Interesting Discovery While Using Cruise Control

[DunChasnPyro]

JTRD with a Mopar lift and 35 x 12.5 x 17 tires and Tazer with the speedometer adjusted. I really like this Gladiator. I live in and normally drive in a mildly hilly area. I frequently drive a 2 lane highway with quite a few ups and downs and large dips. Nothing drastically steep. I also like to use cruise control. Speeds are 70 mph or so. While using cruise, the transmission would downshift to 7th often on mild inclines. I could get it to hold 8th longer if I shifted to manual mode but it was not much better than while in D. I felt like my Diesel Jeep should be holding 8th better. While driving yesterday on this very highway, traffic caused me to disengage cruise control. What I found was the transmission would hold 8th much longer with the cruise control disengaged. I could easily maintain my speed, easily accelerate on inclines without the transmission downshifting. Downshifting did occur when it seemed appropriate. Has anyone else experienced this? And why would there be a different shifting protocol while in cruise? Maybe my Gladiator is uniquely unique

Sponsored

 

[Cripton805]

JTRD with a Mopar lift and 35 x 12.5 x 17 tires and Tazer with the speedometer adjusted. I really like this Gladiator. I live in and normally drive in a mildly hilly area. I frequently drive a 2 lane highway with quite a few ups and downs and large dips. Nothing drastically steep. I also like to use cruise control. Speeds are 70 mph or so. While using cruise, the transmission would downshift to 7th often on mild inclines. I could get it to hold 8th longer if I shifted to manual mode but it was not much better than while in D. I felt like my Diesel Jeep should be holding 8th better. While driving yesterday on this very highway, traffic caused me to disengage cruise control. What I found was the transmission would hold 8th much longer with the cruise control disengaged. I could easily maintain my speed, easily accelerate on inclines without the transmission downshifting. Downshifting did occur when it seemed appropriate. Has anyone else experienced this? And why would there be a different shifting protocol while in cruise? Maybe my Gladiator is uniquely unique

If I were to guess, it's probably the wheel / tire combo. It was programmed to get the best MPG on cruise control. Does everything for you. The wheels probably throw it off.

 

[brianinca]

What's the aversion to shifting gears, I see this comment both on manuals and automatics. That's what the transmission is for? Heck, for manuals, that's the reason for the entertainment factor!

Sponsored