Comfortmatic and Engine Braking

SteveLaw
SteveLaw Club Member Posts: 8
in Motorhomes #1

I’ve always very uncertain as to how to go about descending down long steep downhill stretches. When I leave the motorhome (we have a 2022 Benimar based on a Ducato chassis with the comfortmatic transmission) in auto the rev counter goes mad and I have to intervene by sitting on the brakes which is not very good. So would I be better at the start of the downhill stretch to flip it over into manual and ideally select a similar gear to that that the auto selected to go up the steep stretch and lift my foot and let engine braking take the motorhome down the steep bit. Maybe dipping the brake every now and again to stay in that gear.

Comments

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 23,438
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    #2

    It’s what the annual function is for. Better to use that than to cook your brakes.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 23,438
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    #3

    Annual - annual? Flaming auto correct😤. It’s 'manual'.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 14,095
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    #4
    https://clubtogether.caravanclub.co.uk/discussion/comment/873289#Comment_873289

    Just once a year then?😁😁

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 23,438
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    #5

    🤪🤪🤪

  • bill
    bill Club Member Posts: 396
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    #6

    Yes use the manual facility. How do you find the Comfortmatic gearbox ? I am used to Auto gearboxes but the things I find the most annoying with the Comfortmatic are the lack of a parking facility and no 'creep' when on tickover. How about you ?

  • LLM
    LLM Forum Participant Posts: 1,585
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    edited February 25 #7
    https://clubtogether.caravanclub.co.uk/discussion/409372/comfortmatic-and-engine-braking

    I have always liked the way the comfortmatic down selects to make use of the engine braking. It has always been good in the mountainous regions we visits in Europe. It saves cooking your brakes and if you think it has dropped down to much with a flick of the lever you can move the box up a gear. Just make sure you get the fluid changed regularly and the kiss point reset to prevent your joining the "comfortmatic failure club", which can be expensive to say the least.

  • LLM
    LLM Forum Participant Posts: 1,585
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    #8

    Are you sure you have "Comfortmatic" ? I would have thought that a 2022 vehicle would have the later "real" six speed auto.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 23,438
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    #9

    Good point. Our 2020 and 2021 Ducatos both had the TC auto box. I thought they were more than 6 speed but can’t be sure now.

    However, it’s not unheard of for MH converters to have vans for quite a while before they get around to converting them and selling them on to dealers who, in turn, might have them on their forecourts for a long time before finally selling and registering them.

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