Poor engine braking

[keithmtnjp]

I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I bought my Durango to tow a boat, but I live in a very mountainous area and assumed it would have the same engine braking as my 2000 Durango did. But it doesn't, so I checked the trans fluid and found it to be right in the middle between the hot and cold fill points. Does anyone out there with better skills than me think this would be enough to cause the Durango to not lock up in 2nd gear on long downhills ? Because thats what it feels like when i put it in 2nd gear going down my mountain. It actully speeds up sometimes ! Obviously I'm going to fill it up Monday morning and see, i can't now because my locla auto parts store doesn't carry atf+4. Oh sorry BTW it's a 2005 4x4 limited, hemi, with 2800 miles on it................thanks for any input !

[-=Rowdy=-]

I guess I don't have much information to give but was wondering if you had it in tow/haul mode?

[HEMI x 2]

I have noticed this coming down a mountain road from our cabin. Also in traffic when the car in front slows a bit when I let off the gas it is almost like the truck goes in neutral and continues to drift at speed and I need to use the brake more so in the D than other vehicles. Its like there is no drive train drag. I wonder if it does this on purpose to increase fuel economy.

[keithmtnjp]

Yes it was in tow haul mode. I guess I'm just a little disappointed because my last tow vehicle had a cummins and a 5 speed, so I had all the control in the world.

[THEGAME22193]

i was the same way at the beginning but now i just down shift going down the Shenandoah mountains . i do not hit the brake that often any more that why those gears are there for fellas .

[keithmtnjp]

I'm in second gear when this is happening. I do take full advantage of the gears, I drive trucks for a living.

[THEGAME22193]

I'm in second gear when this is happening. I do take full advantage of the gears, I drive trucks for a living.

you may wanted to have check out . my keeps 2nd & 1st when going down hill but if i am accelerating in 2nd gear for a long period it will change gears by it self . do not know why , and sorry i did not mean to implied any thing bad by saying (the fellas sentence).

good luck .

[keithmtnjp]

Thanks for your input, and no offence taken. :)

[trouble33]

I too have noticed this but the odd thing is if its the right hill or time of day or temperature out or the world is tilted just right it does actually brake for me. Most of the time it doesnt, but there has been a couple times where i downshifted and it actually worked properly and i was shocked. I think it has to do with where your foot was at the time IE: on the brake or not. I know if you downshift in preparation to floor it, it hesitates sometimes like its wanting to see what you do with your foot first before it goes from that magical between gears spot. Try tapping the accelerator quickly after you gear down and see what happens.

[dr. who]

It's not related to your trans fluid.

I asked the dealer about this... He said that Dodge calibrated the HEMI engine with lots of 'off throttle' airflow to reduce the bucking/bobbling feeling in parking lots... Unfortunately, it's not somart enough to realize that when we shift 2nd gear, we want engine braking !!

It DOES engine brake at higher RPM's real good, but once you drop below about 3000 RPM, the engine braking decreases because the engine controller actually cracks open the Throttle.. Stupid IMHO...

I asked if they had a TSB or flash for this ludicracy and he said no. :WHT:

YMMV...

-Doc

[keithmtnjp]

You know I was reading about traction control, and how it retards the timing off the line, so I disabled it thinking maybe it has some control on the torque converter also, and I 've found that on downhill driving the torque converter seems to lock up at lower rpm's, there by increasing the engine brake effect. Does that make any sense ?

[bug343]

I can relate. Did you ever get this problem rsolved?