2018 3500 ram 4x4

[evldsl]

I was just told that the engine brake is **** on my new truck?
Just how does it work and is it comparable to the jake brake?

 

[AH64ID]

It’s a feature of the turbo, and they work very well!

Who told you that? A Furd guy?

The Jake brake is too subjective. There are many brakes made by Jacobs, some exhaust and some compression release. They might even make a hydraulic retarder??

 

[evldsl]

THANKS

 

[nukegm]

the exhaust brake on my 2018 2500 works perfectly. i commute daily from 9400 feet to 5000 feet in elevation. i use it all the time. i might get years and years out of the brake pads on my new truck, compared to pads and rotors every year on my old 01 2500 without exhaust brake. cheers comrade!

 

[evldsl]

the exhaust brake on my 2018 2500 works perfectly. i commute daily from 9400 feet to 5000 feet in elevation. i use it all the time. i might get years and years out of the brake pads on my new truck, compared to pads and rotors every year on my old 01 2500 without exhaust brake. cheers comrade!

i see it has different colors such as green etc, what does that mean and can I use it in drive?

 

[nukegm]

im a bad typer. this you tube guy sums up exhaust brake nicely. and i have a manual g56 transmission. no input from me on an auto trans. cheers!

 

[AH64ID]

i see it has different colors such as green etc, what does that mean and can I use it in drive?

Yes you can use it in Drive. What other gear would you use it in?

Full (orange) comes on, at full strength, whenever you’re not on the throttle.

Auto (green) comes on when your braking, or you accelerate above the speed at which you removed your foot from the throttle. It will vary it’s braking percentage based on requirements.

Both modes work with cruise control to maintain a set speed.

Tow/Haul will improve the exhaust braking performance by being more aggressive on downshifts and locking the torque converter.

The owners manual also has more info on them.

 

[Cummins12V98]

You must run TowHaul for the ExhaustBrake to work the best.

Start truck, turn both on every time.

 

[Newsa]

Yes you can use it in Drive. What other gear would you use it in?

Full (orange) comes on, at full strength, whenever you’re not on the throttle.

Auto (green) comes on when your braking, or you accelerate above the speed at which you removed your foot from the throttle. It will vary it’s braking percentage based on requirements.

Both modes work with cruise control to maintain a set speed.

Tow/Haul will improve the exhaust braking performance by being more aggressive on downshifts and locking the torque converter.

The owners manual also has more info on them.

I don't have the automatic. But i do have the 2013.

I don't know if my single color for the dash icon (anber only, it never turns green) is a characteristic of all 2013's or just the Tradesman and ST (lower trims) of 2013.

My dash indicator only shows amber color in both Full and Auto mode. But when initially actuating auto mode there is a 1-2 second evic indicator message saying "AUTO" and showing the "brake pad" symbol.

 

[AH64ID]

I don't have the automatic. But i do have the 2013.

I don't know if my single color for the dash icon (anber only, it never turns green) is a characteristic of all 2013's or just the Tradesman and ST (lower trims) of 2013.

My dash indicator only shows amber color in both Full and Auto mode. But when initially actuating auto mode there is a 1-2 second evic indicator message saying "AUTO" and showing the "brake pad" symbol.

Probably something to do with the tweener 13 2500.

 

[evldsl]

I just watched every you tube video on this and it should be shown at the dealership, thanks

 

[Newsa]

I would say that i am completely satisfied with the E brake on the cummins ISB. However, i would like to see a semi-automatic mode which replicates most of the automatic mode, but also gives either a manual activation button or pull slider on the shift lever that allows you to manually apply the ebrake.
When i am going downhill on winding mountain roads (even on interstates), the speed limit changes according to how winding the road is.

I haven't found the automatic mode at all useful on a g56 transmission because there is no tow haul mode. And with the angular momentum of the massive 6.7 cummins, it makes no sense to apply the brakes with the clutch engaged. It would likely just wear down the brake pads faster by using both the service brakes and ebrake working against gravity and the angular momentum of the engine.

I haven't tried putting it in neutral, releasing the clutch and using auto mode, but i will try that in the Rockies this summer on a trip out west. It just seems that as someone who likes complete control of the gear he is in and everything related to driving, a semi-automatic mode seems a good function.

