Hi, I have towed my trailer for over ten years with my 2000 Lincoln Navigator. Engine braking was never a problem. Most all hills went without ever touching my brakes and some longer steeper hills I had to touch my brakes a few times.


Now with a 3.5 L engine compared to my 5.4L engine, I have to use my brakes more than I like to, but not more than I expected. Dropping down to 3rd gear helps, but isn't enough. I found on my last trip that I could lock out 3rd gear manually if I reduced my down hill speed to under 60 MPH. Now going down hills in second gear saves my brakes.


I'm sure many of you have already figured this out, but this information might help someone who hasn't.

 

Are you using tow/haul mode? It changed the shift points for more engine braking. While I don't use it on the flats but I do when I am up in the mountains. I just tap the brake pedal and it will down shift and keep it there until I decide I'm still going too fast and tap again.

 

Hi, yes, I always use tow / haul when towing. [and sometimes without towing] At highway / freeway speeds it will only drop down to 3rd gear. Under 60 MPH you can lock out 3rd gear manually. Otherwise to get a 2nd gear down shift in tow / haul mode you have to slow down to around 40 MPH.


Between 60 and 65 MPH is my max speed for going down grades. Too many people have lost control by going down hill too fast.

 

The engine braking is a major downfall of the smaller turbo engines. The pump which is what an engine is during engine braking is smaller. The 5.0 has a definate advantage in engine braking.