How to turn off engine steep grade braking?

ShamrockShooter · August 26, 2019

I go down a steep hill regularly and the truck kicks into engine grade brake mode where it spikes the rpms to slow the truck down. It is really annoying and not needed in my situation. On my 16 Silverado i used to push and hold the tow haul button for 10 seconds to turn it off. How do I do this on the new 19? I looked at the manual but don't see anything. Maybe I just don't know what this feature is called to find it in the manual.

Thanks.

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OHDenali · August 26, 2019

I guess you could turn off Tow Haul. From the manual:

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 Manual Mode 0 234. 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

Sin City Trail Boss · August 26, 2019

Mine only does it if tow/haul mode is ON.

oldmann · August 26, 2019

7 hours ago, ShamrockShooter said:

I go down a steep hill regularly and the truck kicks into engine grade brake mode where it spikes the rpms to slow the truck down. It is really annoying and not needed in my situation. On my 16 Silverado i used to push and hold the tow haul button for 10 seconds to turn it off. How do I do this on the new 19? I looked at the manual but don't see anything. Maybe I just don't know what this feature is called to find it in the manual.

Thanks.

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Good question! Does this only happen when using cruise control?

BlancoSilverado · August 26, 2019

I have the same nuisance, cruise control is off, in normal drive mode, but mine only does it if i rest my foot on the brake(pretty much just the light and not actually braking yet). it would jump from 1500rpm to 2100rpm and stays there. Idk if you can turn that off. But i would like to know for normal daily driving.

rikhek · August 26, 2019

I'd be surprised if you guys weren't familiar with the "Hill Descent Control" feature. It surely sounds like that's what you're experiencing and talking about, however again, I'd be really shocked if you were ignorant specific to this feature. Here's a description and functional explanation just in case you guys just aren't aware. This video is for a 17 truck but it's the same for the new trucks except the button is in a different location. On my AT4 it's nestled in the row of buttons at the bottom of the center stack

ShamrockShooter · August 26, 2019

Mine would be in regular drive mode. Intermittent braking starting down hill then Rpms would Spike to about 3,000 and would hang there forever. It's a long straight stretch after hill so just want to coast and pick up speed, not sit there going 45 mph at 3k rpm. My 16 would do the exact same thing, just there was a button to turn it off.

Only other thing I can think of is to put it in sport mode?

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ShamrockShooter · August 26, 2019

Also don't think it's hill descent control since I'm going like 45 mph. Thought hill decent button was for slow speed off road crawling down a hill.

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OHDenali · August 26, 2019

1 hour ago, ShamrockShooter said:

Also don't think it's hill descent control since I'm going like 45 mph. Thought hill decent button was for slow speed off road crawling down a hill.

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You are correct. Hill Decent Control is for slow speed/off road. There is a switch for that and if you flip it above 25 mph or so there's a msg on the info display.

Just curious what engine/drivetrain you are running.

Edited August 26, 2019 by OHDenali

ShamrockShooter · August 26, 2019

You are correct. Hill Decent Control is for slow speed/off road. There is a switch for that and if you flip it above 25 mph or so there's a msg on the info display.

Just curious what engine/drivetrain you are running.

5.3 8 speed trail boss.

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mikedeezxxx · August 27, 2019

It will engine brake going downhill if you have your foot on the brake. If you don’t hover the brake while going downhill, it shouldn’t be kicking on. And when it does kick on, you can easily tap the gas pedal and it will shut off. Just don’t ride the brakes going downhill.

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ShamrockShooter · August 27, 2019

It will engine brake going downhill if you have your foot on the brake. If you don’t hover the brake while going downhill, it shouldn’t be kicking on. And when it does kick on, you can easily tap the gas pedal and it will shut off. Just don’t ride the brakes going downhill.

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Right, but the old trucks had a way to turn it off, that is what I'm trying to figure out on the new generation.

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mikedeezxxx · August 28, 2019

I dont think you can turn it off my man. Maybe with hp tuners or something?

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coryb3006 · August 10, 2021

I have a 2021 6.2L that does the same thing. Has anyone figured out if it's possible to have it stop? I live in North Arkansas and go down steep hills daily.

Edited August 10, 2021 by coryb3006

Anacortes Army Guy · August 10, 2021

9 hours ago, coryb3006 said:

I have a 2021 6.2L that does the same thing. Has anyone figured out if it's possible to have it stop? I live in North Arkansas and go down steep hills daily.

As one of the above responses from 27 August 2019 states, repeated application of the brake pedal while heading downhill causes the transmission to downshift (so you don't need to apply the brakes), but reapplying the accelerator in that situation causes the transmission, or at least on my 8 speed, to upshift and gain speed again. In the owners manual for my 2020 LT it's referred to as a "shift stabilization feature," and I find it very handy as I don't have to constantly apply the brake pedal to maintain a certain speed.