I live in Canada, and we got a bad snow storm recently. The roads were really slick and everytime i would touch the brake i would feel abs kick in and it would want to skid.

So I did something for the first time with this truck. I put my automatic transmission in manual and i downshifted so i could use the engine to slow me down. For anybody who drives big rigs, when id downshift, I used the throttle to downshift, the same way as when you use the splitter on an 18 speed. Doing it this way, I didnt get the sudden jolt to the transmission, it downshifted smoothly.

This was a one time thing and i want to know, before i go and decide to use this as a braking measure for rare times like thes (and only times like these where its extreme ice), does this harm the transmission

thanks

 

Nope, that is what manual mode is there for. What you are describing is what many folks will do when hauling trailers.

 

excellent. I was looking on google and alot of people said it hurt it. Does how im shifting it make a difference?

 

As long as your not over revving (red lining) it while downshifting! I would have to say NO...JMO

 

I've been doing it since I bought the truck in '09. No problems with my trans yet.
Lots of long hills around here.

 

haha yeah i definately dont red line it. with a 5.7 that redlines at 6000, the nighest i rev it is when dropping dow into first at 25kph, it goes to about 2200

 

I down shift my transmission into 3rd or 2nd and it hasn't any damage to the trans. I will always down shift either going up and steep hill or going down. The transmission has 150k on it.

 

I was interested to see that the trans will drop out of overdrive when in cruise going down a steep hill to help maintain speed.