“Safe” revs for Comfortmatic?

[Rapido666F]

I was concerned about my new to me Comfortmatic gearbox, having read various threads, but I’m quite impressed with the way it has behaved driving around East Anglia for a couple of months. Now we have crossed the Humber and are in the hilly North I was further impressed with the way that it changed down gear on descents. However, is there a limit on how high the engine can safely rev? (Obviously yes! 2.3litre 130 bhp 2019 Ducato)
Several times it has gone up to 3500 in second gear and I’ve applied the brakes to bring it down but lift off and it’s back up and roaring. Should I manually change to first? Should I try to remember where the hill descent button is? In my old Mercedes I would have braked and gone into first I think.
One road was dead straight and empty: should I manually change to third and go for it?
All advice, especially from Comfortmatic officianados, considered.

 

[WESTY66]

If it’s revving its nads off 2nd it’s gonna be sending the top half of the engine through the bonnet in first
Just let it do its thing in 2nd and keep applying the brakes on and off to keep it at a rpm you’re happy with, that’s what I do in the alps

 

[Manic]

I was concerned about my new to me Comfortmatic gearbox, having read various threads, but I’m quite impressed with the way it has behaved driving around East Anglia for a couple of months. Now we have crossed the Humber and are in the hilly North I was further impressed with the way that it changed down gear on descents. However, is there a limit on how high the engine can safely rev? (Obviously yes! 2.3litre 130 bhp 2019 Ducato)
Several times it has gone up to 3500 in second gear and I’ve applied the brakes to bring it down but lift off and it’s back up and roaring. Should I manually change to first? Should I try to remember where the hill descent button is? In my old Mercedes I would have braked and gone into first I think.
One road was dead straight and empty: should I manually change to third and go for it?
All advice, especially from Comfortmatic officianados, considered.

I’m no expert on Comfortmatic, only recently get a Motorhome with it but Hill decent only works below 20mph I believe.

 

[Burge]

Sometimes touch the Throttle if revving to high on a Decent then it changes up 1 gear

 

[MrPeteUK]

Do not engage the Hill Descent button unless you are on an uneven surface! It's meant to prevent the MH tipping if you are driving slowly downhill on grass etc. And definitely do not flip the gear from 2nd to 1st, the revs will go even higher! If you are hitting over 3000 rpm in 2nd, that's going to be due to a steep decline or a lot of weight causing a lot of engine braking, so I would be ready on the brake pedal just in case.

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[BusyBuilder]

I usually touch the go pedal which makes it go up 1 gear, if I think we can speed up a bit safely. Some our Highlands hills have fairly steep drops with a another following hill so I want to speed up to get a run at the next hill.

 

[Growly bear]

This is the one area of the Comfortmatic which i don't enjoy. If I see downhills like that, I select manual and use the gear I would in a manual and use my own judgement, applying the brakes on and off to keep them cool. I don't have the revs any higher then 3k and usually much lower, but this depends on the gradient...

 

[Guigsy]

Do people not rev above 3000rpm? I think I hit 3500rpm on most slip roads.

For sustained downhills, I've found i don't get that much engine braking. If it's steep enough that you're dropping up 2nd gear, then most of your resistance is going to have to come from your brakes. Usual rules apply, brake harder but periodically, and going slower will cook your brakes less. Just got to take it easy.

 

[MisterB]

No idea what the revs were from memory, but if the engine sounds wrong than I do something about it, I found using it in manual and easing off the throttle in the Alps worked well. So what if I'm going slow ..... No one else would help pay me any repair bills.

If it doesn't sound right, then it isn't !!

 

[Growly bear]

Do people not rev above 3000rpm? I think I hit 3500rpm on most slip roads.

I'm feeling smug though as with a 180hp 3.0 I don't need to be a boy racer

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[Silver-Fox]

3500 rpm doesn’t sound excessive to me

 

[TheMachMan]

I often change up or down manually whilst in auto, works fine. Also switch to manual on some descents and gently apply brakes as I don’t like it over revving sometimes.

 

[Cowpat]

Hi

I often change up or down manually whilst in auto, works fine. Also switch to manual on some descents and gently apply brakes as I don’t like it over revving sometimes.

Hi machman. I have the same box and a 3 litre Ducato. Just done all round France and north space over the pyranees. It does rev its nut off on hill decent. I only use it in auto+ mode though. Just apply the brakes as has been suggested and when it wants to it’ll change down or up. Touch wood I haven’t had any problems with mine and it’s 11 years old.
I’ve said it now

 

[BusyBuilder]

If you're in auto, and say 2nd gear, do you move the lever over to the right and then forwards to go into manual and 3rd ?


TBH I've not had an auto before and not used manual on my comfortmatic yet.

 

[Lenny HB]

If you're in auto, and say 2nd gear, do you move the lever over to the right and then forwards to go into manual and 3rd ?


TBH I've not had an auto before and not used manual on my comfortmatic yet.

No you move it to the left it will spring back to the centre but will be in manual then you can go up and down the gears. The display will tell you, it says Auto above the gear number when in auto, just a number when in manual.

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[Lenny HB]

Our previous two vans were both Comformatic on hills best to use the UP button, that gives you even more engine braking downhill, revs will go above 3500 but not a problem.

 

[Rapido666F]

I have been using UP permanently as recommended by someone a couple of months ago because the extra weight we all carry means it’s best to keep revs up before changing gear. It’s all a bit of a learning curve but this is the first time I’ve had to consider engine breaking controlled by a computer. Hence my request for advice.

 

[IRHP]

3500rpm is no problem. It just sounds bad. Not going to 3500rpm could cause more of a problem.

 

[Brian Thompson]

I was concerned about my new to me Comfortmatic gearbox, having read various threads, but I’m quite impressed with the way it has behaved driving around East Anglia for a couple of months. Now we have crossed the Humber and are in the hilly North I was further impressed with the way that it changed down gear on descents. However, is there a limit on how high the engine can safely rev? (Obviously yes! 2.3litre 130 bhp 2019 Ducato)
Several times it has gone up to 3500 in second gear and I’ve applied the brakes to bring it down but lift off and it’s back up and roaring. Should I manually change to first? Should I try to remember where the hill descent button is? In my old Mercedes I would have braked and gone into first I think.
One road was dead straight and empty: should I manually change to third and go for it?
All advice, especially from Comfortmatic officianados, considered.

I had the same problem of over-revving going downhill got so i more or less had to stop . mEven carried on over revving when back on flat road

 

[dunnah01]

The Comfortmatic gear change will give you exactly the the same engine braking as the manual gear change so it's the same compromise between speed, cooking brakes and torturing the engine.