Running with JCT, Part Deux

About time

 

i told the guy my concerns with the AMT and he had me watch a few videos from Detroit on how to run the transmission properly.

 

Man those autos make life easy.

 

You'll love it. It'll take about a week to stop grabbing for the shifter and pressing your left foot when you come to a stop. LOL

The fuel mileage should be better out of the box then your best days in that 14. 62-63 MPG seems to be the sweetest spot for MPG, although you can do 65-68 with good results. Don't get too discouraged with your numbers as it's winter diesel time right now.

Just be sure to get that 1st pm and overhead done at 50k.

 

Also the Jake's are insanely strong on the 17s.

 

I drove a Penske rental AMT fo ra while, overall didn't like it. It didn't live up to the concept of making live easier at all. Coming off the freeway offramp most times had to 'help' it by manually downshifting because it would try to scream down at full top gear then realize we are trying to slow down would skip down shift too much, I said no way am i driving one of these in winter.

Backing, was a lurchy too fast affair. Slam into kingpins and docks, almost hit parked trucks not being able to finesse.

Stop and go traffic, cannot relax and pull feet back like you would with a manual, set it in low gear and let it creep along, that AMT would dead stop if you didn't have your foot into feathering the throttle the whole time which is like where is the relax make my life easier part again?

Evidently this DT 12 has creep mode for stop and go and backing.

Plus if you ever made a mistake and shut it down in D it would throw a code at next startup. Or go from D to R and it wouldn't 'take'. Shut off truck and restart to reset the computer stuff like that.

 

Never had those problems with my d12. I don't like the creep mode though its toooooooo slow.

 

Everything you just described doesn't happen.

1st off, never use manual mode or manually shift tranny. Leave it alone and if coming to a ramp, a slow down, etc. simply use the Jake. Stop and go traffic....It's a freaking God send. It's like driving a car. There is no jerking, no tense driving. Simply accelerate gently cuz you know you're gonna stop in 50' in traffic/accident backups.

Yes, there is a creep mode and you should be in it whenever backing. The only way to slam into something is if you're not lined up correctly our you use the accelerator. (Personally never understood that concept. You never use the throttle to back up, that is just sheer idiocy.) Anyway....

Doesn't matter what position you #### truck off, when you try to start it, it's just like a car....won't let you in any gear except neutral. There are no codes, errors, etc., just a message to remind you that it must be in neutral on the display.

In my opinion, anyone that claims that automatic aren't more driver friendly, easier, and simple, are people that simply don't want them to be. They usually have a negative attitude about change and New technology and are unwilling to adapt. Scottie, you and I have both been in forums where ppl are just like that. I don't believe you are one of those individuals. Keep an open mind and fall in love with it gently.

 

Now wait a dang minute, a real truck driver wouldn't drive an automatic good thing I ain't never claimed to be a real truck driver....ha ha

 

The dd15 first overhead is at 100,000 miles if he's is getting the Cascadia