Well, that "L" button is pretty useless,,,

[knightgr3]

I'm in northern new england (NH) and use tow/haul a good bit to help control descents. I've found that if I've got cruise set, the system will allow 5mph over the set speed before more aggresively shifting down and using the RPMs to hold at 5 over. My understanding is that turbos like revving far more than lugging so I've never been daunted by the higher RPMs.

Sponsored

 

[Superg0]

Will give that a try the next time.

HRG

Tow/Haul mode sounds like a good alternative to not having sport mode in a FX4. Wonder if it improves acceleration? The very few times I had it on things felt sporty.

 

[Snox801]

So besides the noise, it had a negligible effect on your speed?

I am curious how the 8-speed handles grades like that when a cruise control speed is set. My last car was the first one I ever owned with any kind of "grade logic" where it would downshift by itself to try and hold a speed. Worked pretty well, but as an NA V6, it probably had a lot more compression braking ability than a turbo I4 theoretically designed for 87 octane...

I just hauled about a max load for the maverick in my enclosed trailer though the mountains. Engine braking worked pretty well slowing me down and keeping at 68mph up and down hills. But was using tow haul

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Think it's mostly for a car wash.

Neutral -L is totally different than Drive, (normal, eco, slippery, etc) -L. In neutral the L is a 30 minute timer to hold back the drop into park when you exit vehicle)

 

[bluesteel]

So it does EXACTLY what it says it does in the manual, yet here's a thread exclaiming it 'doesn't do much of anything'. There's nothing wrong with high RPM's, especially when engine braking, so I'm amused that it 'scared' you.

The adaptive cruise in my EB Lariat holds speed up and down hills just fine. Tow mode downshifts more to help retard speed on downhills. I don't see a problem with any of it.

My thoughts exactly, as to L and tow/haul (I do not have ACC). My only complaint about "L" is not having enough control over exactly what it's doing, in comparison to a manual shift mode or paddles. In general it seems to work well for what's intended.

That's interesting. Why would Ford have a difference in this behavior between the two systems? We have, and had, much older vehicles that maintain their cruise speed down hills.

There isn't a difference, or at least shouldn't be. The "regular" cruise I have maintains downhill speeds by downshifting, though very steep slopes will require user intervention!

Tow/Haul mode sounds like a good alternative to not having sport mode in a FX4. Wonder if it improves acceleration? The very few times I had it on things felt sporty.

Quite the opposite. It has a general tendency to reduce and/or delays shifts in both directions.

 

[MM Mav]

I used the L button on some 7-9% grades for the first time this week.
I was behind a Hyundai Santa Cruz when I first pressed the L button and thought their turbo was spooling up to keep up with the descent. Turns out that awful revving/high RPM noise was coming from my Hybrid engine.
I was not a fan of how my truck sounded with L engaged on these grades, so I deactivated it.
I didn't think to try Tow/Haul mode to see how that affected the drive.

 

[breal]

Personally, I use Slippery mode with "L" to go up a 10-16% gravel hill at a crawl at our woods. Plus I use Hill Descent on the way back down- always feels solid.

 

[Cyberwiz64]

This is Ford's official word on this.

https://www.ford.com/support/vehicl...e-vehicle-topics/6313594499112?name=undefined

 

[Mavtremor24]

LOLS
At 75mph my Miata is pushing about 4200 RPMs. I don't usually drive the car much faster than that but it has been up to 90mph once or twice...

The computer won't let you over-rev the engine. Even my 91 Taurus SHO would cut spark/ fuel at the 7200 RPMs redline, and the computers are much better now.

This comment makes me miss my 94 sho 5 speed.. The sound that yamaha v six made when the secondary butterfly valves opened up is almost as pretty as the voodoo the gt350 has...almost!!

 

[NedF]

That's interesting. Why would Ford have a difference in this behavior between the two systems? We have, and had, much older vehicles that maintain their cruise speed down hills.

Different types of ICE (The 2.5L Atkinson cycle engine has lower compression ratio than the 2.0L) and transmissions (eCVT has 2 electric motor generators). The Hybrid maximizes regenerative braking in "L" before starting the engine to utilize compression braking. I have tried it a couple of times on my drive home from work but the "L" mode is a little too aggressive for the slop of the hill so I have to turn it off after about 10 seconds to keep my speed at the posted limit.

 

[ejgroth2620]

'24 Lariat EB AWD, found myself on a winding downhill stretch of road in PA this week, signed at 9% grade. Figured this was as good a time as any to try the L-button and see if there was any compression braking available, damn did the rpm's shoot up to 5k+! It certainly doesn't drop just 1 or 2 gears,,,,,,

HRG

How fast were you traveling when you engaged "L"? The faster you're going, the higher the RPM's will be initially.

 

[Tim d]

'24 Lariat EB AWD, found myself on a winding downhill stretch of road in PA this week, signed at 9% grade. Figured this was as good a time as any to try the L-button and see if there was any compression braking available, damn did the rpm's shoot up to 5k+! It certainly doesn't drop just 1 or 2 gears,,,,,,

HRG

We noticed on a recent trip with a steep downgrade in our Maverick there was a lot of engine braking using just D mode.

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

How fast were you traveling when you engaged "L"? The faster you're going, the higher the RPM's will be initially.

about 40mph. On the interstate (which is limited to 6% max grade) the cruise control did a good job of maintaining set speed.

HRG

 

[sapperforward]

'24 Lariat EB AWD, found myself on a winding downhill stretch of road in PA this week, signed at 9% grade. Figured this was as good a time as any to try the L-button and see if there was any compression braking available, damn did the rpm's shoot up to 5k+! It certainly doesn't drop just 1 or 2 gears,,,,,,

HRG

Isn't that button next to the auto start stop for down hills?

 

[sapperforward]

this is a great thread!
my commute to work 5X a week is over a 10% pass. I was really bumped that the mav. was not a stick shift. for years i swore i would not buy a vehicle that was not.

anyway i am in my slow season so i have only been over the pass a cpl times and there not much snow and ice, however i'll give both a try the L and tow/haul a try and see what works best for a long descent.

so far the regen. is working pretty good but when there is more weather i'll deff. need to be at slower speeds.

If you have the Fx4 you have a button next to the auto start stop disable button for hill descent ( not sure if it's on all of the mavericks ) I'm in a lariat lux Fx4 EB AWD

Sponsored