Gen. 1 owners please reply !

[WHAMMYBAR66]

I have just returned from my first major trip with my 2010 6.2L. I put over 1800 miles on the truck in 5 days or so. The truck ate up the highway like a luxury car even with 37" tires.
The goal was to drive parts of the Alpine Loop Area.
I had never done it before or had this truck in the mountains.
I was blown away by how the Raptor handled the terrain. It crawled up everything with no effort at all. A few times she felt a little fat, but I used this very forum before going, to check on which trails others had done. What a great resource.
The truck did great... except when coming down the mountains. I could not get the compression / engine braking to work worth a darn.
Keep in mind that the hill decent worked great for short runs down embankments and stuff, but when the entire trail is like 2 miles of super steep trail, hill decent will heat the brakes up to the point of a hard pedal and poor brakes.
I had the truck in 4 low . I then added trailer tow mode. Then I did off-road mode. I tried every combination I could think of.
Here is a description of what it would do.
Heading down a steep pass the engine RPM would climb to 3k, then compression braking would suddenly kick in and slow the truck down (proving that it IS capable of doing it),, then when the rpm would drop to around 2k the truck would let go and speed up, allowing RPMs to go to about 3k again before chopping the throttle and slowing the truck down. It would do this like clock work all the way down... except this was WAY TOO FAST for the trail and I was going to crash into the back end of a Jeep that I was closing in on.
I tried every setting, tapping the brakes.. everything but still the truck behaved like this. I had to ride my brakes to the point they were really hot and stinking. Yet, I am confident that none of this would happen if the truck just had compression/engine braking immediately after letting off the accelerator.
This was a 1 hour downhill run with me having to pull over and cool the brakes several times. The truck was getting a high, hard brake pedal and was having difficulty stopping to the point it was a nightmare of stress.

I am 48. I have wheeled a long time. All my other vehicles would crawl down hills in 4 low with very little brake assist with the throttle chopped.
I swear it felt like the computer was opening the throttle to match the engine RPM created by the downhill force then, at 3K RPM suddenly realizing it should close the throttle and slow down.
Gen 1 owners, have any of you experienced this while on the mountain trails ? I had never noticed it wheeling around my home area as we just don't have the huge, long downhill runs here.
Any input or thoughts would be appreciated. We had the time of our lives up in the beautiful mountains, but will not take the truck back there until I can crawl down the trails under a controlled speed.
I should also add that this behavior is also happening when heading down mountain passes on pavement. The truck reaches a certain RPM before really applying the compression/engine braking. I don't care for how it is designed, but on pavement you can make it work because the allowable speeds are much higher. On a rocky trail... NO WAY !!
Thank you for reading and I appreciate any experience you may have had in this type of situation.
Thank you for your time.
Jeff

 

[MatMan]

I assume you don't have a tune installed..

I'm suggesting a tune would resolve this, pretty sure my 5star tune holds the gear (to a point which can be changed by emailing the tuner with your request for whatever you need - 4K rpm before shifting to 2nd, etc). There was no manual mode for 2010, so the tune is your best hope other than using the gear selector to move between 1 and 2.

Also suggest you consider braided steel break lines and upgraded rotors and pads up front.

 

[WHAMMYBAR66]

Fortunately, I updated all my brakes before we left with dimpled and slotted all the way around with upgraded pads... or I might be dead by now.. LOL.
I was manually shifted into first during this...
I agree that it may be worth checking on a tune.. based on what others may also add here, we will see.

 

[Ruger]

I have a 2011 6.2L and have taken my truck over Cinnamon Pass, which is part of the Alpine Loop. I have yet to see a use for the hill descent mode. It's bad enough that our ubertrucks are not available with a manual transmission, so turning the downhill driving over to a computer programmed by a geek who's never been off-road seems stupid and dangerous to me. I've tried it out on much lesser roads, however, just to see how it works. Didn't like it for the same reasons you've specified. Using hill descent mode is the equivalent of signing up for a loss of control.

Those who have said that a tune will help are missing the point in several ways. A tune changes the air/fuel/rpm map. Unless I'm terribly wrong, it won't change the firmware in the computer that dictates how the hill descent mode will function. Second, getting a tune is a problem in search of a solution. I've had my truck at high altitude, I've run it across the country at high speed in high temperatures, I've towed a heavy tandem axel trailer full to the top with heavy shop gear across country, and the truck performs beautifully. Why get a tune that might inferiorly alter the performance of a truck you are otherwise delighted with and which won't solve an only occasionally used feature that is stupid to use anyway?

