AttilaTheHun

I absolutely love the exhaust brake feature on my 2010, however I can't seem to figure out the +/- feature on my shift lever witht auto transmission. I have my tow/haul mode on as well as the exhaust brake but whenever I push the +/- feature while exiting off the interstate, nothing seems to happen. This might be a stupid question for most and I apologize for my ignorance but the dealership didn't even know how to work it. Can someone please explain to me how you engage this feature and how it works. Thanks in advance.

Totallyrad

Does your truck have the factory installed electric brake control?

92'1stGen

Do you have it in "D" or "+/-" on the shift lever? I would figure that the ability to change gears anytime you want only works when you have the shift lever in "+/-".

AttilaTheHun

I do have the electric brake controller and I also try to put in into the +/- on the shift lever but it won't go there.

67guzzler

I'm most intrigued by this thread...

Blake Clark

When you have it in "D" and you hit the +/- it should throw the gear indicator to the right and show which gear you are currently in. You must hit the "-" button to activate the selectable gear switching. When starting off you can put it on gear "1" and upshift using the + for each gear change. You can also do the same thing downshifting to give the engine a higher RPM range to make the exhaust brake more effective.

Another way to use it is for setting the highest gear that the tranny will shift into. For example, when towing a heavy load and not wanting the tranny to shift higher than fourth gear, place the numerical indicator on "4" and the tranny will not shift above 4th gear, normal upshift and downshift up to 4th gear will remain the same.

If you are driving along using the auto/shift function and want to revert back to the standard D mode, just mash the "+" button until "D" comes up. If you are driving along in "D" and want to use the auto shift mash the "-" button and the gear indicator will come up.

The +/- selector has nothing to do with exhaust brake control other than allowing you to keep your truck in a lower gear effectively raising the rpm's and in turn the effectiveness of the exhaust brake.


The 68RE has three basic modes of operation, regardless of exhaust brake function.

1. Standard operation "D", tranny operates normally.
2. Tow/Haul Mode, tranny uses a set point vs engine load and rpm to maximize effectiveness when towing. It will not shift into overdrive until its needed. Downshifts will be roughter to gain engine rpms to help the exhaust brake function when needed.
3. Auto/select, this lets you choose when and how the tranny shifts.

67guzzler

Great summation.

I'd only add that in #3 above, range select doesn't actually allow you to set the gear you're in --

MY UNDERSTANDING: Range Select just allows you to set the highest gear the transmission MAY go in. You can thus use it to force downshifts but not the reverse. The truck still decides when to shift. So if you select 5 from a stoplight, you're still starting in 1st....

Is that wrong? I haven't been able to "force" an upshift. I've "allowed" an upshift when the tranny already wanted to upshift by upping the upper limit. But if it DIDN'T want to shift, it would have stayed in the same gear.

Blake Clark

Not wrong, but you could, at a stoplight, put it in 1 and shift it upwards as you want, then downshift it all the way back to 1.

67guzzler

But it doesn't necessarily shift to the next gear, does it? I mean, if i'm in 2nd and I bump to 5th, it's not going to go there. It's just limited up to 5th, right?

I could be way off here. I thought that's the difference between a "range select" and a "steptronic or tiptronic or autostick."

Blake Clark

Your are right, I just think we are looking at it from two different point of views.


I more so meant that you could hold it in each gear for as long as you wanted ie...

Hold it in 1st, shift, hold it in 2nd, shift, etc......

You cant make it upshift more than one gear at a time, like you said, you cant go from 2nd to 5th as with a true standard.

67guzzler

Cools. Sorry if nit-picky.

I think the range select is really cool when bringing the rig to a stop because you can keep the rpm's high while the exhaust brake is implemented for maximum braking power...

Blake Clark

No, not nit picky at all....

All good info

roger.t

I may have read it wrong but just to clarify. The 2010 does not have the same gear indicators as older model dodges. its a digital numerical display in the small box on the rite.

Blake Clark

This is true but they function the same dont they....

Havent used your yet.

roger.t

this is true.
from what i can tel they work the same. just holds it in a chosen gear for as long as u want it to.