In this 2012 XLT, the cruise control does a very good job of holding the truck's speed constant - and even attempting to do this when going some of the steeper hills we have here. I have watched as the tranny is downshifted from 6th, to 5th, even to 4th and 3rd as the truck is held to the set speed (of course, the engine speed starts to go nuts). But I would rather have the cruise control let the truck naturally accelerate some while staying in 6th gear, and then pick up the control again when the speed comes back down to the set-point.

Can the dealer do a cruise control re-flash that so that it will NOT downshift the tranny when going downhill, just to try to hold the speed back through engine braking?

 

Not sure about the reflash. I kind of like this feature but don,t like the high rpm engine braking. I just use the brakes a little to keep the rpm's down.

 

To hold the speed back through engine braking requires the downshifting you describe. If it didn't it would pick up speed on the downhill, which may require you to use the brakes and possibly overheat them.

To "naturally" accelerate from 6th gear (depending on load, etc) it may lug. The computer recognizes this and downshifts the tranny for you to prevent damage.

You have the 5.0, great motor, makes a ton of power above 4k which is where the computer is going to target the rpm's under load.

I'd say your truck is acting/reacting very well.

As far as "tuning" goes the dealer probably won't help, and probably can't help. You will have to seek aftermarket tuning and tell the tuner fella how you want your truck to act under certain conditions.

Are you running in "tow/haul" mode? My downshifts are aggressive in tow/haul which I enjoy when loaded with 5-6000lbs coming down a steep hill since the brakes can get soft pretty quick.

 

I personally love this feature. My Dodge didn't do this, as most makes don't. Cops know this and get lots of people speeding as they come down hill too fast. You can brake, but the brakes on every make turn off the cruise control, then you have to reset it. Ford has done a great job by incorporating an engine brake, IMO.

 

Think about the liability lawsuit the first time someone sets the cruise at 65, then flies off a curve at 80mph because the cruise allowed the truck to coast downhill and speed up...

 

I wish my Tundra would do this... if my Tundra is climbing a hill with a load and she shifts down to 3rd cruise control is automatically disengaged. Very annoying.

 

It's a pretty normal feature for the trans to downshift while going downhill with cruise on. Most modern vehicles have it now a days.

 

Thansks guys, all good info...I am coming from older vehicles with criuse controls that were not so aggressive in holding the vehicle over-speed in check on downhills, but allowed the speed to increase a bit in a sort of "in-gear coasting" mode...so I suppose that I'll just hit "cancel" when going downhill...