Engine Brake

[Crasher]

Originally Posted by lawjohnson

I leave mine on around town and in the mountains, it is off the rest of the time. I don't know about anyone else but my cruise control does not engage with it on.
Also, I just had to replace my track bar due to the bushings being worn out. The advisor at the shop told me it was more than likely due to the exhaust brake being on all the time and the trans constantly up and down shifting by the previous owner who did tell me he never turned it off. 56K on the coach. BS?? I don't know but the bushings were most definitely shot I do know that.

I would look for a different adviser. It's unbelievable what some uninformed people can come up with. I have left either the exhaust brake or compression brake on all the time on five different DP and have never replaced a track bar bushings. Just having the EB switch on should not affect the cruise control. Every DP I have owned allowed the CC to work, but would engage when the brake was touched or the CC disengaged. If yours does not, have it reprogrammed.

[FL420]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reta...al_engineering)

[lawjohnson]

Originally Posted by Crasher

I would look for a different adviser. It's unbelievable what some uninformed people can come up with. I have left either the exhaust brake or compression brake on all the time on five different DP and have never replaced a track bar bushings. Just having the EB switch on should not affect the cruise control. Every DP I have owned allowed the CC to work, but would engage when the brake was touched or the CC disengaged. If yours does not, have it reprogrammed.

Mine is an older one so no reprogramming on the cruise. I do know for a fact it will not engage with the brake turned on. I have thought about having the trans reprogrammed so I could change the shift points using the alternate pattern but it is not that high on my list.

As far as the bushings IDK. I could tell they were worn. More so than I would think they should have been for the miles on the rig. I decided to have it replaced since I did not want any problems on the side of the road if you know what I mean!

[Crasher]

Originally Posted by lawjohnson

Mine is an older one so no reprogramming on the cruise. I do know for a fact it will not engage with the brake turned on. I have thought about having the trans reprogrammed so I could change the shift points using the alternate pattern but it is not that high on my list.

As far as the bushings IDK. I could tell they were worn. More so than I would think they should have been for the miles on the rig. I decided to have it replaced since I did not want any problems on the side of the road if you know what I mean!

I should have made myself more clear. I have no doubt that a track bar bushing will wear out over time, but that it would have nothing to do with the transmission downshifting due to the exhaust brake. Your signature indicates you have a 98 Endeavor. I had a 96 Discovery with the 230 hp 5.9 Cummins and 6 speed Allison. I did not have a problem with having the EB turned on all the time and being able to use cruise control. I would get a second opinion regarding re-programming your Allison.

[lwmcguire]

Interesting comments by many

I have driven rigs since we moved up from 549's to Diesel engines back in the 60's

Hauling a lot of gasoline and lp and so on

ABS brakes were the best thing after the engine brakes

To this day I have never felt the need to have an engine brake switch on for normal driving, this is after several million miles with all kinds of rigs and weather

I think it is a comfort thing like certain oils or additives so if you're a better driver with it on, leave it on

Just don't have the engine brake engage with out the brake lights coming on

[Crasher]

Originally Posted by lwmcguire

Just don't have the engine brake engage with out the brake lights coming on

I think all of my DP had the brake lights come on whenever the EB or Jake was engaged, however, now I'm going to have it checked to be certain.

[jcussen]

Originally Posted by Crasher

I think all of my DP had the brake lights come on whenever the EB or Jake was engaged, however, now I'm going to have it checked to be certain.

I disabled my brake lights coming on with only exhaust brake.
If going down a hill, and have to use the service brakes fast, guy behind me will not realize it if brake lights are already on.

[Jlferg2]

Put the cruise and the engine brake on. They work in concert. When you exceed cruise speed a bit going down a hill the brake takes over. When the unit slows the cruise will take over.
2007 Neumar Kountry Star works that way.

Originally Posted by jcussen

I disabled my brake lights coming on with only exhaust brake.
If going down a hill, and have to use the service brakes fast, guy behind me will not realize it if brake lights are already on.

