Exhaust/Engine Brake, or lack of

How powerful of an exhaust brake should be expected for a 3.0L engine? I’m guessing it should be noticeable but nothing like a 6.6L duramax.
 
That’s true it’s a 3L engine in a half ton. But it shouldn’t be called an engine brake. Makes people think it’s got one lol.
 
Leo said:
It should a least as good as the 2.8 minimax in the Colorado.
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And what's that one like? Anybody here have any actual experience? Does it have the same towing capacity? If I had to choose between pulling power and MPG or engine braking, I'd go for for the first two. The 2.8 is a wannabe Duramax in a wannabe truck.
 
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Mooseman said:
And what's that one like? Anybody here have any actual experience? Does it have the same towing capacity? If I had to choose between pulling power and MPG or engine braking, I'd go for for the first two. The 2.8 is a wannabe Duramax in a wannabe truck.
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I owned a 2016 2.8 Colorado for 3 years and pulled the same trailer that I now pull with the 3.0.
So I base my experience with actual use. The Colorado had a much better exhaust brake system, it worked so well that the members on the Colorado forum complained about as being to harsh. Their feelings was that it would over speed the engine, even if it was within GM guide lines. I don't think many of them pulled trailers in the mountains.
I get about 1 Mpg better in the 3.0 pulling the trailer.
The only reason I got rid of the Colorado was driver comfort. I stand 6foot 3 inches weight 240 and I am 75 years old with arthritis of the spine, the seat sucks in the Colorado.
 
Leo said:
The only reason I got rid of the Colorado was driver comfort. I stand 6foot 3 inches weight 240 and I am 75 years old with arthritis of the spine, the seat sucks in the Colorado.
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I hear you. I'm 6'2" 265 Lbs and 57 years old. I can still fit in my '07 TrailBlazer no problem but just wanted a full size to tow with. The leg and head room in the Sierra is awesome.

Engine braking aside, it's still an awesome engine to tow with. My experience with the engine braking on the 3.0 is meh. It would downshift only in cruise and if it was actually going downhill and accelerating on its own. It might also be using the inclinometer to activate it. Although I haven't hit any really heavy grades with it yet, it does seem to prevent accelerating any further. Maybe they've toned down engine braking due to constant noise complaints and signs everywhere to not use it. What was the engine braking noise like in the Colorado?
 
Mooseman said:
I hear you. I'm 6'2" 265 Lbs and 57 years old. I can still fit in my '07 TrailBlazer no problem but just wanted a full size to tow with. The leg and head room in the Sierra is awesome.

Engine braking aside, it's still an awesome engine to tow with. My experience with the engine braking on the 3.0 is meh. It would downshift only in cruise and if it was actually going downhill and accelerating on its own. It might also be using the inclinometer to activate it. Although I haven't hit any really heavy grades with it yet, it does seem to prevent accelerating any further. Maybe they've toned down engine braking due to constant noise complaints and signs everywhere to not use it. What was the engine braking noise like in the Colorado?
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Engine braking noise was non existent. The signs your are talking about mean "Jake" brakes, a true engine braking system, not exhaust brakes, that restrict exhaust flow.
 
Leo said:
Engine braking noise was non existent. The signs your are talking about mean "Jake" brakes, a true engine braking system, not exhaust brakes, that restrict exhaust flow.
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And are in reference to big trucks not pick ups although straight piped dodges are getting up there in noise lol
 
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Well, looks like they listened to the complaints for once...

Exhaust Brake.jpg
Video in reference:


This one is apparently still the LM2. Now somebody has to figure out a retrofit for us old timers.
 
Ya he just thinks it’s an exhaust brake in his extremely rare wicked sick 22.5 Chevrolet 1500 duramax 3L in-line 6 diesel with upgraded front end and refreshed interior boy. 😂🤣 he’s soon going to learn it’s no exhaust brake lol
 
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I got thrown off by that button since I don't have it, oddly enough. I thought the terrain mode button on my single speed transfer case was the hill descent. No matter, I looked at the 2022 manual and that button is indeed the hill descent mode button. My bad. Still says the engine braking is automatic in tow/haul mode.

Interestingly enough, last weekend, I was hauling some stones using a dump trailer and it did kick it on, quite aggressively, coming down a hill coming to a stop. Like the engine was revving to 4000 RPM. I think it uses the inclinometer along with brake pedal input to determine how much engine braking to apply.
 
Mooseman said:
I got thrown off by that button since I don't have it, oddly enough. I thought the terrain mode button on my single speed transfer case was the hill descent. No matter, I looked at the 2022 manual and that button is indeed the hill descent mode button. My bad. Still says the engine braking is automatic in tow/haul mode.

Interestingly enough, last weekend, I was hauling some stones using a dump trailer and it did kick it on, quite aggressively, coming down a hill coming to a stop. Like the engine was revving to 4000 RPM. I think it uses the inclinometer along with brake pedal input to determine how much engine braking to apply.
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Personally I hate seeing my engine rev up that high I won’t let it. I’m sure it’s within tolerances I just don’t like it lol
 
I tow a 5700 GVWR trailer with a 2020 Silverado with the 3.0 Duramax. The truck must be in TowHaul mode. I have noticed the engine braking kick in and help, but I’ve needed to be a low enough gear for the engine to be turning about 3000 rpm. After a light tap or two on the brake, I can feel it start to hold back some. I think part of the problem is that in the higher gears, the engine has a leverage disadvantage so any engine braking doesn’t have as noticeable of an effect. Also, with a 10 speed transmission, there isn’t that much difference between each gear to make it noticeable (I’ve pulled the same trailer with a 4Runner with a 5-speed trans, and downshifting one or two gears makes a big difference because of the larger ratio difference between gears).

Also, if your are using cruise control downhill and you feel the rig start to decelerate a little and there was no automatic downshift, if you watch your trailer brake application amount on the DIC, you’ll see that the truck is actually activating the trailer brakes and not using exhaust brake. As a retired truck driver, it’s not a good thing to be using your brakes to maintain a constant speed down a hill. Using the rig brakes to occasionally slow for a corner with light pressure is ok. However, if you have to be using moderate pressure or keep the brakes on for an extended time, you’re in too high of a gear. Slow down and drop a gear or two so that you only need to use occasional light brake pressure for good speed control. As brakes heat up from friction, they become less effective. “You can go down a hill too slow many times. You can go down a hill too fast only once”.
 
Interesting. Never thought of monitoring the trailer brake for unwanted or "unrequested" trailer brake application.
 
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