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Not impressed with duramax towing power

My wife has a 2015, my buddy at work has a 2006. I noticed there were times when the wife's duramax would seem to be a little sluggish and it would seem to reset after driving a good distance and shutting it off then starting it again. My buddy told me there is an automated setup on the newer Duramax engines to where they go through an automated cleaning of the emissions control crap and will feel a little sluggish. I don't understand all this new technology and Eco crap, but my guess is that may be what was going on with yours. I know when my wife and I go over the Donner summit the Duramax pulls like a beast.
 
There are always a lot a factors that will also determine fuel mileage. I always learned that when towing if you will drive by egt's you will maximize your mileage the lower you can keep them the better. A good tail wind can make up to 2 mpg and a bad head wind can hurt up to 2 mpg. Your mileage always starts to drop when you start pushing over 70 or so and over 2000 rpm's towing
 
Everyone I know that has a newer one with the DPF says it sucks. The harder you run it the more it has to regen to clean it, which consist of dumping fuel to the filter to heat it up to burn it clean. Which kills the power and mileage when it happens.
 
I'm also curious how many miles are on it and what gear you're pulling in.

I will say as a GM tech though, a dealership will not find a thing wrong in this situation. If it's not setting a code, or have an obvious drive ability issue there's just not anything they can do.

Also as a duramax enthusiast myself I'll say you will never be disappointed if you deleted the emissions and tuned it. Makes all the difference in the world
 
I have 16000 miles on it. I am pulling in 6th gear.

Also i don't drive 55 lol. I refuse to drive that slow. Here in texas everything is very far away. I drive a minimum of 70 everywhere i go. Normally it's closer to 85. So i know part of my fuel mileage problems are from that. I drive a lot of highway miles. I drive whole tanks that are all highway and the best i have got empty running 70 mph is 18.9mpg.

I got 11 mpg hauling my 3000 lb boat 120 miles each way.
 
gonefishin said:
I have 16000 miles on it. I am pulling in 6th gear.

Also i don't drive 55 lol. I refuse to drive that slow. Here in texas everything is very far away. I drive a minimum of 70 everywhere i go. Normally it's closer to 85. So i know part of my fuel mileage problems are from that. I drive a lot of highway miles. I drive whole tanks that are all highway and the best i have got empty running 70 mph is 18.9mpg.

I got 11 mpg hauling my 3000 lb boat 120 miles each way.
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That sounds like my driving in Texas too. My mileage starts droping when I run 75 and up down the highway.
Doesn't sound like it's off that much for that kind of driving. Try pulling that heavy load in 5th sometime and see if it makes a difference.
 
I can't even fathom the idea of burning down a highway at 75+ with 10,000+lbs on the back, that's asking to kill someone or yourself. But our speed limit is 55 just about everywhere. But regardless of truck, 10k won't stop at 75mph.
 
well i have great trailer brakes and the brakes on the truck are also almost new.... it stops plenty fast. i can turn the controller up to the point that i feel the trailer brakes pulling me backwards... we even have 85 mph speed limits here in texas.
 
what we are getting at is all the rest of the drivers around you cause the problem .

and just cause you can don't mean you should .
 
yea i know, but i do. There isn't traffic anywhere around me. It is just wide open road. been doing it 15 years not going to stop now
 
I don't really think guys in states that are a long ways from Texas, should be scalding the guy about speeds. Nevada, Arizona, NM, Texas... lots of those open states with thin populations have high speed limits and even the 18 wheelers are pushing some pretty high speeds. I live in CA, probably the most crowded, worst traffic state in the union. Our speed limit for trucks pulling trailers is 55mph. I set my cruise at 59mph, to avoid the fuzz. If cops were not a concern, I'd have no problem doing about 65-68mph while towing, even with traffic the way it is here. 70+, no thanks, fuel mileage just crashes hard in the mid 70's range.
 
gonefishin said:
yea i know, but i do. There isn't traffic anywhere around me. It is just wide open road. been doing it 15 years not going to stop now
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If you've got good trailer brakes and you can stomach the fuel usage, hammer down buddy.
 
don't get me wrong guys if there is traffic or any thing else dangerous i drive very reasonably.
 
I just did a 488 mile round trip today with the 2001 K2500HD I bought from Greg last year. Drove and pulled like a dream with the 8.1 and Allison. I picked up an '86 M1008 and had no trouble keeping the speedo pegged at 78-79 mph on cruise control. I started out with a full tank and had to fill up three times to get back home. Each fill up was about 10 gallons+. I didn't care what mileage I got. I just wanted to get the truck and get back home. Period. When you have a motor this big I don't care what mileage it gets. It has all the power I need to keep up with all the little cars and more to pull a heavy load back home. I was even passing cars coming back home. I believe if you're going to use a big truck to haul with you should not complain about mileage because you gotta pay to play.
 
Teck said:
Everyone I know that has a newer one with the DPF says it sucks. The harder you run it the more it has to regen to clean it, which consist of dumping fuel to the filter to heat it up to burn it clean. Which kills the power and mileage when it happens.
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I'll say this about the new trucks. If you baby them then they go into regen more often. If your using it as it was design to used, which is tow heavy and you run it hard. It will regen less if at all because the engine is making enough heat to burn it all off.

Now as to fuel mileage what you're towing and at what speed play the biggest factor. My 03 dodge when towing my Chevy will get around 14 mpg if I keep it around 1900rpms which is about 70 mph. Or I can drop the hammer at run at 85\90 and get about 10 mpg. I'm sure if I towed an rv trailer it would get different mileage numbers.
 
If you aren't running 70+ in Texas you are in the way and causing traffic problems most of the time on open highways here.
Also Texas is so big that it takes for ever to get places if your not running 80.
 
Gas prices are CHEAP nowadays! Get out and drive! Get out and start hoarding all the junk out there!

Gas is $1.49 in my hometown. The lowest I saw today was in KC at $1.21!
 
rjfguitar said:
I don't really think guys in states that are a long ways from Texas, should be scalding the guy about speeds. Nevada, Arizona, NM, Texas... lots of those open states with thin populations have high speed limits and even the 18 wheelers are pushing some pretty high speeds.
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Yeah, that cracked me up.

It's different country.

Martin
 
I say try 5th gear. Even at those speeds it will help. Also getting the motor into its power range more will help with fuel mileage.
 
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