[Milford 47]

Originally Posted by jcussen

I disabled my brake lights coming on with only exhaust brake.
If going down a hill, and have to use the service brakes fast, guy behind me will not realize it if brake lights are already on.

And what happens if you are traveling along and let off the foot pedal and the engine brake slows you as it will and the fellow behind you rear ends you like happened here a few weeks back?

There are a few rigs set up with dual sets of brake lights but not many

Interesting discussion for sure but I want my engine brake to alert the fellow behind me I am slowing down so I don't agree with you and neither will a good lawyer

[jcussen]

Originally Posted by Jlferg2

Put the cruise and the engine brake on. They work in concert. When you exceed cruise speed a bit going down a hill the brake takes over. When the unit slows the cruise will take over.
2007 Neumar Kountry Star works that way.

Wish my worked that way, but when I manually select a retarder stage, or use service brakes, cruise is shut off.

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by Milford 47

And what happens if you are traveling along and let off the foot pedal and the engine brake slows you as it will and the fellow behind you rear ends you like happened here a few weeks back?

There are a few rigs set up with dual sets of brake lights but not many

Interesting discussion for sure but I want my engine brake to alert the fellow behind me I am slowing down so I don't agree with you and neither will a good lawyer

My truck, the jake did not turn on the brake lights, and I really didn't want it to. Cruse on jake on, no jake until I touch the brake, (and light the lights,) or we get too far above set speed. And at that point, we are just holding speed, not slowing. Brake lights that are on all the time are the same as no brake lights.
Years back, pulling a little hill. Now I have drove this road 1000s of times, I know that just over the crest the speed limit drops 15MPH, and quarter mile down the hill is a traffic light. I don't work to hold my speed, want to top the hill at the lower speed limit. Thump. Hamn it, must of blown a tire. Just use throttle enough to drop gears, top hill at walking speed, pull off on shoulder. Get out of truck, glance at all tires on left, look good, around in front, right looks good to. So I go down the right looking close, get behind the truck, well snot! there's a little car stuck to me. She swore my brake lights did not work.
HP told her it did not matter. Weight watcher checked my scale ticket, and agreed to follow me into the truckstop so I could replace the broken lights.

[jcussen]

Originally Posted by Milford 47

And what happens if you are traveling along and let off the foot pedal and the engine brake slows you as it will and the fellow behind you rear ends you like happened here a few weeks back?

There are a few rigs set up with dual sets of brake lights but not many

Interesting discussion for sure but I want my engine brake to alert the fellow behind me I am slowing down so I don't agree with you and neither will a good lawyer

Not sure how your rig works, but with manual off and auto retard on, retard only activated when service brake is applied. so no surprises there. In manual mode retarder is on, but no brake lights until I use the service brakes. In manual mode, I set retarder stage to maintain proper speed. If I need to slow quickly, I use service brakes and lights come on.
If brake lights are on all the time using retarder going down a hill, a situation where you have to use service brakes and stop quickly, will give no notice to someone behind you.
Have seen [heard] many big rigs using their jac brakes but no service brakes so no brake lights.

[tnedator]

Originally Posted by jcussen

Wish my worked that way, but when I manually select a retarder stage, or use service brakes, cruise is shut off.

My cruise isn't shut off, but when on cruise the engine brake never kicks in. So, if I'm on cruise and head down a hill, I can easily and quickly pickup 5-10 MPH if I don't get on the service brakes or otherwise kill cruise.

I wonder if it can be reprogrammed so that the engine brake will hold my set speed going down hill when cruise is engaged.

[jcussen]

Originally Posted by tnedator

My cruise isn't shut off, but when on cruise the engine brake never kicks in. So, if I'm on cruise and head down a hill, I can easily and quickly pickup 5-10 MPH if I don't get on the service brakes or otherwise kill cruise.

I wonder if it can be reprogrammed so that the engine brake will hold my set speed going down hill when cruise is engaged.

I have a 6 position retarder on a joystick. Because retarder gives the same braking regardless of engine speed. i can pretty well fine tune how fast I go. But it would be nice to be able to program cruise and retarder to work together, am sure Tesla can do it by using regenerative braking.