Gear+ / Gear- buttons on steering wheel?

[Dean2]

Don't need adaptive cruise control and hitting the brakes on a vehicle with adaptive cruise turns it off just like regular cruise control.
The ZF transmissions are smarter than the average bear when it comes to shift management. It just needs to know what speed you want to go.


Pretty sure the cruise control in most of the vehicles I've driven have more miles logged than right foot does... LOL

You are misunderstanding what I am saying. My wifes Jeep Grand Cherokee has adaptive cruise. When it needs to slow quickly because there is someone ahead going slower, it applies the brakes itself. It will actually bring the vehicle to a complete stop, all on its own. That does not turn off or cancel the cruise. The same thing happens going down hill when it needs to hold the set speed. It does not downshift the transmission, it applies brakes, which again does not cancel the cruise like it would if you applied the brakes. To use the transmission to apply compression, it has to be down shifted using the paddles or shifter. If I run the Jeep in regular cruise, it will downshift the transmission to hold the set speed going downhill, just like my pickup does that doesn't have adaptive cruise.

 

[crash68]

You are misunderstanding what I am saying. My wifes Jeep Grand Cherokee has adaptive cruise. When it needs to slow quickly because there is someone ahead going slower, it applies the brakes itself. It will actually bring the vehicle to a complete stop, all on its own. That does not turn off or cancel the cruise.

Don't know where your wife's Jeep popped up in the conversation, and we discussing how cruise control will utilize the transmission downshifting to maintain the set speed. No adaptive cruise needed for the transmission to downshift to maintain with cruise control.

On a side note with adaptive cruise if the vehicle is stopped long enough it supposed to disengage itself.

 

[RamDiver]

Pretty sure the cruise control in most of the vehicles I've driven have more miles logged than right foot does... LOL

On my truck, most definitely but from what I see daily from others, not in my hood.

The only behaviour that will encourage me to pass sooner rather than later is the famous can't maintain a constant speed.

Sometimes, drivers appear to be so proficient at NOT keeping a set speed, you have to wonder, are they trying to make everyone around them crazy? LOL

.

 

[Dean2]

Don't know where your wife's Jeep popped up in the conversation, and we discussing how cruise control will utilize the transmission downshifting to maintain the set speed. No adaptive cruise needed for the transmission to downshift to maintain with cruise control.

On a side note with adaptive cruise if the vehicle is stopped long enough it supposed to disengage itself.

Let me try this one more time

Adaptive cruise, transmission does NOT DOWNSHIFT to hold speed it uses the brakes, unless the pickups work different than the Jeep. I have not driven a Ram pickup with adaptive cruise, only the old style regular cruise.

With NO adaptive cruise, just using the old style regular cruise, the transmission WILL downshift to hold speed.

Is there something about that you disagree with?

 

[crash68]

Is there something about that you disagree with?

Yes, your the one that brought adaptive cruise into the conversation. I never mentioned or eludded to adaptive cruise control.
As for how adaptive cruise work, yes it capable of downshifting the transmission to control speed but it will also apply the brake if the need arises. The main difference between when it uses brakes vs downshifting is if it's a another vehicle within the tracking distance causing the need for slowing the vehicle. If there is not vehicle within tracking range and the speed is exceeded the vehicle will engine brake with transmission downshifting to meet the set speed.
There is also the option to turn the "adaptive" part of the cruise control off.

 

[longhornray]

i did a lot of research.. can't find a clear answer.
some people say its so you can see what gear you're in.
some people say its for you to change what gear you're in.


ideas? i accidentally pressed it once while driving and the display said D7 or something like that. couldn't tell if the engine sounded different.

is it 'bad' for the engine to accidently press these buttons if you're going 65 mph ?

The next time you go down a steep grade, with or without a trailer, and you want to not exceed a speed, say 65 MPH. Just hit those + and - buttons and watch what happens.
It is meant to control your downhill speed. I love this function when traveling through the Rockies. Hope this helps.

 

[BenchTest]

The next time you go down a steep grade, with or without a trailer, and you want to not exceed a speed, say 65 MPH. Just hit those + and - buttons and watch what happens.
It is meant to control your downhill speed. I love this function when traveling through the Rockies. Hope this helps.

While it does provide that benefit, that's not the design intended purpose of gear limiting (as previously explained in this thread). I too use it in this capacity when traversing the Rockies. It's great for ascents/descents.

 

[mikeru]

Yes, your the one that brought adaptive cruise into the conversation. I never mentioned or eludded to adaptive cruise control.
As for how adaptive cruise work, yes it capable of downshifting the transmission to control speed but it will also apply the brake if the need arises. The main difference between when it uses brakes vs downshifting is if it's a another vehicle within the tracking distance causing the need for slowing the vehicle. If there is not vehicle within tracking range and the speed is exceeded the vehicle will engine brake with transmission downshifting to meet the set speed.
There is also the option to turn the "adaptive" part of the cruise control off.

Actually, ACC uses the brakes in both scenarios you mentioned. We have ACC in three of the four vehicles we currently own ('20 Ram 1500, '23 Audi A4 Allroad, '23 Audi S5), and all three behave this way. I've verified this many times using the mirrors and looking for brake lights when it's dark enough to see them. If the Ram ever uses the transmission to slow down when using ACC I've never noticed it.

 

[co-pilot]

I always just back out put in drive hit +7 and drive....only time I put in +8 is when going over 90mph & that's almost never..