Opinion/Experience with Smart Brake Function of Exhaust Brake

[Wiredawg]

Friends,
Just curious, you folks who like and use Auto EB, do y'all completely remove your foot off the accelerator or just have foot resting on it in the zero or no throttle added? Mine stays on the throttle, except when hovering over or applying the brakes. Although I see utility in this option, I would have to change my driving style to use it. Riding the throttle isn't bad like riding the brake or clutch, just a different approach or style.

I knew this would be interesting and really glad to hear from all the folks who like and use Auto EB. I'm driving the 5500 more these days, so I may play with it more to see if there's any conditions I would prefer using it.

I'm hearing more mention of using Auto EB without cruise control, but it'd be interesting to hear more about using it with cruise.

Thanks all for sharing.

Cheers, Ron



I know yesterday I had to concentrate to not feather the throttle when testing Auto EB.

 

[AH64ID]

OK John, inquiring minds would like to know. How long of a flight was that from NJ to ID? How many stops? If you can't get into specifics I understand. Just a redneck country boy being nosy

3 days flying, 18.5 hours flying, and 9 fuel stops. We made great time as we were single ship. The trip will probably take an extra day when we are bringing 2-4 back.

It's pretty fun. We got to see a lot of the country I hadn't flown over before.

If it had an On/Off switch we wouldn't have to feather the throttle

It does, kinda

My 05 had an easier on/off switch on the shifter and I MUCH prefer AUTO mode over always turning it off/on/off.

Driving around Yellowstone last fall I got my dad to try AUTO on his '17 and he likes it now too. It didn't work like his 06 so he never tried it, but those roads made him a user.

Friends,
Just curious, you folks who like and use Auto EB, do y'all completely remove your foot off the accelerator or just have foot resting on it in the zero or no throttle added? Mine stays on the throttle, except when hovering over or applying the brakes. Although I see utility in this option, I would have to change my driving style to use it. Riding the throttle isn't bad like riding the brake or clutch, just a different approach or style.

It depends on the terrain. Sometimes I hover over the throttle, sometimes the brake, and sometimes neither.

While it's not as bad as riding a clutch or brake I just don't see it as necessary. Plenty of EGR at low throttle so I'd rather not do that. Still not much EGR compared to a 07.5-12, but a pretty high percentage for this generation.

 

[Wiredawg]

Today, I drove it again, look like my feathering the throttle adds about 15 to 25 rpm... not very or easily discernable on the dash tach, but observable on the Edge CST2 Monitor. Also seeing 5th gear locked, 30mph right about 1000-1100 RPM. With 4.88s, I get more EB action at lower Speeds and higher RPMs. I guess for folks running TH too with 4.10s, 3.73s, and 3.42s, it's a way to keep RPMs higher and get more EB action too.

In years passed, our TDR chapter would meet to study this while BBQing and having some iced tea. I certainly miss those days.

Cheers, Ron

 

[Wiredawg]

Friends,

I couldn't find the add in the TDR Mags, but remember seeing PacBrake integrated engine brake designed to work with the turbo VGT EB. Here's a link:

https://www.dieselpowerproducts.com...ord=&msclkid=e2e1ff625d6d11946ddda0231b09779a

Does anyone know anyone that has done this? It seems to duplicate to some degree the engine brakes available in the larger Cummins engines. Curious to hear comments and opinions on it. Pretty big mod, and requires heavier duty (stronger) aftermarket headbolts.

Cheers, Ron

 

[TFucili]

Friends,

I couldn't find the add in the TDR Mags, but remember seeing PacBrake integrated engine brake designed to work with the turbo VGT EB. Here's a link:

https://www.dieselpowerproducts.com...ord=&msclkid=e2e1ff625d6d11946ddda0231b09779a

Does anyone know anyone that has done this? It seems to duplicate to some degree the engine brakes available in the larger Cummins engines. Curious to hear comments and opinions on it. Pretty big mod, and requires heavier duty (stronger) aftermarket headbolts.

Cheers, Ron

Ron, I occasionally watch the youtube V-Belt & Son, and he has a modded 3rd Gen 5500 with the Load Leash. He raves about it.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Full EB "ALL" the time and when towing I use cruise control even on steep grades.

 

[Wiredawg]

Full EB "ALL" the time and when towing I use cruise control even on steep grades.

Good point Ron! Do the rest of y'all tow heavy with EB/TH and cruise control? I do, except extreme downgrade, like encountered on Teton Pass, but always use it on the climbing side. I haven't played with how low a speed I can set cruise control for the downside.

EDIT: Ron, do you ever bump against the engine redline on downgrades. I have, and have had to touch the service brakes to keep on the happy side of the tach.

Be interested to hear the towing heavy Auto and Full EB stories/techniques.

Thanks, Ron

 

[Wiredawg]

Tom,

Cool, I'll watch it. Appears to be a nice augmentation and fairly easy installation.

Thanks for posting, Ron

 

[AH64ID]

Good point Ron! Do the rest of y'all tow heavy with EB/TH and cruise control?


Be interested to hear the towing heavy Auto and Full EB stories/techniques.

Thanks, Ron

Heaviest I tow is around 24-25K GCW. I use CC as much as possible, up and down hill. I really only don’t use it when it’s a lot of speed changes.

Nearly all of my towing is on Idaho mountain roads, with some Wyoming mixed in.

Auto vs Full towing depends on terrain, just like empty. I would say I use Full more towing than Auto, but I still use both based on terrain.

