Jump to content

Towing With Avalanche 1500

pcjmarino

Recommended Posts

pcjmarino Enthusiast

pcjmarino

Posted
Posted

Hello all, new to the board, been doing allot of reading, this is my first post. I'm towing a 4700lb TT with my '04 avalanche 1500. It has the tow package, 373 gears, I've added a trans cooler also. I live in PA where flat earth is an oddity. On long hills (in the summer) my temp gauge will rise to about 220-230, but so far she hasn't overheated, I tow in 3rd (not OD). It always runs just under 210 Does this sound normal? Was thinking of installing an engine oil cooler, and/or, heavy duty fan (replacing clutch fan). The electric fan kits look good too but are pricy. Looking for some inexpensive ideas to keep cool. thanks :lol:

ChrisNJ Enthusiast

ChrisNJ

Posted
Posted

I have been towing across the PA mountains for 6 years, 8-10 times a year, with an 8K# trailer. I've done it with 8.1's, 6.0's and now a 6.2/6sp. My temps get to 220's on 90 degree days, and only on the 380 hill by Strausberg, mostly stays 190-200 everywhere else. I doubt there is anything you can do to lower the temps. Keep the fluid changed, or see if it has, or you can move to Dextron VI. You really need a 6.0 minimum to do the job with 5K#'s, but I don't think Av's come with it. If you only do it a couple times a year, no biggie, just don't look at the temp.

note: on my recent pull up the 380 hill, i experimented by leaving the foot in it all the way up. It was 85 out, and the engine stayed at 4000rpm+ (not my first choice), I stayed at 60mph!, and the trans didn't go over 210-215, maybe 10 degress cooler than letting it struggle up the hill. Didn't sound great, compared to my normal method, but she certianly stayed cooler, and I was safer at 60 then 45.

ChrisNJ Enthusiast

ChrisNJ

Posted
Posted

ps: you should weigh your trailer if you haven't. I have two, one says 6500 on the sticker, and weighed in at 7500 loaded, and the other is a toyhauler which says 5500 on the sticker, but we load it to 7700 loaded. I really need a diesel or the old 8.1 (not avail. anymore), but I tried the 2500 route and can't deal with the HD ride the 350 days a year i'm not towing. So I bought the 6.2/6sp out of necessity, and it works pretty well for my needs. The new 4.5 diesel in Burb's, if they put it in them, might be the ticket for me in a couple years.

95Sierra2500 Senior Enthusiast

95Sierra2500

Posted
Posted

Yeah, I agree with the above. Your truck is not the proper truck to pull that much weight in that terrain. To help, I'd suggest investing in a high-quality trans cooler (stacked plate, you don't specify what you have), going to a lower temp thermostat, and getting a programmable set of electric cooling fans. An engine oil cooler might help if you're seeing your engine oil temps climb, but those generally stay with the coolant temps.

 

Glad to hear that you're towing in 3rd, too many people these days just presume that OD is all they'll ever need for whatever they're pulling.

pcjmarino Enthusiast

pcjmarino

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Yeah, I agree with the above. Your truck is not the proper truck to pull that much weight in that terrain. To help, I'd suggest investing in a high-quality trans cooler (stacked plate, you don't specify what you have), going to a lower temp thermostat, and getting a programmable set of electric cooling fans. An engine oil cooler might help if you're seeing your engine oil temps climb, but those generally stay with the coolant temps.

 

Glad to hear that you're towing in 3rd, too many people these days just presume that OD is all they'll ever need for whatever they're pulling.

 

 

Thanks for the replies. I'll probably be towing 6-8 times per year. I don't have a trans temp gauge, just reading the coolant temp gauge. Trans cooler is flex-a-lite fin cooler rated for 17000 (11in x 17in x 1in). GVW. Trans fluid is staying red, so far so good. Truck is rated to tow 7100lbs, trailer is at 5000lbs loaded up. And yes she heats up on the hill before I-380 coming out of stroudsburg, PA. Just wondering if an engine oil cooler will help keep the coolant temps normal while towing uphill or if more CFM's through the radiator (electric fan(s)) would work better.

C & A s Dad Senior Enthusiast

C & A s Dad

Posted
Posted

Paul,

 

I can offer some advise, some of which you have already heard.

 

I tow a 6500 TT with a 1/2 ton Yuk XL. I run coolant temps around 197 to 202 and trans temps in the mid 160s to low 170s on a 95 degree day. However, I am not pulling hills as you are.

 

First of all, you need a Trans Temp Gauge. Look at the Interceptor by Aeroforce or other similar scan gauge that will simply plug into your OBD II port.

 

The tube and fin cooler you have is not as efficient as a stacked plate designed cooler but you have added a very large one "11 x 17" which should function about the same as a 11 x 11 stacked plate cooer. The biggest advantage of a stacked plate cooler is they are less restrictive to the flow of the fluid and they offer more cooling efficiency is a smaller space. Where do you have your cooler mounted? Do you have it in series with the fluid still running through the radiator and then through the cooler? This is the preferred method.

