3500 D Max Overheating

[C & A s Dad]

I have been talking to an gentleman on a towing forum I belong to and he has had an issue with a D max and I am a far cry from being qualified to answer it.

 

He has an 07 3500 D max and is towing a 30' Fifth Wheel weighing in less than 13,000 lbs. Recently he was pulling the camper on vacation and was at 11,000 ft elevation and on a 7% incline and he began getting a "engine overheating warning". The trans temp was also bumping the red area on the gauge. He kept backing out of the throttle and made the pull but it really did not cool down until after he had reached the top.

 

I could not help him with why this would happen but have since talked with a Dodge Cummins owner who said this is a common problem with the D Max. Is this true? I cannot imagine a tuggin machine like a 3500 D max having issues with overheating and GM has not addressed it.

 

Any info would be appreciated.

[STPETEBLUE]

I have been talking to an gentleman on a towing forum I belong to and he has had an issue with a D max and I am a far cry from being qualified to answer it.

 

He has an 07 3500 D max and is towing a 30' Fifth Wheel weighing in less than 13,000 lbs. Recently he was pulling the camper on vacation and was at 11,000 ft elevation and on a 7% incline and he began getting a "engine overheating warning". The trans temp was also bumping the red area on the gauge. He kept backing out of the throttle and made the pull but it really did not cool down until after he had reached the top.

 

I could not help him with why this would happen but have since talked with a Dodge Cummins owner who said this is a common problem with the D Max. Is this true? I cannot imagine a tuggin machine like a 3500 D max having issues with overheating and GM has not addressed it.

 

Any info would be appreciated.

Many of the 2004.5-2005 Duramax engines (LLY) had overheating issues. The 2006 and 2007 (LLY and LBZ) seemed to have the issue resolved. The 2007.5 (LMM) is still too new to hear of any wholesale overheating issues, but I hardly think GM would let another design modification out the door with the OH problems that the LLY had. Sounds like he may have a airflow blockage or something. I'd have the dealer take a look at it.

 

You're doing the right thing now, asking on a GM forum. It's unlikely (but not impossible) that a Cummins owner is going to have anything but "hearsay" information and mere speculation (not experience) about the DMax.

[Bobslob]

Go to www.dieselplace.com and click on the LLY section and they will have it all explained there.