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2016 Duramax - New Truck "TOWING" Break-In???


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So I did a few forum searches and see drivers are all over the board when it comes to breaking in a new truck. Because I have OCD tendencies, I read the truck manual on break-in. I painfully varied my speed not to exceed 55 mph for the first 550 miles, I thought I was good and then did some more reading... Now I see that after the initial 500 mile break-in, one needs to complete a 500 mile "towing break-in" which one is not to exceed 50 mph!!! Oh my goodness, we went on a 200 mile round trip camping trip towing my 11,000 pound travel trailer and I took state roads to avoid the interstate and did not exceed 50 mph. What an incredibly painful and long drive!

 

I was wondering if this verbage is in the 1500 truck manuals and the 6.0 truck manuals? Does this truly apply to the Duramax, Allison, and Eaton reared? What magically happens at the 500 mile towing mark that allows me to drive my normal 68 mph as opposed to 50 mph?

 

The first 500 miles was awful not going over 55 and varying the speed, now this is really sucking. We are going on a 1600 mile round trip in two weeks and I am not looking forward to driving less than 50 mph for the first 300 mile leg of the trip. It is a safety issue driving that slow! People take crazy risks trying to pass on state highways, the short distances I have traveled on the interstate (where I had too) resulted on semi-tractors trying to give me a vehicle enema.

 

Because it is in the "book" I am personally compelled to follow the rules with this expensive purchase, but if it is a generic (save money) paragraph that is in all of the truck manuals then that is a different story to me.

 

So what gives?

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The biggest thing is breaking in the gear set in the rear diff before towing. I "think " it specified a distance in the manual to drive before towing, that will set the gears. I drove just over 2000 km on mine before the trailer went on the back.

 

Sent from my Z30 using Tapatalk

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AAM rear axle requires low speed break in, having said that there are thousands of guys that hook up their huge camper with zero miles and drive cross country at 80mph with no problems.

 

 

Myself I like to use the truck for back country break in the first 500 miles then change fluids and drive normal.

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Thanks Colossus, heading out in a few days on a 1600 mile round trip! Can't wait to see how this truck does with the almost 11,000 pound beast (camper.)

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You'll be grinning! That kind of a tow will set things in gooood for the truck. Can't wait to hear about your trip! Cheers!

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Not sure why it would be any different for a Dmax than it is for any other commercial diesel. The best way to run a diesel out of the gate is put a load on it and pull that load the same way you will be doing it for the life of the vehicle.

 

I do the same thing with any gasser engine also. I don't play patty fingers with the motor, I put it to work as I will be using it, from day one. The last motor I had to replace earlier than 240,000 miles was in 1972, and all my diesels go well beyond 500,000. Also, similar results for other drivetrains components. But I do change out all drive train factory fill fluids within 10,000 miles to get break in wear particulates out of there.

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Not sure why it would be any different for a Dmax than it is for any other commercial diesel. The best way to run a diesel out of the gate is put a load on it and pull that load the same way you will be doing it for the life of the vehicle.

 

I do the same thing with any gasser engine also. I don't play patty fingers with the motor, I put it to work as I will be using it, from day one. The last motor I had to replace earlier than 240,000 miles was in 1972, and all my diesels go well beyond 500,000. Also, similar results for other drivetrains components. But I do change out all drive train factory fill fluids within 10,000 miles to get break in wear particulates out of there.

I think that is sage advice for almost all strong vehicles. Heck, even my Harley dealer told me to ride it hard right off the bat if I wanted the best performance out of it long term.

 

The Diesel supplement does say to let it idle a few minutes before you take off. I wonder why?

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Because the guys who write manuals for both gas and diesel keep some things similar. Same guys who think that 80w90 should be used in front diffs when it has long been shown the 75w90 synthetic is superior for differentials. Because it is in a manual does not make it beyond question.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Made it back after about 1700 miles, towing, couldn't even feel that 11,000 bumper pull on those smooth, flat roads of Michigan's upper peninsula. What an awesome towing experience, just put on the tow haul mode and diesel exhaust break and drove. I can't believe how quiet this truck is, however, at times when there was a cross wind at a certain angle I did hear a bit of noise that sounded as if coming from the front driver side engine compartment. If the wind died down or I turned directions it subsided or completely went away. The wife could never hear it on the passenger side. My speed was consistently around 68 MPH. Anyone else have that experience with the noise?

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