Ford cruise control

[Semi_Retired_Gr]

Last two Mh's have been on the Ford chassis. My only major complaint has been with the cruise control - seems technologically in the dark ages. I've learned to be super alert to the slightest grade, but too often is seems I don't quite sense the grade change and the transmission suddenly shifts down and we're travelling at super high RPM's. My daily drivers seem to sense the change, shift down a little to compensate & continue on without dramatic effect. BTW - the first was a 2005, the current a 2013. Ford can certainly do better than this!

[doxiemom11]

What do the owner manuals say? Last one I read said that the cruise should not be used in hilly or mountainous conditions.

[timmac]

Semi Retired Grandpa wrote:
Last two Mh's have been on the Ford chassis. My only major complaint has been with the cruise control - seems technologically in the dark ages. I've learned to be super alert to the slightest grade, but too often is seems I don't quite sense the grade change and the transmission suddenly shifts down and we're travelling at super high RPM's. My daily drivers seem to sense the change, shift down a little to compensate & continue on without dramatic effect. BTW - the first was a 2005, the current a 2013. Ford can certainly do better than this!

I so agree with this post, the cruise control on my 08 Bounder is the same, does seem like old technology don't work with the new technology V-10 and 5 speed transmission, what Ford needs is some R & D put into the cruise control to adapt to hills, I can maintain the speed in 4th gear on a hill but the cruise control keeps it in 3rd gear.

[wolfe10]

shum02 wrote:

Oldme wrote:


Two different systems working together to
maintain speed on both hills and level ground.

It absolutely WILL maintain the speed you set but it may scare the******out of you!!

AND, use more gasoline-- high RPM= more fuel consumption.

Most efficient gasoline engine is at lower RPM, higher throttle position-- less vacuum means less HP lost to "pulling the piston down". Nothing new here-- BMW pushed this on their "e series" many decades ago.

Many of the tuners delay downshifting until higher throttle position/more speed drop is reached. That is the way I would want mine set up as well.

[shum02]

Oldme wrote:


Two different systems working together to
maintain speed on both hills and level ground.

It absolutely WILL maintain the speed you set but it may scare the******out of you!!

[Oldme]

The cruse control maintains speed
by changing throttle position.

Transmission programing determines all
downshift points.

Two different systems working together to
maintain speed on both hills and level ground.

[dodge_guy]

Yep, the system is the same whether it be in an F250 or class A. And yes the cruise control on the old cable throttle system will be lazy. This in turns means the throttle needs to open more to maintain speed. When that happens it also makes the trans downshift. It all works together. My Dodge never did have an issue holding a set speed, even in the mountains. It would just always keep the speed what it was set at. Fords system is slow to respond, so by the time the system decides to maintain speed the truck has already dropped 4mph! It's the only thing I don't like about my Excursion.

[shum02]

hanko wrote:

BTPO1 wrote:

hanko wrote:
read up on the 5 star tune, it fixes alot of the issues you are refering to. But your better off not doing the cruise control thing in hilly conditions.

X2 on the hilly conditions. Mine works when it wants to. It is hit and miss, works when it wants to. there are a lot of long straightaways in the west, I really wish that it would work all of the time. I will have to check out the 5 star tune. JMO

The problem here is we got guys talking motorhomes and others pickups.

Doesn't matter because the engine management systems doesn't know or care what it's in. Ford's CC is to say the least "aggressive" on hills with a load. Or course it can not get ready for a hill because it can not see one. Make sense??

Best advise when you have a load or are just plain heavy is to turn it off. Only use mine on the flats when towing and I'm only around 17500lbs combined weight.

[time2roll]

hanko wrote:
Man were talking motorhomes here not pickups

By the description both react the same.

I fixed my truck by changing gear ratio. Less need to downshift.

Is the A dropping two gears or one? How many gears are there?
Otherwise it sounds normal for OEM Ford.

[fivejackie]

I'm careful with the cc on hills.

It isn't the noise of the engine that bothers me, its the noise from the DW.

[fla-gypsy]

You can always anticipate the hill and increase throttle and gain speed before you get to it to maintain the speed the CC is set at. Once you remove your foot from the throttle it will resume where it is set. Using CC in a hilly condition is not recommended IMO

[jerseyjim]

PIANOTUNA: I push "resume"...but not when the overdrive cuts out on a hill. "Overdrive" was never meant to pull 10 tons plus a "toad" up a hill steep enough that would turn it off. To me...that = damage: then failure. And, stepping on the gas when the OD cuts out THIS YEAR is cheaper than a $4000 replacement tranny next year. Overdrive was designed to do one thing: keep the rpm's down...for better mpg. With a car you can see it. With a motorhome, not so much.
My opinion.
When I'm running a reasonably flat highway, cc at, say 65. Pull out to pass a slower car or truck, I have to gather speed to do it....then after a good distance, I pull back in lane and that is when I push "resume".

[hanko]

BTPO1 wrote:

hanko wrote:
read up on the 5 star tune, it fixes alot of the issues you are refering to. But your better off not doing the cruise control thing in hilly conditions.

X2 on the hilly conditions. Mine works when it wants to. It is hit and miss, works when it wants to. there are a lot of long straightaways in the west, I really wish that it would work all of the time. I will have to check out the 5 star tune. JMO

The problem here is we got guys talking motorhomes and others pickups.

[hanko]

dodge guy wrote:
Ford cruise control is very "lazy" when it comes to maintaining speed. I had a Dodge conv. van that would adjust speed at the very slightest change in MPH drop. the Ford waits till almost a 3-5mph drop before it try`s to maintain speed, by then it`s too late and it needs to overcompensate and almost goes WOT to do, especially when towing. this is more of an issue when in hills or even going over an overpass!

The 5star tune doesn`t help this issue because it is in the Cruise Control itself. at least on the 02.

Man were talking motorhomes here not pickups

[Dale_Traveling]

As Lazydog pointed out it's not the cruise control but the programming in the Engine Control Unit (ECU) commanding the transmission shift points in response to the power demand. Cruise control does nothing that will cause the shift that your right foot cannot also do. The fix, other than self drive, is to reprogram the ECU shift points which the Five Star Tuning, Banks Power or the many other products that will reprogram the ECU. The Tow/Haul selection does exactly this, changes the shift points in response to power demands. Delayed up shifts to get every ounce of power out of the engine during heavy acceleration and early down shifts to help bleed off speed rather than braking.

If you really want to get into the weeds many of these product providers will develop custom programs to get the power train exactly where you want it, for a price.

[willald]

I've owned two Ford V10s - First, in the Ford Excursion we had for many years that we towed a 34' TT with, and now in our 36' MH. Both were (and are) great.

In both cases, I've never used the cruise control ever, when towing a heavy load (which is all the time with a MH). IMO it (cruise control) just wasn't designed to handle heavy towing very well, for the reasons alluded to here.

Was the same case, really, for previous tow vehicles I owned prior to that as well. I never use cruise control when towing heavy, ever. I've not seen a cruise control system yet, that handles such very well.

That said, I do really like the Ford V10 and torqueshift transmission drivetrain they put in the F53 chassis. It works great, and is pretty much bulletproof, it will not let you over-rev and damage the engine (unless you work really hard at it, haha). Huge improvement over what was available just a few years ago.