The Ram with cummins has drive-by-wire steering and accelerator pedal. But it seems the braking is not drive-by-wire. That would be another way to make the automatic ebrake mode into a semi-auto mode by making a light application of the brake pedal only activate the ebrake and a stronger application of the brake pedal ( anything more than a light touch) an application of both ebrake and service brakes. But integrating it into the service brake pedal or tinkering with the brake pedal.... Even making it drive-by-wire might bring more dangerous?

 

[AH64ID]

I would say that i am completely satisfied with the E brake on the cummins ISB. However, i would like to see a semi-automatic mode which replicates most of the automatic mode, but also gives either a manual activation button or pull slider on the shift lever that allows you to manually apply the ebrake.
When i am going downhill on winding mountain roads (even on interstates), the speed limit changes according to how winding the road is.

I haven't found the automatic mode at all useful on a g56 transmission because there is no tow haul mode. And with the angular momentum of the massive 6.7 cummins, it makes no sense to apply the brakes with the clutch engaged. It would likely just wear down the brake pads faster by using both the service brakes and ebrake working against gravity and the angular momentum of the engine.

I haven't tried putting it in neutral, releasing the clutch and using auto mode, but i will try that in the Rockies this summer on a trip out west. It just seems that as someone who likes complete control of the gear he is in and everything related to driving, a semi-automatic mode seems a good function.

The Ram with cummins has drive-by-wire steering and accelerator pedal. But it seems the braking is not drive-by-wire. That would be another way to make the automatic ebrake mode into a semi-auto mode by making a light application of the brake pedal only activate the ebrake and a stronger application of the brake pedal ( anything more than a light touch) an application of both ebrake and service brakes. But integrating it into the service brake pedal or tinkering with the brake pedal.... Even making it drive-by-wire might bring more dangerous?

Auto mode is just tied to the brake so you can coast more.

The semi-auto mode you speak of is full, with feathered throttle to turn it on or off. I don't understand why you wouldn't want to apply the brakes with the clutch engaged??? The exhaust brake and service brakes work together to slow the truck, they don't fight each other.

If your trans is in N, how are you going to get any exhaust braking to the wheels?

No, brakes are not drive by wire.... but if you touch the brake pedal enough to activate the brake lights the exhaust brake will function and the service brakes don't. The auto mode doesn't care how much pedal pressure you apply, just that you have made some brake pedal movement.


I guess in the end your comments are quite confusing....

 

[Newsa]

If your trans is in N, how are you going to get any exhaust braking to the wheels?
..

Yeah. I just realized that this makes no sense and went back to edit it. So there really is no way to trick the ebrake into a semi auto mode.

Additionally, the engine would be at idle, so the ebrake would not activate

 

[Newsa]

The exhaust brake and service brakes work together to slow the truck, they don't fight each other.

..

I realize they (EB & service) work together to slow down the truck. But in order to get any slowing due to the ebrake, you would need to leave the brake pedal depressed for a long time (longer than i feel comfortble doing on a long downhill grade). Thus overheating your service brakes and putting extra wear in rhe pads on the calipers.

The ebrake and service brake work together, but they work against the angular momentum of the engine, the linear momentum of the truck, and gravity.

Even if the service brakes are being lightly activated, the speed of the disc would eventually cause the brakes to heat up and in my opinion put excess wear on the pads. So, i have never used auto mode. I always use full mode. And yes, i feather the throttle to turn the ebrake on and off. But in my opinion, a different way to activate the ebrake and deactivate would be better without feathering the throttle and having a hand activated button or pull.

In my opinion, using auto mode somewhat defeats the purpose of the ebrake. But a semi auto mode would be more useful

Even when downshifted, it takes a while for the ebrake to ramp up and have an effect. I don't know how aggressively the tow haul causes the 68rfe and Aisin to downshift.

If you are using auto mode, leaving the service brakes on a long time, would increase your brake temps.

 

[Newsa]

but if you touch the brake pedal enough to activate the brake lights the exhaust brake will function and the service brakes don't...

I have not experienced this.

