Grade braking

[2liter]

I have a 16 Silverado with the 5.3, 6 speed and 3.08 gears. I just purchased a travel trailer with a max weight of 3500 pounds. My first long trip will be to Michigan through Tennessee. I have never towed a trailer through mountains and I am not sure how the grade braking works. Monteagle is a little intimidating, so any advice and wisdom from experience is appreciated.

[Waaazooo]

I have a 16 Silverado with the 5.3, 6 speed and 3.08 gears. I just purchased a travel trailer with a max weight of 3500 pounds. My first long trip will be to Michigan through Tennessee. I have never towed a trailer through mountains and I am not sure how the grade braking works. Monteagle is a little intimidating, so any advice and wisdom from experience is appreciated.

It just automatic in tow mode I believe. It just down shifts to save your brakes.

 

 

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[LongrangeLauber]

You do have trailer brakes on that thing correct?

[powerhaulic]

Grade braking does nothing but downshift the transmission, often I will turn it off.

If your truck does not have factory brake controller you need to get a good one and adjust the gain to you liking for the trailer being towed.

[Dnt]

The grade braking simply uses the engine to help slow the vehicle it is a useful feature and is just in addition to your trucks regular brakes and of course the trailer brakes. Monteagle is not all that bad as far as grade the biggest issue is other drivers that want to speed demon around you like the morons that they are. My advice would be to stay in the right hand lane as much as possible / keep the grade braking active to help save your brakes / set your trailer brake controller so it is evenly matched with your truck brakes and simply keep your speed down. You will be fine as you are nowhere near max tow capacity on your truck.

[2liter]

Thanks all. Yes the trailer has breaks

[Donstar]

I have a 16 Silverado with the 5.3, 6 speed and 3.08 gears. I just purchased a travel trailer with a max weight of 3500 pounds. My first long trip will be to Michigan through Tennessee. I have never towed a trailer through mountains and I am not sure how the grade braking works. Monteagle is a little intimidating, so any advice and wisdom from experience is appreciated.

MyFavTruck said it very well. I just want to emphasize the point of driving at a speed comfortable for you. Don't worry about what other drivers are thinking about your driving and periodically pull over to let the people behind you pass. Your confidence will improve over time.

[newdude]

Two levels.

 

Powertrain grade braking. This is on all the time unless you hold the tow/haul button for 5-7 seconds.

 

Tow/Haul grade braking. Much stronger/more aggressive form of powertrain grade braking. Helps when slowing heavy loads/trailers.

 

Your case I would experiment a bit. Hills, leave Tow/Haul on and in D. You can experiment with the M/L range shift if you want but it does turn all grade braking off.

 

I'd leave it on flat ground as well as the 3.08 gears with a load you will never touch 6th gear with it off IMO. 5th gear is a good sweet spot with 3.08.

[Krusty]

When in T/H and cruise it will grade brake - towing or not.

 

Or shift to M and manual down shift anytime - towing or not.....

 

Worked much more aggressively with my Duramax - but the 6.2L does try.........

 

[Dale L]

What triggers the grade braking to activate?

[redwngr]

Normal Mode Grade Braking

If equipped with a gasoline engine

and an automatic transmission,

Normal Mode Grade Braking is

enabled when the vehicle is started,

but is not enabled in Range

Selection Mode. It assists in

maintaining desired vehicle speeds

when driving on downhill grades by

using the engine and transmission

to slow the vehicle. The first time

the system engages for each

ignition key cycle, a DIC message

will be displayed. See Transmission

Messages 0 152.

To disable or enable Normal Mode

Grade Braking within the current

ignition key cycle, press and hold

the Tow/Haul button for

five seconds. When the button is

released, the requested mode

change is made. A DIC message

displays. See Transmission

Messages pg 152.

For other forms of grade braking,

see Tow/Haul Mode 0 273 and

Cruise Control pg 287

Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking

Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking is

only enabled while the Tow/Haul

Mode is selected and the vehicle is

not in the Range Selection Mode.

See “Tow/Haul Mode” listed

previously and Manual Mode 0 270.

Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking

assists in maintaining desired

vehicle speeds when driving on

downhill grades by using the engine

and transmission to slow the

vehicle.

If equipped, on vehicles with a

gasoline engine, to disable or

enable Tow/Haul Grade Braking

within the current ignition key cycle,

press and hold the Tow/Haul button

for five seconds. When the button is

released, the requested mode

change is made. A DIC message is

displayed. See Transmission

Messages 0 152.

On vehicles with a diesel engine,

Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking can

be enabled or disabled by pressing

the Tow/Haul Mode button. Use the

exhaust brake and Tow/Haul Mode

for maximum grade braking.

Using Cruise Control on Hills

How well the cruise control works

on hills depends on the vehicle

speed, the load, and the steepness

of the hills. When going up steep

hills, pressing the accelerator pedal

may be necessary to maintain

vehicle speed.

While going downhill:

. Vehicles with a 6-speed

automatic transmission and a

gasoline engine have Cruise

Grade Braking to help maintain

driver selected speed.

Cruise Grade Braking is enabled

when the vehicle is started and

cruise control is active. It is not

enabled in Range Selection

Mode. It assists in maintaining

driver selected speed when

driving on downhill grades by

using the engine and

transmission to slow the vehicle.

To disable and enable Cruise

Grade Braking for the current

ignition key cycle, press and

hold the Tow/Haul button for

five seconds. A DIC message

displays. See Transmission

Messages 0 152.

. Vehicles with a diesel engine

have Cruise Grade Braking

enabled when Tow/Haul Mode is

on, the exhaust brake is on,

or both are on.

[Mark Diedrich]

I have a 16 Silverado with the 5.3, 6 speed and 3.08 gears. I just purchased a travel trailer with a max weight of 3500 pounds. My first long trip will be to Michigan through Tennessee. I have never towed a trailer through mountains and I am not sure how the grade braking works. Monteagle is a little intimidating, so any advice and wisdom from experience is appreciated.

[Mark Diedrich]

It looks like you have never towed on steep grades...... So here is a little info for you in case you don't already know.

If you find yourself having to use your brakes to slow down going down hill, then you need to downshift until you don't...... If your braking on and off all the time down hill you will smoke your brakes, and then you won't have any brakes and wreck..... Be smart, and let your engine do the braking for you.

Good luck

[Krusty]

The manual section quoted abpve is exactly what I said - in far less words........

 

When in T/H and cruise it will grade brake - towing or not.

 

Or shift to M and manual down shift anytime - towing or not.....

 

Worked much more aggressively with my Duramax - but the 6.2L does try.........

 

[Dale L]

redwngr if the wall of text was for me I have read the manual. My question is what actually causes the grade braking to engage, what triggers it to do a downshift?