Chevy Silverado Tow Package

Originally posted by Andy I am having trouble with my 2016 Silverado tow package that the dealer has not been able to solve.  When I engage the tow package on the shift lever at times the engine will rev up ~ 500 RPM on a flat straight road.  At other times when I am pulling it uphill and it drops into a lower gear it will not reset once I have crested the hill and am going down, even when the grade assist does not kick in. For those of you who pull with a Silverado have you experienced anything like this before? Or for that matter anyone with a tow assist package. thanks for the help

I have a 2013 Silverado 1500 with the 5.3L and what you describe sounds normal to me.

Among other things, tow/haul mode adjusts the shift points of the transmission to keep the engine operating in the "power band". This is typically lower gears/higher engine RPMs. The last "shift" we feel I believe is torque converter lockup and rarely happens in tow/haul. Also, the computer will stay in the lower gear until it is certain that upshifting is OK - typically, not as quickly as in normal driving mode.

Grade assist only comes on after a bit of time going down hill.

In short the ECM (computer) is doing the thinking for us. However, it does not have eyes and it "adjusts" within it's programmed parameters. I don't know which transmission you have but, my 6 speed has the option of "paddle shifting" (like an Indy Car or Formula 1 car). With this, you can always "grab the bull by the horns" if you don't like how the computer is acting.

I am wondering why the dealer is baffled by the situation.

I am having trouble with my 2016 Silverado tow package that the dealer has not been able to solve.  When I engage the tow package on the shift lever at times the engine will rev up ~ 500 RPM on a flat straight road.  At other times when I am pulling it uphill and it drops into a lower gear it will not reset once I have crested the hill and am going down, even when the grade assist does not kick in.