 

I do not necessarily agree with the e fans. Not that they would not work well, but your OE mechanical fan should be pulling more than enough air through the radiator. I have always joked that they will pull small animals and children in the grille if the clutch is engaged. Make sure your fan clutch is working properly and the front of the radiator and A/C Condensor are not plugged with bugs and junk.

 

I do not have any experience with a lower temp stat on a 5.3. To my knowledge they are only avail from companies such as Hypertech and are designed to help performance on a truck that has been tuned. Typically, a cooler stat will not lower overall temps as they only open sooner, not more. In other words, they simply open at 165 instead of 186. Once the coolant reaches temps above 186, the stat is wide open anyway. I could be wrong but I do not feel this would help you.

 

An engine oil cooler would likely help. Many 3/4 and 1 ton trucks come with engine oil coolers and they also use mechanical fans with a fan clutch. If you decide to go this route, you want a stacked plate oil cooler.

 

Hayden now offers a device called The Mister. It is a simple device that mounts a 2 to 3 gal container somewhere under the vehicle or in the bed and routes cool water to sprayers mounted in front of the radiator. On a hard pull such as you are speaking about, you push the button and spray cool water into the front of the radiator. If you have ever noticed your temps fall when you run through a cool rain, this operates in a similar manner. We (CARQUEST) sell them but I do not have a catalog with me at this time to give you a part #.

 

One last thing. Lubegard and other companies make a coolant additive that is a wonderful product. Lubegard calls theirs Kool It and the # is 96001. It is not a miracle in a bottle but would drop your temps around 3 to 7 degrees. It also is a great product for eliminating electrolysis in modern vehicle cooling systems. This the primary reason we sell so much of it.

 

Good luck and let us know what you do. 220 to 230 is not terrible and certainly not overheating. However if you can get them down by 10 to 15 degrees, I would be more comfortable.

DofD Senior Enthusiast

DofD

Posted
Posted

Hi there and welcome to the forums!

 

unfortunately I don't really have any suggestions beyond what people have already suggested.

jhbrennan Enthusiast

jhbrennan

Posted
Posted
Hello all, new to the board, been doing allot of reading, this is my first post. I'm towing a 4700lb TT with my '04 avalanche 1500. It has the tow package, 373 gears, I've added a trans cooler also. I live in PA where flat earth is an oddity. On long hills (in the summer) my temp gauge will rise to about 220-230, but so far she hasn't overheated, I tow in 3rd (not OD). It always runs just under 210 Does this sound normal? Was thinking of installing an engine oil cooler, and/or, heavy duty fan (replacing clutch fan). The electric fan kits look good too but are pricy. Looking for some inexpensive ideas to keep cool. thanks :lol:

I have an 08 Avalanche - 5.3l 3.73 rear end and I added the GM transmission cooler. I just towed a UHaul car carrier with a 3,700 Toyota on it from Denver to Austin (900+ miles) during 100 degree outside temps and lots of hills (Monument Pass, Raton Pass, etc.). On some of the steeper inclines transmission temps got to 225 but came down pretty fast once the pass was summitted. Coolant temps went to 250 during that time but came down the same as trans temps. Once on level terrain, temps stayed in pretty normal ranges (180-195 for trans and 210 for coolant). I have the tow haul feature on the trans and I used that. Truck ran great.

C & A s Dad Senior Enthusiast

C & A s Dad

Posted
Posted

250 for coolant temps makes me hurt. I realize this is not really considered to be "overheating" but dayum, that is hot. Of course with a 50 50 mix of Dex cool and water and the proper PSI in the cooling system, your boiling point is 265 degrees.

jhbrennan Enthusiast

jhbrennan

Posted
Posted

 

 

250 for coolant temps makes me hurt. I realize this is not really considered to be "overheating" but dayum, that is hot. Of course with a 50 50 mix of Dex cool and water and the proper PSI in the cooling system, your boiling point is 265 degrees.
That bothered me too - I forgot to mention that I had A/C on too for most of the trip. When the temps started to climb I shut A/C off. Never had the temps max for more than 5 minutes. The coolant temp dropped very quickly (within 30 seconds) after removing the load of climbing up the mountain - took longer for the trans temps to drop.
pcjmarino Enthusiast

pcjmarino

Posted
  • Author
Posted
250 for coolant temps makes me hurt. I realize this is not really considered to be "overheating" but dayum, that is hot. Of course with a 50 50 mix of Dex cool and water and the proper PSI in the cooling system, your boiling point is 265 degrees.
That bothered me too - I forgot to mention that I had A/C on too for most of the trip. When the temps started to climb I shut A/C off. Never had the temps max for more than 5 minutes. The coolant temp dropped very quickly (within 30 seconds) after removing the load of climbing up the mountain - took longer for the trans temps to drop.

 

 

 

Thanks again for the repiles guys. The thing that bothers me about the higher coolant temps is the fact that the stock trans cooler is in the radiator....so if coolant temp is say 220, would that be the temp of the trans fluid sent back?? Would it be better to just bypass the radiator trans cooler and use the aftermarket alone in the summers at least??

