tankerton

dodge ram 2005 2500 5.9diesel 48re box

my vehicle is fitted with an exhaust brake flap, in turbo elbow, activated by air cylinder fed from blow side of turbo.

we tow a 5th wheel England /Europe

i would like to know
1. how i can tell when the exhaust brake is on and if the torque converter is locked in.
2. i have read that the torque conveter need 'a box of tricks' to lock it in.
3. if i look under dash what am i looking for
4. exhaust brake is activated when tow haul is activated.
5. exhaust brake wiring and fitments look like a professional job as proper connection are used. and is wired into loom.
6. i am a bit concerned about using it with this box, as having read up on it, but still not being able to identify my exact set up.
7. if using on big downward hills, i put it into 2nd gear as revs seem to stay constant.
8. this is an automatic box and in England we are nearly all manual, so a bit unsure.
any help gladly received
Steve

Danavilla

Not certain how it was setup in England. Typically in US, some sort of device is required to lock up the TC when the brake is applied or it just slips instead of slowing you down. Not much better than no brake at all. Several controls are available from BD, Banks, Jacobs, PacBrake, etc. and even a "mystery switch" will do the job. The brake is generally activated by a vacuum pump and actuator or air compressor and cylinder.

Somewhere in the electrical system there should be a switch to turn it on/off.

Your Tow/Haul will help with lock-up and if the brake is activating with it everything may be OK. You should be able to hear a change in exhaust sound when the brake activates.

NJMurvin

I have a Pacbrake and, like Danavilla said, it uses a compressor to actuate the braking. It was not until the 2006 model year that Dodge made the automatic transmissions compatible with EBs from the factory. I believe the Jacobs branded brake was available directly from Dodge (my brother has that one - which uses a vacuum pump to actuate braking). Our earlier model year trucks require some method of achieving lockup for the EB Mine came with logic board that gets installed as part of the kit. It does a great job of sensing when to lock up the TC and apply the EB. I use it all the time (even when not towing) to save on brakes. However, when running around town unhooked, I always use tow-haul mode with EB on (which for me just turns overdrive off) because I don't care for the way it shifts in OD mode with the EB turned on. Mine has a toggle switch with a tiny LED on the end of it. You can toggle the EB on/off and, when on, the LED glows red when the TC is unlocked and green when it's locked. If you let off the go pedal when it's green, the EB kicks in. There's no mistaking the feeling/sound when that happens.

When hauling my 5er, I can't say enough how GREAT the EB is to use. I will never tow heavy without one again.

tankerton

Thankyou both for your replies.
i have no switch, but when you press the tow haul button the exhaust brake works above 30mph. the rev counter shows the revs staying locked in, so i suppose this must be locking in the torque converter.
the truck was built in 2005 and then shipped straight to England, so i am assuming it was factory fitted.
any more information gladly received.
Steve

Danavilla

US 2006 models were approved for use with Jacobs exhaust brakes because of modifications to the automatic transmission and electronic modules. On mine the dealer installed the brake, perhaps because it was a showroom model that hadn't been ordered with an e-brake. The Jacobs uses a vacuum pump that is belt driven and had a switch mounted on the shift lever. The tow haul switch on the '06 also has a separate function as a OD lockout feature. Tow Haul changes some trans. functions, including shift points and TC lockup so it may be performing lockup and release in conjunction with your brake. From your description, it would seem to be working.