towing with 2000 chevy 2500

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
Bought a new to me 2000 Chevy 2500 4X4 with 6.0 V-
8 gas, 4L80E automatic, and 4:10 gears. The manual
says to use the tow button on the gear selector
when towing a heavy load. My question is what
determines a heavy load. I have a 24 foot
gooseneck flat bed trailer that I will haul hay
weighing 11,000 lbs, tractors from 2500 to 10,000
lbs, and a popup camper. Is it better sometimes to
put it in (3) so it doesn't go into overdrive but
shifts at lower RPMs? Is it ever ok to tow with it
in overdrive. Thanks for the help. This is my
first pickup with overdrive. Don't want the tranny
to go out some day because I did stupid.
 
Tow haul mode changes the shift points and will make it hold a gear longer, as well as keeping the converter unlocked to help with unwanted constant shifting. It will shift into overdrive, but most of the time the converter wont be in full lockup. Use it with no worries. I had an '03 with the same set up that we hauled cattle with, it held up every day. I use mine anytime there is a trailer hooked behind.
 
I only had a half-ton v6, but I almost always ran tow mode with it, especially on the highway. It keeps the convertor locked up tight to prevent heating (heat is an auto transmission's worst enemy) the transmission fluid. I could run 60-65 with a light throttle and it would never shift or unlock, if I kept my speed at 65 I could get 22-23MPG plus with it.

It must have changed the engine tune as well because it made that little engine feel a lot bigger, even at 70+ on the interstate.

It raises the shift points (upshifts later and downshifts earlier) so that it doesn't lug as much. So the worries that used to go along with towing in OD (mainly not pumping enough fluid at lower RPM to feed the transmission and circulate it through the cooler) are eliminated. A beneficial side effect of that is it also eliminates the hunting for the right gear.

I'm not sure (mine was a basic wt and had no cruise control) but I believe it may downshift going downhill to help hold back your speed as well.
 
No real need to ever drive in 3rd. Use D with the tow-haul on. I"ve always heard to use the tow haul if you have more than 500lbs in the bed or behind you.
 
Oh, something else, don't know if it goes back to that model year or not, but when in tow mode and pulled down to 2nd, it won't downshift to low gear when you stop. Supposed to act like traction control when it's slick out, not putting as much torque to the wheels. There was a couple hills I pulled that I kept it in 2nd and didn't realize what was going on at the stop sign at the top my first couple trips.
 
I have a '01 1500 chevy. The transmission gave it up at 80,000 mi. The sun gear spline striped. Trans man said that was typical, he installed a heavier gear with hardened splines and an extra clutch plate. Yours may have the heavy duty gear since it's a 2500 and a bigger engine.

I asked him about the tow/haul button. He said use it to get a very heavy trailer rolling, then I could turn it off... Like I can remember to do that every time!

I never use it. This trans has 170,000 mi., changed the fluid once, still looked and smelled like new when I changed it 100k back.

The few times I used tow/haul all I noticed was bad gas mileage, but then I was pulling a trailer, so no way to really tell.
 
I have a good friend who never puts his chevy in tow haul mode. I have pulled almost the same trailer with a f250 ford. I always put in tow mode with a trailer. He put a new trans in at 78000. I have 170000 on the same trans.
 
I KNOW GAS MILAGE IS NOT A CONSIDERATION WHEN TOWING ,BECAUSE LET"S FACE IT, SUCKS WHEN TOWING ANYWY. MY CHEY IS A 2011 Z-71 5.3 motor gas 3.50 REAR END AUTOMATIC. I WILL BE TOWING. 5700# TRACTOR ON TEX BRAG 18" CAR HAULER ABOUT 1100 MILES NORFOLK VA TO MASON CITY IOWA. 15MPG?
 
Hey Chuck,

I think your dreamin if you expect 15mpg. Your towing around 7700 lb and I'm gonna guess that your gonna be more like 10-13. I hope I'm wrong.
 
A guy in our club has a Chevy 3500 6.0 gas. I asked the guy who drives it. He says it's a nice truck and all but it's a wicked dog. They are pulling 10,000 lbs or more. I guess it's reliable though
 
(quoted from post at 06:06:02 03/11/14) A guy in our club has a Chevy 3500 6.0 gas. I asked the guy who drives it. He says it's a nice truck and all but it's a wicked dog. They are pulling 10,000 lbs or more. I guess it's reliable though
is a wicked dog good or bad?
 
I have had a 2000 gmc 2500, 6.0, 4.11 since new. I use tow mode when pulling my 5th wheel or 10 ton tagalong. You can uae overdrive but when in hilly terrain i don't
 
one thing that would help would be to get a chip for it if you haven't already, that would help if you are disappointed with its towing performance, just know it wont lug down as good as your old 400 ford did, got to keep the rpms high to get the power, and honestly the newer engines are designed for it, so revving it out isnt going to hurt it one bit
 
j Just talked to a guy today has a eco-boost Ford he says that it gets 22 miles a gallon running empty but when he hooks on his 24 foot car hauling trailer hid milage is never better than 9 that's about what I get 9 pulling a 25 ft goose neck and one smaller tractor.
 
Can't remember where it was but they had a comparison test of all the half-tons, and the egoboost's fuel mileage was one of the worst towing. I think the Toyota was the only one that managed to get beat by the Frod.
 
Yeah and I always hear how efficient those ecoboosts are, but everyone I know who has one says differently and how they don't have the power there said to have.
 
My opinion on the 3.5L Ecoboost is that it was not intended as a full time work motor. If it was, and if it could handle being worked consistantly, it would be in the F250 as it's advertised numbers are better than the V8 and at lower Rpm's.
 
check to see if the recall upgrades were made on it.
replaced the muffler as it would bang when cooling down, and a completely redesigned drive shaft as the old ones twisted and produced a vibration when starting off.
 
I have a 2003 HD2500 with the 6.0 I haul a 34 ft 5th wheel quite a lot, I try to use the tow/haul but sometimes forget to, I really dont notice any difference on the highway. I use regular D and it doesnt downdhift a lot.
 
Would the dealer have to look at the pickup to see if the updates had been done, and if not would GM still have to do it?
 
have the dealer run the vin number to see if it was done-don't know if they would still do it as its 13 years old
 
the 1500 has the 4LE 60 transmission and the 2500 has the 4LE 80 transmission same as the older turbo 400 but just has overdrive
 
we got some of the new police sedans at work with the ecoboost engines and they were supposed to be so good. had one that blew up on the way to the shop to get lights and stripes on it. i have a 2013 f150 work truck with a 3.5 v6 in it and it only gets 15 mpg no loads.
 

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