Can I stop the cruise from engaging the brakes on hills?

[Deadman]

I finally took my 18 Expedition on a decent trip yesterday and every single time it went down a noticeable hill with the cruise control engaged, it applied the brakes and scrubbed off speed. Then as it proceeded farther down the hill, the cruise thought the speed was too low, so it tried to accelerate back up to speed and by doing so the transmission often dropped down into 9th gear to make that lost speed up. Who the **** designed something so stupid first off, and second off can I delete the braking option with the cruise engaged with forscan?

Sorry for my rant, but this is so annoying my wife even asked why it was hitting the brakes on every downhill.

Any suggestions short of never using the cruise?

I ran it with the cruise engaged and it averaged 21.6 mpg. I then ran it with the cruise off on the way home and then it made 22.8 mpg. Its clearly wasting fuel and adding unnecessary wear to the brakes and transmission!

 

[Tom T]

I agree, the cruise should be much smoother and their should be an option to allow e.g. +5mph if going downhill....

 

[drjeff]

I really like the cruise control as it has been designed. My understanding of cruise control is to maintain a certain speed and make adjustment for uphills and downhills and it does that very well using the transmission's downshift and upshift. The brakes are not applied to maintain the cruise speed downhill. I regularly drive an interstate route with steep uphills and downhills and the cruise maintains 75mph without having to do anything. I usually get 22 to 24 mpg.

 

[mquick5]

I have a model 17 with 6 speed. It caught me off guard and downshifted all the way to 4th gear going downhill while set at 75 mph. I turned it off as the rpms went over 4k! I was told if I used manual mode this would not happen, but didn't try that yet. Anyone know if that's true?

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[Deadman]

I'll maybe try the manual mode on the transmission and see if that helps.... I'm not sure if its the trans slamming gears or if its actually the brakes being applied. Either way its pretty retarded in my opinion. HOPEFULLY its the trans downshifting, because I'm sure I can get 5start to tune that junk out once I tune this motor!

 

[mquick5]

Well let me know if manual mode eliminates this. I was however very impressed on the uphill with cruise control. It held 6th gear up every hill.

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[Sgt Darkness]

I think it’s called hill descent control. Used when towing when you go down steepish hills and it is the trans down shifting versus the brakes. I recall that in the settings. My Chevy truck has a “towing” button on the gearshift that allows you to activate decent control so the trans will downshift to keep everything under control. I recall something in Sync 3 where you can activate or deactivate the hill descent control. I’ll check again when my wife finally brings the Expy home.....one of those shop till you drop deals...

 

[Oklahoma Jim]

Mine downshifts to maintain speed on the downhills. I've wondered it if applies the brakes too. I'll have to have a buddy follow me and report.

 

[Sgt Darkness]

Mine downshifts to maintain speed on the downhills. I've wondered it if applies the brakes too. I'll have to have a buddy follow me and report.

I wondered about the brakes but still think it’s all trans. Auto applying the brakes going down hill doesn’t fit in the scheme of things since descent control is to keep a person from overheating the brakes in the first place. Please pass it along if the Expy’s do have auto brakes going downhill , that would surprise me if they are.

 

[Deadman]

Theres a button on the dash for that hill decent thing. I've never used it and don't really plan on it. I can handle the transmission on big hills and/or the brakes as I live in fairly flat land. I'll have to look a little closer at that button and see if its a disable or enable button. I can only HOPE its a disable button....

 

[Deadman]

Maybe even "Eco" mode on the transmission might end this insanity?

 

[dlcorbett]

Maybe, ive never run into this type of issue in mines goin to tx, and the first hlf of the trip is all mtns. Only time it downshits goin down hill is when someone jumps in front of me.

 

[Dr0idattack]

Must be the fancier auto cruise models . I know our Mazda CX-9 does something similar with its radar cruise turned on. But my 2013 Expy will downshift aggressively in tow haul mode, and doesn’t usually need to normally. Maybe it’s a difference between a v8 and v6.


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[Deadman]

I have all that adaptive cruise control garbage shut off, I hate that stuff. We have that adaptive on my wife Ford Flex and she even hates it and turns it all off. Theres always some idiot pulling in front of you or something and the thing is either screaming at you, or worse yet slamming the brakes on and scaring you out of your skin. Its an absolutely deadly option in my opinion. Its nearly caused me to get in numerous accidents because it panics and scares everyone in the car to the point you don't know how to even react. My opinion of course........

 

[jwas1]

I finally took my 18 Expedition on a decent trip yesterday and every single time it went down a noticeable hill with the cruise control engaged, it applied the brakes and scrubbed off speed. Then as it proceeded farther down the hill, the cruise thought the speed was too low, so it tried to accelerate back up to speed and by doing so the transmission often dropped down into 9th gear to make that lost speed up. Who the **** designed something so stupid first off, and second off can I delete the braking option with the cruise engaged with forscan?

Sorry for my rant, but this is so annoying my wife even asked why it was hitting the brakes on every downhill.

Any suggestions short of never using the cruise?

I ran it with the cruise engaged and it averaged 21.6 mpg. I then ran it with the cruise off on the way home and then it made 22.8 mpg. Its clearly wasting fuel and adding unnecessary wear to the brakes and transmission!

Tha

 

[Tom T]

I have all that adaptive cruise control garbage shut off, I hate that stuff. We have that adaptive on my wife Ford Flex and she even hates it and turns it all off. Theres always some idiot pulling in front of you or something and the thing is either screaming at you, or worse yet slamming the brakes on and scaring you out of your skin. Its an absolutely deadly option in my opinion. Its nearly caused me to get in numerous accidents because it panics and scares everyone in the car to the point you don't know how to even react. My opinion of course........

you make a good point....when I said earlier, that it could be "smoother" I meant exactly this.

Well, there is still some way to go until the machines are better than the humans ;-)

 

[Deadman]

Eco mode changes nothing, its still slamming on the brakes destroying its fuel milage.
I can make over 1 full MPG just by shutting this stupid cruise control off.
I absolutely can't believe they slam the brakes on with this cruise control when they are trying to maximize MPG numbers to satisfy the EPA standards.

 

[aporthole]

Every vehicle I’ve ever owned with cruise control slows the vehicle when going downhill to maintain the set speed.

 

[Sgt Darkness]

Crazy stuff....you can adjust the sensitivity of the radar that applies the brakes when a car in front of you slams on the brakes. This sensitivity setting will slam on the brakes either sooner or later depending on your setting and has nothing to do with cruise control. The adaptive cruise control will do the same depending on how close you get to the car in front of you. The distance setting can also be set for the adaptive cruise control. If there are no cars in front of you going downhill the brakes should not engage, period, and if they do it may indicate a malfunction in the system. The trans may downshift to maintain set speed going downhill however. If my Expy were doing as yours I would have Ford check it but if Ford can’t replicate the problem you’re back to first base anyway. Frustrating big time and hope you find a resolution soon.

 

[aporthole]

Do other vehicles not slow your vehicle when going down a hill? A cop isn’t going to not pull you over because you were speeding in order improve MPGs. If my car allowed me to go over the set speed I selected, I’d be mad that it wasn’t functioning properly.