 

[surfbeetle]

I use the auto mode the majority of the time in my '16. If I want more braking, I'll just lightly press the brake pedal and the exhaust brake will kick on. Where I live, when closer to home we have mountains, hills and windy roads so I use the exhaust brake and tow/haul mode. Also, with the fifth wheel, I'll set the cruise control and use the auto exhaust brake and then shift the trans down to limit the gears if needed based on going up/down hills.

 

[lpennock]

I think I understand my preference for Full vs Auto. In my case I came out of the big inch manual transmission gas world starting around 50 years ago. I always used engine braking as much as possible rather than touching the service brakes. When I drove diesel trucks in the Army I always hated the lack of engine braking as they didn't have exhaust restriction or compression release braking. I had a 02 F250 diesel and didn't care for the lack of engine braking there either. When I got my 06 it had the Jake Brake option on it and just seemed normal to me in the way it operated. Until I got my 08 Ram, I never owned a truck with a auto so I always had full exhaust braking (other than the F250). The 08 was also full EB but was now the auto. Since it was full it still worked the same, foot off the fuel get EB. So when I got my 18, the Full EB is the way engine braking should work. Take foot off the fuel, Truck slows down. Don't want it to slow down as fast give it a bit of fuel.

Now if you came out of the older diesel and/or automatic transmission world, you wouldn't be as reliant on engine braking. For the most part you would be use to using service brakes to slow down, especially if most of your experience was with the computer controlled autos that unlock the TC to improve fuel mileage when coasting. This experience would have you preferring the auto mode as it mostly coasts when you let off the throttle and just gives you more responsive brakes when you hit the service brakes.

Bottom line, both work and it is nice that FCA gave us the option to choose either mode. Bummer they don't allow it to retain across restarts.

 

[AH64ID]

This experience would have you preferring the auto mode as it mostly coasts when you let off the throttle and just gives you more responsive brakes when you hit the service brakes.

Not quite, at least for me. Very little of my towing was before having a manual trans Cummins with an exhaust brake. Any of the towing I did before my Cummins was light weight, so I’ve only done heavy towing with an exhaust brake. I’ve always used engine braking on everything I own/drive.

I’ve also always tried to coast to stop signs when able, as it saves brakes and fuel. Auto lets you do that, full does not.

One of the best features of auto is that it remembers the speed in which you took your foot off the throttle or brake and won’t let you accelerate above that. It’s great for mountain driving where cruise control isn’t practical, but you still want a little help maintaining speed. So it’s more that just supplementing the service brakes.

Since the EB doesn’t work for full or auto below 20 mph if you coast with auto your still using the service brakes to stop below 20 the same you would be with full brining you to 20. Of course this kind of driving can’t be done with traffic or stop lights, but it great for fuel economy in the country.

 

[lpennock]

One of the best features of auto is that it remembers the speed in which you took your foot off the throttle or brake and won’t let you accelerate above that. It’s great for mountain driving where cruise control isn’t practical, but you still want a little help maintaining speed. So it’s more that just supplementing the service brakes.

I will have to try that the next time i'm out on the road. Currently not getting out much do to COVID. The mom is staying with me and I don't feel like trying to find a Senior Sitter.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Good point Ron! Do the rest of y'all tow heavy with EB/TH and cruise control? I do, except extreme downgrade, like encountered on Teton Pass, but always use it on the climbing side. I haven't played with how low a speed I can set cruise control for the downside.

EDIT: Ron, do you ever bump against the engine redline on downgrades. I have, and have had to touch the service brakes to keep on the happy side of the tach.

Be interested to hear the towing heavy Auto and Full EB stories/techniques.

Thanks, Ron

I am up in the 3k range on the steeper grades. Need to drop cruise speed for it to hold at a desired speed.

 

[Wiredawg]

OK, I' CONVERTED... did my BIL a favor by hauling a 450KW generator with 1,000 gallons of diesel to Houston for the hurricane and tried out the Auto EB. It does well in light to medium traffic, but still like Full EB in heavy traffic. Just thought I'd share an ole Dawg CAN be taught new tricks.

Thanks AND cheers!
Ron

 

[kthaxton]

OK, I' CONVERTED... did my BIL a favor by hauling a 450KW generator with 1,000 gallons of diesel to Houston for the hurricane and tried out the Auto EB. It does well in light to medium traffic, but still like Full EB in heavy traffic. Just thought I'd share an ole Dawg CAN be taught new tricks.

Thanks AND cheers!
Ron

Next, try it with a load going down a steep, twisty grade.

 

[Wiredawg]

Considering the head your think of doing valve job since the head is off would be great idea don't you agree, Ron.

Being an old guy, I think I did try it out West, but I'm pretty sure I preferred cruise off, Full EB, and pretty slow.

Cheers, Ron

 

[HVAC2]

I've been towing for over 30 years and always wondered what a true exhaust brake could do in mountain conditions.
All I can say is it's a marvelous invention and no gasser for me ever as long as this migrating west continues for the Winter.
For me its full on when towing. But I really have not used auto so this has me curious..

 

[JR]

I sure hope you and your family are clear of that storm Ron. It's shaping up to be a bad one.

 

[Wiredawg]

I sure hope you and your family are clear of that storm Ron. It's shaping up to be a bad one.

Thanks, my family in Houston are gonna be fine, looks like the storm is gonna hit East of them. I dropped my personal 4500W generator yesterday, and now that the storm is gonna miss, they are gonna bring it back next week and take opportunity to have a nice visit.

Have other family West of them who did catch the previous hurricane in 2017 and we spent weeks helping them cleanup and repair their homes. Personally, I like living a couple hours inland, but enjoy visiting them at the coast... they do great Cajun cooking.

Anyhoo, I'm sure everyone here cherishes family and time spent together.

Cheers, Ron