Chevy Silverado Tow Package

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.

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.

Originally posted by mcarter David, do you use the tow/haul mode? I don't

When I got my 2009 Silverado, I didn't use T/H. I also didn't use it the first year that I had the 2013. However, I started using it and have grown to like it. The engine turns less RPMs in normal driving mode but, as you know, lower RPMs don't always equate to optimal power or best fuel economy. In normal driving, sometimes the engine would "lug" a little before downshifting and the shifts, in general, seemed more frequent. Also, higher RPMs pump the transmission fluid faster - helping to keep temps down on hot days.

T/H also adjusts the alternator output - increasing for the additional demand of the trailer. This might be helpful for those that tow with the fridge on 12v. Normally, the alternator will "cut back" to "exercise" the battery (the dash voltage gauge drops to about 10) and run that way for a while. With the trailer hooked up, it would run for a LONG time in this mode - exercising the camper batteries also. I used to sometimes arrive at a campsite with batteries at less than 100%. In T/H the alternator outputs a constant 14V+.

Originally posted by mcarter Thanks David, appreciate that input. I agree with you Andy is experiencing normal stuff. I will rethink my tow switch use and test on the road.

Your welcome. However, to each his own. I got to thinking about the situation and decided that the trailer becomes "heavy" at highway speeds - due to the increased wind resistance. In town, I would not likely bother with tow/haul. Also, the battery situation was an issue.

I agree with you - it sounds like normal tow/haul to me. It's "different" and takes getting used to.

Andy,

With my Silverado with tow package, I still had to add a 30A fuse to charge battery thru the trailer connector. The tow/haul switch had no effect.