Jump to content

2003 2500hd Overheating While Towing

skippy7024

By skippy7024
in Ask A GM Technician

 Share

Recommended Posts

Chevor Senior Enthusiast

Chevor

Posted
Posted

Removing the radiator from the truck and then cleaning made a world of difference for me.

  • Replies 32
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

txab
txab

We have a winner! Next time used a rolled up newspaper to slowly push into fan

Posted Images

EvilWS602 Enthusiast

EvilWS602

Posted
Posted

It's a brand new Acdelco radiator a month old. Had to replace it be a tank tracked.

  • 11 months later...
Dixon700 Enthusiast

Dixon700

Posted
Posted

Bringing an old thread back to life because I have the same issue with my '02 2500hd with the 6.0 and 4.10 gears. I just went and bought a trailer that weighs 5k lbs And had to tow it home out if Carlisle, which is tons of steep winding hills with 10mph corners. Anyways the truck has never even got warm empty. Temp stays around 190° and stayed there. First but hill I really had to get into it after the first corner because there was cars behind me wanting to go the 45mph speed limit after the corner, speed was slowly coming up and I got to the 45mph speed limit and check all the gauges and see check trans temp is up around 230° or so, and coolant temperature just about pegged. Whipped into the first place I found I could fit and let it cool down. System was holding good psi and didn't boil out the overflow until I bled the psi. Limped my way home watching temps and not letting trans or coolant get over 230°. I've read that the tiny trans cooler isn't efficient enough and am going to get one rated for 30k gvw rV's. I had removed about 2 gals of coolant and replaced with new 50/50 extended life coolant. Also added some of the coolant additive that's supposed to help run cooler. I also blew out the radiator, condenser, and coolers with compressed air then ran water through until it was clear. Tons of dirt, but would that of been enough to make it run hot with only 5k lbs behind it? As far as I know thermostat, water pump, and fan clutch are stock. Thermostat seems to work fine, and I'd imagine water pumpworks because it only got hot towing. Fan also seemed to work, would pull my shirt up against the cooler with the grill off. So just flush it out and think it was just lack of airflow? Because it never even got warm on the interstate.

Dixon700 Enthusiast

Dixon700

Posted
Posted

Check for PROPER operation of centrifugal clutch fan

What's the best way to do this? Most of the fan clutches I work on are pneumatic...

Dixon700 Enthusiast

Dixon700

Posted
Posted

I should mention there is no play in the fan, I seen no leaks or streaks off of the clutch when I had the shroud out to clean my radiator, and there is some resistance when the intended the fan. Should there only be a certain amount of turns and then it locks up? Also it may not be up to snuff. When I was climbingthat second hill my transmission was kicked way down and rpms were almost 5k when it got hot and I couldn't hear the fan, just the engine, and my exhaust is stock. So if there's any tests I can do let me know.

Dixon700 Enthusiast

Dixon700

Posted
Posted

Fan would spin about half a turn just trying to give it a quick spin. Got it up to about 200° it's normal operating temp. Grabbed a red rag and I could slow down the fan pretty good, but couldn't stop it. Shut it down and it spun like when cold so u ordered a new severe duty clutch.

txab Senior Enthusiast

txab

Posted
Posted

Fan would spin about half a turn just trying to give it a quick spin. Got it up to about 200° it's normal operating temp. Grabbed a red rag and I could slow down the fan pretty good, but couldn't stop it. Shut it down and it spun like when cold so u ordered a new severe duty clutch.

We have a winner! Next time used a rolled up newspaper to slowly push into fan

  • Like 1
Dixon700 Enthusiast

Dixon700

Posted
Posted (edited)

Installing a bigger Hayden bar and plate tranny cooler and a carquest severe duty fan clutch tomorrow. Then I'll be putting it to work to see if it runs cooler.

Edited by Dixon700
Dixon700 Enthusiast

Dixon700

Posted
Posted

Put the truck through its paces with a couple loads this size. Tranny nor coolant got over 200° so I'll call it a successful repair.

IMG_20160719_212223779_zps2nhyvspk.jpg

  • 3 years later...
DeStoriesAir New Member

DeStoriesAir

Posted
Posted

Having the same problem.

2003 2500HD Duramax Crew Cab, 238,000 miles.

I just got a 5th Wheel RV 4,000 lbs. I have noticed in previous years the truck starting to get hot pulling up hills. Normal running coolant temp appears to be around 203 (1 tick below 210).

The last trip I took, climbing the Arizona Mountains during the summer morning (less then 100) my temp was "overheated" as I watched it climb. I was a tick below "redine" 260 degrees and would pull over to let it cool. This happened twice. Since then I replaced the thermostats and coolant flush. That did not make a change when I tested in 105 degree weather with trailer up a gradual hill. I could of redlined it if I i wanted too.

I removed the grill and shroud and powerwashed the radiator and all the other coolers and hope to run it in 100+ temp to see if that helps.