Maybe it is the auto EB programming of the 2013?

 

[RVTRKN]

Newsa, I picked up on that as soon as I read it, but with the older EB I have on my 07 C&C with a G56, it works great. I do like to manually turn it on and off as I descend down long grades heavy or not. I like to move the mechanism to keep my turbo clean. Because mine is a first generation 6.7 turbo, there is no cleaning port, so that’s the way I try to help it. Doing so gives me the same as the EB auto mode on the newer trucks . It is designed to maintain the same speed while it on. I do the same as I pick up speed I turn it on and as I get to the speed I want I turn it off. This works to help clean it as well as not gain any speed, and this is at 23K GCW. Winding road desending is just a crap shoot as you wind downhill, that’s what brakes are for, but your still saving your brake pads.

 

[AH64ID]

I realize they (EB & service) work together to slow down the truck. But in order to get any slowing due to the ebrake, you would need to leave the brake pedal depressed for a long time (longer than i feel comfortble doing on a long downhill grade). Thus overheating your service brakes and putting extra wear in rhe pads on the calipers.

Then use full mode.

Auto mode is not really for descending and slowing, it's for descending and maintaining speed.

Even if the service brakes are being lightly activated, the speed of the disc would eventually cause the brakes to heat up and in my opinion put excess wear on the pads. So, i have never used auto mode. I always use full mode. And yes, i feather the throttle to turn the ebrake on and off. But in my opinion, a different way to activate the ebrake and deactivate would be better without feathering the throttle and having a hand activated button or pull.

You most certainly should be able to activate the brake switch and not the brakes, but again just use full mode when you want to descend and slow without the service brakes.

In my opinion, using auto mode somewhat defeats the purpose of the ebrake. But a semi auto mode would be more useful

Having towed heavy in the mountainous west for many years without an auto mode I can tell you I am quite excited for auto mode. There are lots of times where only partial exhaust braking would have been great on my 5.9, but those brakes are on/off. Also it would have been great to take my foot off the throttle and just coast without having to disengage the EB.

Semi-Auto, as you describe it, can easily be accomplished with your feet as the on/off switch in either auto or full mode.

If you are using auto mode, leaving the service brakes on a long time, would increase your brake temps.

Again, Auto and Full have different purposes.

 

[kthaxton]

Newsa, it sounds like you are misunderstanding how auto works. As AH64ID said, in Auto, on a descent, the EB will maintain the speed you were going when you released the throttle (think of it as downhill cruise control), but when you apply the service brakes, the EB goes into full strength.

The vast majority of the time, I use Full EB, but I have found Auto to be a much more pleasant experience when descending steep, winding roads as it is less aggressive (which seems counter intuitive) and there is less jerking between the truck and the trailer as sometimes it shifts down and brakes too aggressively. I often have to touch the throttle to release the EB because I'm slowing too much, then it up shifts and speeds up too much before the next turn. Auto makes it much smoother. Also, as I've said before, with Auto being less aggressive, it allows me to use the service brakes more. I like the idea of not putting all of the force of slowing the load on one axle/two tires. It gives me a warm fuzzy when all 4 axles/8 tires are contributing.

 

[Newsa]

Newsa, it sounds like you are misunderstanding how auto works. As AH64ID said, in Auto, on a descent, the EB will maintain the speed you were going when you released the throttle (think of it as downhill cruise control), but when you apply the service brakes, the EB goes into full strength.

The vast majority of the time, I use Full EB, but I have found Auto to be a much more pleasant experience when descending steep, winding roads as it is less aggressive (which seems counter intuitive) and there is less jerking between the truck and the trailer as sometimes it shifts down and brakes too aggressively. I often have to touch the throttle to release the EB because I'm slowing too much, then it up shifts and speeds up too much before the next turn. Auto makes it much smoother. Also, as I've said before, with Auto being less aggressive, it allows me to use the service brakes more. I like the idea of not putting all of the force of slowing the load on one axle/two tires. It gives me a warm fuzzy when all 4 axles/8 tires are contributing.

Yes, i was confusing what John had said about full. I thought he meant he was switching back and forth with the ebrake activator for full and auto.

Thanks for the clarification.