Engine braking unexpected behavior

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BighornBoy

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Internal Combustion
Can anyone help me understand how my transmission is behaving?

I'm stopped at the top of a steep hill in a residential neighborhood (paved road). I put the transmission in "manual" 1st gear and take my foot off the brake. The truck moves forward and starts to descend and reaches about 9 mph and 1000 rpm. It stays at that speed for about 5-10 seconds, then there's a sudden surge and the rpm's go up to 2500 or so and the vehicle speeds up (to maybe 20mph). It's a distinct change when this happens that feels as though the vehicle changed gears, but the gauges say it's still in first gear.

This behavior annoys me because I actually want it to stay at 9mph, and the sudden "shift" to a faster speed causes me to have to apply the brakes. My intent was to have the engine restrain the vehicle's speed without having to brake.

Is there a way to tell the vehicle to do what I want?
 

Travelin Ram

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Common problem with newer drive by wire engines. My Power Wagon does the same. Had a 2020 Chevy do it also.

It’s annoying on pavement, and dangerous if you’re on a slick off-road descent.

Some idiots in the programming team decided something else such as emissions are more important than giving the driver control of the throttle.
 
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BighornBoy

BighornBoy

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Thanks, I guess it's reassuring that it isn't a problem with just my vehicle. But yeah, drive by wire sucks. Instead of controlling the car I'm just giving it a suggestion and then it goes ahead and does whatever it wants.
 

MADDOG

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That doesn't sound right. My 2017 never did that.

The transmission should hold the gear it is in when in Manual mode unless the RPMs get to the redline at which time it will shift to protect the engine from over revving.

Maybe they have it set to shift at a certain MPH but that would be the wrong damn thing to do, IMHO.
 
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