Overheating while towing

SarahsGMC · April 23, 2014

How big is the thing you're towing? Towing with a half ton is hell on the truck I don't care if you have a tow package or not. Especially with the tiny gears they give us these days.

sent from my truck in a field

6.2max · April 24, 2014

I have an 08 Silverado 5.3 While towing the temp will rise to 230 or so when outside temp is above 75. When this happens I can turn the heat wide open and temp lowers to 210. I have replaced water pump, radiator, thermostat, and temp sending unit. I still see temp rising while towing, Does anybody have an suggestions?

I had a problem just like this once with a Ford (yuck) I used to own. Did everything you have done and it still overheated when I put the overcab camper on with the boat behind. No overheating when unloaded.

One day a lightbulb went on in my head. Pulled out the radiator and had a look thru the fins. Looked kind of plugged up. Took the pressure washer to it and after blowing out about 2 lbs of dead bug residue it was looking a lot better.

Put the rad back in and put a bug screen on the front. Never an issue after that.

Could be something like that - not enough air flow thru the rad.

Shaners · April 25, 2014

when my dash reads 210 the ecu is reading 192 per my edge insight... just a thought....

Same here! My idiot gauge is about +20 degrees.

dsblue2000 · June 27, 2014

I have a 2005 tahoe with a 5.3L and trailer towing package with increased cooling. I didn't see an answer to the question of if is it happening uphill or not. Even so, 75 degrees is a very mild day to see such temperatures IMHO unless you're doing some serious climbing in lower gears (like here in CA).

As a point of reference, 195-205 (see below) is normal for mine under nearly all conditions except towing on hot (90-105) days and climbing long hills in 2nd gear (a little too much trailer for the 5.3L). It can climb to 220-235 then abruptly drop down to 205 or so. I'm assuming the second cooling fan is kicking in but cannot be sure. I'd like to learn how to set this lower or at least find out.

I have an Aeroforce scanner and love it. It is much more accurate and quicker to show changes in engine and trans temp. (there seems a very long lag between engine changes and the dash gauge). You can monitor a long list of engine and trans functions with this one - I now consider it or one like it a must for towing.

www.aeroforcetech.com/products_interceptor.html