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Question about engine braking.

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Does anyone else experience this? When in towing mode, and while towing, if I come up on traffic that is kind of stop and go, the engine braking comes on but I have a hard time disengaging it?

So it’s like your slowing from 60 down to 40…engine braking is occurring but traffic clears and you go to take off but it’s in 4th and revs really high before it decides to shift. Then shifts normal.

A lot of time this also occurs when traffic is just slowing..apply brakes, downshift..let off because it’s looks to be moving..apply brakes again and it downshifts another gear…so on and so forth until you actually start moving again but this time is revving high in second gear?

I’m sure I’m doing something wrong or the truck hasn’t learned enough?
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I would think this is normal. Keeps the revs high so you can stay in the power when accelerating again?
 
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I would think this is normal. Keeps the revs high so you can stay in the power when accelerating again?
I mean I guess your correct. Eventually it does shift. However, I am not on a grade when this is happening, so the power to pull my trailer is more than enough without the downshift. I suppose if I was on a grade this might make better sense. Or if I was pulling a significantly higher load than I am.
 

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I think thats just the nature of the 3.5. it doesnt have a lot of engine torque for braking but its gonna try lol. Coming from the 6.2 GM motor in my Sierra, I notice a big difference
 
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I'm guessing the quick fix is to take it out of towing mode, but I am not sure what else other than shift patterns and this, that it does.
 

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What weight are you towing? I didn't notice it over the weekend when I towed around 4000 lbs with my 5.0 with 3.31 gears.
 

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My F150 hasn't been built yet, but this exact thing happens in my Expedition when towing. Usually, I've seen it happen when I'm descending a mountain and then coming to the valley floor with the engine braking still engaged...it takes a while for it to decide that it doesn't need to stay in low gear any longer, even if I hit the gas to speed up.

The easiest way I've found to "solve" it is to turn off tow/haul for a second, let the vehicle shift to where it would want to be at the new speed, and then turn tow/haul back on.
 
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What weight are you towing? I didn't notice it over the weekend when I towed around 4000 lbs with my 5.0 with 3.31 gears.
Right around 6500 lbs give or take. Nothing special. I think I read somewhere that to engage engine braking, you just need to "tap" the brakes. This is exactly the situation I am running into. Someone changes lanes in front of you quickly, etc, and you tap the brakes but then they speed up. So you are back on throttle but now its downshifted. Not a big deal, but when it happens multiple times in a row, you can downshift all the way into the much lower gears and then it doesn't shift out as quickly on the way back up.
 

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Does anyone else experience this? When in towing mode, and while towing, if I come up on traffic that is kind of stop and go, the engine braking comes on but I have a hard time disengaging it?

So it’s like your slowing from 60 down to 40…engine braking is occurring but traffic clears and you go to take off but it’s in 4th and revs really high before it decides to shift. Then shifts normal.

A lot of time this also occurs when traffic is just slowing..apply brakes, downshift..let off because it’s looks to be moving..apply brakes again and it downshifts another gear…so on and so forth until you actually start moving again but this time is revving high in second gear?

I’m sure I’m doing something wrong or the truck hasn’t learned enough?
I think it's just the nature of the 3.5L EB engine. My current 10sp '22 PB does it, and my old '14 6sp EB did the same.
 

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I don't know that this is inherent of the 3.5, as it is so much that with tow/haul mode locking the torque converter.
 

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I'm guessing the quick fix is to take it out of towing mode, but I am not sure what else other than shift patterns and this, that it does.
That's exactly what I do when towing. I only use the tow mode when climbing and descending mountains & very hilly areas.
 

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I don't know that this is inherent of the 3.5, as it is so much that with tow/haul mode locking the torque converter.
I believe you are correct. My current 3.5 does this as well as my previous truck that has a 5.0.

Drives me nuts. I would turn off tow / haul now that people have mentioned it might get rid of it. But, towing 5,000 lbs, not sure that's the best idea.

I tried bumping up my trailer brake setting hoping that would negate the need for engine braking but, it didn't seem to matter.
 

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Had my 21 downshift and do this yesterday. Exiting an interstate, downhill off ramp slowing rapidly for red light.

caught me by surprise. Thought I had a transmission problem. I suppose I should have read the owners manual….It’s probably in there.
 

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The 5.0L does the exactly same thing so I gather it is transmission and not engine specific.
 

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It's a tow mode. It's doing exactly what it needs to. Yeah, TH mode hangs on to gears longer than it probably needs to but what's the harm? When it bothers me I select Manual mode and shift it to where I want it.

The Ecoboost is a small engine, relatively low compression engine. It needs to run RPM in order to get much in the way of engine braking. Having towed about 5000 pounds down the Ike "Gauntlet" it needed a lot of braking to maintain speed. But it tries its best, even with regenerative braking.
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