 

[Truckzor]

I have a 2011 6.2L and have taken my truck over Cinnamon Pass, which is part of the Alpine Loop. I have yet to see a use for the hill descent mode. It's bad enough that our ubertrucks are not available with a manual transmission, so turning the downhill driving over to a computer programmed by a geek who's never been off-road seems stupid and dangerous to me. I've tried it out on much lesser roads, however, just to see how it works. Didn't like it for the same reasons you've specified. Using hill descent mode is the equivalent of signing up for a loss of control.

Those who have said that a tune will help are missing the point in several ways. A tune changes the air/fuel/rpm map. Unless I'm terribly wrong, it won't change the firmware in the computer that dictates how the hill descent mode will function. Second, getting a tune is a problem in search of a solution. I've had my truck at high altitude, I've run it across the country at high speed in high temperatures, I've towed a heavy tandem axel trailer full to the top with heavy shop gear across country, and the truck performs beautifully. Why get a tune that might inferiorly alter the performance of a truck you are otherwise delighted with and which won't solve an only occasionally used feature that is stupid to use anyway?

Hill descent control is only for pucker situations. Very tough terrain or very slippery conditions. I've only ever used it once. Had to go down a very steep and icy hill in Vermont. It was amazing. No manual transmission can compare to 4 wheel independent ABS control.

I don't think anyone was suggesting a tune to interact with hill descent, but rather to potentially correct why OP's truck won't seem to engine brake.

OP - my truck has a tune (due to the Whipple) and it engine brakes well... but it's always been able to engine brake. I do of course have manual mode in my truck (it's a 2013) and also the ability to lock gears out in D.

I've never driven a 2010 so can't comment further.

 

[BAD454SS]

I used mine several times creeping down very steep rocky roads worked great. But using only 1st gear and 4 low. 2010 also

 

[2014RubyRed]

Yeah ^ 4 low will do the trick. Also, when we were in Colorado doing those trails, speed has to be kept low. Creep down the trail with light brake pressure. Pumping the brakes is not the right technique. Just steady, light pressure to maintain the low speed. As mentioned, fresh brake fluid running through upgraded brake lines is essential. Also, at higher altitudes, normal brake fluid isn't as effective - so upgrade that as well. I had a '14 and maybe the trans was different than yours, but I never used the hill button. Irritating thing.....

Just maintain a slow speed with the brakes and trans and go fast on the flats and the climbs. You're right though, those Jeep guys were always in the way!!!

 

[WHAMMYBAR66]

Thank for the reply!

I was in 4 low when this happened... the weird part is that the truck was opening the throttle and allowing the truck to speed up going down hills.. it was not as if the weight of the truck and gravity was forcing the engine speed to increase with the throttle closed.. it actually was opening the throttle like clock work...
Something I am wondering... is if my truck already has a tune that has effected this.. I bought it used with a few things already done to it.. maybe I should contact my buddies at FORD to reflash it so I can be certain what I have.... it would be great if that eliminated the problem .. knowing that I could purchase a new tune...
I hope it doesn't seem like I am making something of nothing... I guess on one hand I have had the truck for over 2 years and it has been flawless in its performance...(but I live in MO and would never have experienced the steep, miles long, downhill stretches that I did in CO !!)

 

[Hamm3r]

Whammy, I have experienced this exact phenomenon before in my '13.
It's one of the few frustrations I have with this truck...and it's so bad it makes me just want to hulk smash things near my in a fit of rage.

I am almost out of my engine warranty period, so I will then contact a tuning company as others have suggested and discuss this issue with them. I wouldn't even mind a little more power...I just don't want my transmission tuning touched. I love the way it shifts now...I can not stand when automatic vehicles get tuned then shift aggressively.

 

[WHAMMYBAR66]

Hamm3r,

Thank you very much for the reply ! I think you and I are on the same page. I too do not like harsh shifting... I am ok with it being aggressive if my foot is in it under hard accel.. but the rest of the time I don't want my 1-2 shift to thump the truck.
Thank you for letting me know that you have experienced the same "lack of engine brake" that I have... I now know I am not totally crazy.
I find it crazy that these are electric throttle bodies and the programmers would consider it ok for the ECM to open the throttle under any circumstances when my foot is not on the accel pedal.
Please keep me posted on what you find. I will do the same for you !