle, and deactivates when my foot touches the throttle
Very easy to control downhill speed
I don't even have to press down on the throttle
The touch of my foot on the throttle is enough to release the exhaust brake with out giving it throttle

That's the way the Jacobs Rambrake was set up in my old '94 Dodge 3500. It worked GREAT, IMO. I would not want it any other way.

[MrWizard]

My exhaust brake is not Pac Brake
Mine is the "D-Celerator"
There is a main on off switch and a switch on the throttle pedal
With the main On, the brake activates when I take my foot off the throttle, and deactivates when my foot touches the throttle
Very easy to control downhill speed
I don't even have to press down on the throttle
The touch of my foot on the throttle is enough to release the exhaust brake with out giving it throttle

[supercub]

I've never driven anything with a retarder....I'm not complaining.......I love my exhaust brake. I seldom touch the brakes, it's one of the really nice things over a gas powered motor home.
Brian

[mike_brez]

This is were retarders shine.

[bluwtr49]

I pretty much leave the exhaust brake on high all the time unless I'm using cruise control.

A very light touch on the go pedal disengages the exhaust brake an letting re-engages. I don't use the service brake unless I need more stopping power so just plan ahead.

[ScottG]

Use it just like the service brakes - on when you need it and off when you slow too much.

[wolfe10]

And, I do the opposite in the mountains-- I use the switch to turn it on/off as needed.

When the throttle is closed, you are using ZERO fuel. Using the throttle to turn off the exhaust brake works fine, but uses some fuel to do it.

Agree, in stop and go traffic, I leave it on and use the throttle.

Either method works and is fine as far as the machinery.

[MarkTwain]

supercub wrote:
When descending a grade where you're using your exhaust brake, once slowed, to below your desired speed, do you turn off the the exhaust brake and accelerate and then turn it back on......or do you leave it on, and use the throttle to accelerate a little. I was just descending a 6% grade, had the exhaust brake on......and slowed to below 55mph and it's still slowing....I usually turn off the exhaust brake and let it accelerate up to 60 or so, then turn it back on.......but was wondering if I should leave it on and use the accelerator. What's best? Pros and cons? does it matter which you use? Thanks
Brian

I leave my exhaust brake all the time. Around town, I figure it saves wear on my brakes.

[DSDP_Don]

"supercub".....The down side of an exhaust brake is that you can't regulate the downhill speed. When I had my Diplomat, I left the exhaust brake on and if my speed got too slow, I just gave it a little throttle.

An exhaust brake can be set to a couple of different configurations. Originally, on my Diplomat, the exhaust brake was on if the switch was on and my foot was off the throttle. I later had a computer change done so that when the switch was on, my exhaust brake didn't engage unless I stepped on the brake pedal. When going down a grade, this allowed me to tap the throttle, which would disengage the exhaust brake and the coach would coast. This seemed to make it easier to manage grades. This change is done in the ECM, but not all years can be changed.

[YC_1]

With my rv the exhaust brake is rarely turned off. It disengages below a certain speed.