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Purchased my first diesel a couple weeks back (2025 F350; see signature) and have a bit of a conundrum: I have a Hill Descent Control button above the touch screen, but I can't get it to do anything, and I do not have the Engine Exhaust Brake Button. I do not have the FX4 package which I thought the HDC came with. From what I've read the Exhaust Brake is standard with the diesel engine. I can't find engine braking setting in any of the computer menus, other than the exhaust brake % gauge, which always reads zero. I did tow my 8000# camper up and down a mountain pass and believe I was meeting the conditions for the exhaust brake to engage. I like to think I am pretty tech savvy and I did RTFM...which indicates the exhaust brake button should be there above the display. At this point I've tentatively concluded that the wrong button got installed and it doesn't connect to anything. Any insights? Thanks in advance!
The hill descent is part of the FX4 package, So you should not have it IF you don't have FX4. And it only works at very slow speeds ( like below 15 mph) and you definitely don't want to use it with a trailer hooked up.
My Exhaust Brake button is next to my camera button on my 23 truck. Not sure if Ford moved them in 25. But you won't have any exhaust brake with out pushing the button.
Don't have a pic, but where you have hill decent control you should have two buttons, on the left should be your exhaust brake, on the right should be hill decent control IF that's actually installed (IIRC you need either the FX4 package or Tremor package to get that? I don't think it's ala cart). At least that's where it is on my '25 Lariat Tremor.
If you have a PSD then you should have the exhaust brake. It's kind of looking like you got the wrong dash installed? Or at least the wrong button. And your dealer should have, as part of the new vehicle purchase, gone over all the features of your truck, giving you the opportunity to ask questions like that.
Question for you though, when you push that button, does anything in the instrument panel cluster light up, or any pop-up messages occur? I haven't pushed the hill decent control button so I don't know what that would say, but when I push the exhaust brake button there are two different yellow/orange indicators in the dash (for full or automatic), and I get a pop up message that says 'exhaust brake active' or 'automatic exhaust brake active.'
If you're not getting any indicator lights or pop up warnings, then I'd say the truck needs to go back to the dealer for them to sort out - a PSD should have the exhaust brake from my understanding.
^^^ Yes, that's EXACTLY what I have on mine. OP should have the button to the left if he's got a PSD.
@Beardthatisred can you show us a pic of the outside of your truck? Or give us some info on what you've got? Kinda want to see this truck of yours. From the HVAC controls looks like you've got at least a Lariat, would like to see more.
Thanks all for the responses so far. When i push the button I do have, nothing happens at all. I’ve tried at super slow speeds, Highway speeds, and in between. I have had HDC on previous pickups so am familiar with it, but they were fx4. I’ve had a ford ranger, 2016 f150, a 19 F250 with the 6.2, now this truck so am pretty familiar with fords and its features. I elected to not do a super long orientation with the dealer since other than the touch screen being bigger and a lot more features, it isn’t much different than my previous pickups. I did not think about the exhaust brake at the time ha ha. Dang it. The dealer is cool though, at least so far, so I’ll have to take it in. I’m already scheduled to take it in here in a week or so for the instrument cluster recall.
It’s a lariat, not tremor nor fx4. Below is a snip from my window sticker.
Thanks all for the responses so far. When i push the button I do have, nothing happens at all. I’ve tried at super slow speeds, Highway speeds, and in between. I have had HDC on previous pickups so am familiar with it, but they were fx4. I’ve had a ford ranger, 2016 f150, a 19 F250 with the 6.2, now this truck so am pretty familiar with fords and its features. I elected to not do a super long orientation with the dealer since other than the touch screen being bigger and a lot more features, it isn’t much different than my previous pickups. I did not think about the exhaust brake at the time ha ha. Dang it. The dealer is cool though, at least so far, so I’ll have to take it in. I’m already scheduled to take it in here in a week or so for the instrument cluster recall.
It’s a lariat, not tremor nor fx4. Below is a snip from my window sticker.
You should have exhaust brake, also in the dash the first time you press it it will say engine brake on, and then the second is auto. You can't miss it on the dash. It's a pop-up screen.
Personally, I would walk into the dealership playing dumb and have them show me how it works. This way if they come across as Mr. Know-it-alls and it's not there, they don't have a leg to fight you on.
I would ask the dealer to submit a misbuild claim since it looks like you have the wrong dash. If that fails, reach out to Ford customer care and hopefully they can help.
I swung by the dealer today and asked them how to use the exhaust brake in this situation. Had 3 or 4 folks out there looking at it, stumped. One of the guys just moved into sales from service and came to the conclusion it’s likely an mis-build as has been posited here. Dealer will run some diagnostics to check that the programming is there, etc. after my recall fix in a couple weeks and will escalate it to ford corporate. They’re thinking it’s probably a relatively simple matter of a new button and dash cover swap and hopefully problem solved. I’ll keep everyone posted. Thanks for your info and insights!
In the meantime, if you really want to know if it’s even enabled, you can get on the highway and set your cruise control at say 70mph, then lower the speed set point using your steering wheel controls 5mph or so. The exhaust brake should engage to slow you down with or without a button.
I swung by the dealer today and asked them how to use the exhaust brake in this situation. Had 3 or 4 folks out there looking at it, stumped. One of the guys just moved into sales from service and came to the conclusion it’s likely an mis-build as has been posited here. Dealer will run some diagnostics to check that the programming is there, etc. after my recall fix in a couple weeks and will escalate it to ford corporate. They’re thinking it’s probably a relatively simple matter of a new button and dash cover swap and hopefully problem solved. I’ll keep everyone posted. Thanks for your info and insights!
Yeah it likely is a misbuild. The programming is likely already there because it is programmed based off the build data, even if incorrect parts were installed.
It used to be MUCH more common than it is today, with computer scheduling and all that it's actually kinda rare today for it to even be built like that, much less leave the factory. I knew a guy who got a GMC truck with a Chevy badge on the passenger door at delivery. One of my dad's trucks had some option it wasn't supposed to, but I don't remember what that was now because it's been a LONG time ago.
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