My fan clutch when I try to spin it by hand immediately stops, there is no free wheeling (which I believe is correct).

Any other thoughts?

diyer2 Senior Enthusiast

diyer2

Posted
Posted

IMO

Everyone of these problems would have been avoided if properly maintained.

 

:)

DeStoriesAir New Member

DeStoriesAir

Posted
Posted
Just now, diyer2 said:

IMO

Everyone of these problems would have been avoided if properly maintained.

 

:)

As fluid and components were serviced regularly, this still seems to be a problem as many other have posted about it. 

txab Senior Enthusiast

txab

Posted
Posted

Has the fan clutch ever been replaced in the past? Check it hot also. Many youtube videos showing how. You might look into the radiator having a passage blocked at some point

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Chuck FB
      OCI, not when but why?

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      I had skimmed through that article when you posted the link and honestly I felt rather defeated in a sense and realized that all these years in changing oil that in fact putting in what I was told was a good quality oil was probably not filtered as well as it should be although the filter put on the engine would be what ( as long as it never went into bypass mode ) would be the final filtering of the new oil that the engine components would first see, but then the filtering media itself is not up to par to what is ideal because a full flow filter would be too restrictive to filter fine enough for the engines best outcome in the long run. Only one of our tractors over the years which was a Versatile with a 855 Cummins had a separate bypass filter, some engine manufacturers did spec a partial bypass system within the main oil filter but I don't believe any other trucks or equipment I was servicing used such a filter. No doubt a product like the Amsoil bypass system is of benefit as long as nothing goes sideways with the extra plumbing and filter such as a rupture/leak that could cause the oil to pump out of the engine ( yes that Versatile had a remote canister with hoses routed to it as well ). With the idiot egr system on a diesel and as a result forcing a lot more soot into the oil, that certainly isn't helping the diesel engines cause or as you pointed out the GDI engine issue with creating more soot and aside from having a fancy secondary filtering system, changing the oil more often helping lower the total soot load.     So oil manufacturing and the end product is not something one can control and I wonder if there are specs on what various oil packaging companies produce in particle count or size. As to the filtering, if the OEM is not designing a filter size and spec that is really what it could be, they too are short changing the end user and so what is the answer. Of course as you say the oil side can only do so much if the air side isn't keeping up its end of the picture and air filters are only so efficient and if in a dusty environment such as farm or construction or driving gravel roads there is a lot of dirt to filter out and some of that ends up into the air stream.    Of course the irony in places like where I am where they dump the salt on the highways but also will mix in some calcium or outright pure calcium for problem road area's, or using calcium as dust control on gravel roads, the vehicle that gets used in that environment may rust out before a properly engineered engine and maintenance finally wears out so one has to face that reality in the rust belt. 
    • GAMark
      Road Master Active Suspension

      By GAMark · Posted

      Has anyone run these on their 2500?
    • Erfar
      Oil Change

      By Erfar · Posted

      have you stuck with dealer oil changes since then? I made the same switch after getting tired of crawling around under the truck, but I’ve found some dealers are way better than others about getting you in quickly. Curious if yours has been good about scheduling or if you’ve had to look elsewhere for quicker turnaround.
    • cherryred21duramax
      Can anyone decode a VIN to determine if this truck has had emissions issues or a recall?

      By cherryred21duramax · Posted

      Thank you.   I am set on a 3.0 Duramax as my previous truck with a Ford Ecoboost had just as many, if not more, "common" issues.  Cam phasers, timing chain issues, 10-speed valve body and CDF drum, emissions issues, etc.  So I figured, why not get 2x the fuel mileage (these things got 27+mpg on every mixed city/highway test drive I put them through) and better towing capability with resale value to boot?   My minimum, shortest trip will be 50 miles 1-way and I regularly go out of state with a travel trailer.  I'm planning on using this for a marketing/event promotion business also, which would require regular towing of trailers for bands, DJs, sound and lighting gear, along with my personal camera gear for filming events.   Looked at other trucks in the $30k+ price range but the issues seem to be everywhere, plus too many with gaudy mods.  I'm literally sticking with RWD trucks because they tend to be actually used as trucks, vs. the 4x4 models I've seen with unsafe lifts, huge tires, and general mods that would affect reliability (I'm wondering if some of them were tuned, hence the aggressive throttle response and hard shifting).   So my goal is to find a stock, 3.0 with 1 or 2 owners, in good physical condition, and decently well maintained.  Can't seem to find that up here, everything in the $27-30k range has had multiple owners, smoke smell, issues, or body damage.  Or the ridiculously modified trucks with 80k miles for under $27k but lots of problems...
    • KARNUT
      OCI, not when but why?

      By KARNUT · Posted

      That’s pretty tough Grumpy. I reread the previous few posts. They all reference oil changes. Much like your last thread. In my humble opinion it keeps things interesting.

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...