C & A s Dad Senior Enthusiast

C & A s Dad

Posted
Posted

I would not recommend bypassing the internal cooler. It is still "cooling" your fluid to some degree. Just imagine the fluid entering the interanl cooler at 280 or so. The 220 degree water in the radiator helps reduce the fluid temp to some degree. It then enters the aux cooler which further cools it before sending it back to the trans.

 

The internal cooler is also very important in cold winter climates to help bring the fluid up to operating temps.

 

I would have to think your best option would be the Mister unit I mentioned. I am not sure but I think it sells for less than $80.00 and is a complete kit containing everything you need.

 

After reading the temps you guys are seeing pulling a really big incline, I am going to seriously consider installing one before I ever plan a trip out west or to any other mountainous region.

mi.bowtie Enthusiast

mi.bowtie

Posted
Posted

Have you installed one of those bolt on grilles over your original grille? Or changed the grille?

I Know a couple guys that did that, and had higher temps because of that, while towing.

PaulCee Enthusiast

PaulCee

Posted
Posted
250 for coolant temps makes me hurt. I realize this is not really considered to be "overheating" but dayum, that is hot. Of course with a 50 50 mix of Dex cool and water and the proper PSI in the cooling system, your boiling point is 265 degrees.
That bothered me too - I forgot to mention that I had A/C on too for most of the trip. When the temps started to climb I shut A/C off. Never had the temps max for more than 5 minutes. The coolant temp dropped very quickly (within 30 seconds) after removing the load of climbing up the mountain - took longer for the trans temps to drop.

 

 

 

Thanks again for the repiles guys. The thing that bothers me about the higher coolant temps is the fact that the stock trans cooler is in the radiator....so if coolant temp is say 220, would that be the temp of the trans fluid sent back?? Would it be better to just bypass the radiator trans cooler and use the aftermarket alone in the summers at least??

 

 

I don't think that you can conclude that there is a completely direct correlation between coolant temp readings and the trans fluid temp return, as you really can't tell how much the trans is contributing to the overall coolant temperature. You would be wise to invest in a transmission temp guage.

pcjmarino Enthusiast

pcjmarino

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Have you installed one of those bolt on grilles over your original grille? Or changed the grille?

I Know a couple guys that did that, and had higher temps because of that, while towing.

 

original grille, stock fan and radiator, thanks for asking

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Zane
      2027 Chevrolet Silverado: Official Discussion

      By Zane · Posted

      It's official. Chevy pulled the covers off the next-gen 2027 Silverado 1500, and we got the first official look.   Full breakdown here: https://www.gm-trucks.com/2027-chevrolet-silverado-official-first-look-specs/   The quick hits: LT is dead. The new core trim is just called "Silverado." Two new V8s, a 5.7L and a 6.6L. No horsepower or torque numbers yet. The 2.7 TurboMax finally gets the 10-speed. ZR2 moves to standard 35s with front and rear lockers. Over 60 inches of dash display on ZR2 and High Country, passenger screen included. Seven trims, three lifted from the factory: ZR2, Trail Boss, and a new Custom Trail Boss.   So let's get into it: 5.7 and 6.6 instead of holding out for a 6.7. Right call? Killing the LT name after all these years: bold, or a mistake? Does the new look land for you, or is it too safe? No power numbers at reveal. Smart tease, or frustrating? What are you ordering on day one?   Drop your first impressions below. 
    • RyanbabZ71
      Gas Prices

      By RyanbabZ71 · Posted

      LOL west coast they need to see what the midwest actually has.  We have been holding at 2.99 for a few weeks now.  Even by work they have come down to 3.02 for the past week.
    • No F-bdy Bs
      Brand new to this forum. Questions about re-gearing my 26’ HD

      By No F-bdy Bs · Posted

      Diesel or gas?  The 37s will obviously, drastically reduce mpg, but the gasser will take a bigger hit to mpg, and power.  Rough guess, but I'd estimate at least a  2mpg hit on the diesel, and up to 4on the gasser. Maybe more.    I wouldn't sweat a gear change on a duramax at all, and unlikely on the gasser either. You're obviously not concerned with acceleration or towing, and the 10spd will find itself in the right gear without much hunting, if any.    If towing, mpg and acceleration are a concern, you're doing the wrong mods.  Either leave it alone, or do the lift/tires and let the chips fall where they may. 
    • Grumpy Bear
      OCI, not when but why?

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      I understand. It is disturbing to think a manufacture asks so much and gives so little in engineering support. This is not a GM issues, this is a greed issue and one the ALL practice.    My intent was not to remove the wind from anyone's sail but rather to point out the areas deficient so that they can be discussed with improvements the goal. But to do that you have to know the truth and what that truth is.    The commercial interest are honed in on a few select issues in which they control all the variables and are not forthcoming in the least with their customers about the details. Failure is the only thing that drives these people to improvement. One way not to fail it to manage public "expectations". The set a bar they can clear and put their thumbs under the suspenders with chest puffed.... Only the internal data tells the story fully. As we don't have access to that for decades then we have to generate it ourselves. UOA's with data that matters.  
    • 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. 

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...