Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) not enough power to tow!!!

[lorlando]

i have a 2001 sport 3500 6x6 towed this week in jersey elevation 1803 ft at a 3% to 6 % grade had it floored up hill the hole time. mpg that was a joke! it has a 3:54 rear , my camper is about 8000 lbs. temp was raiseing non stop(granted it was 95 degress)need advise please

 

[jwilliams3]

You need an Edge EZ.

 

[Briar Hopper]

More information, please, has it towed okay in those conditions before? Meaning, this just now started happening? Auto or manual?

You might want to check your fuel pressure. I've had a few friends experience a tremendous loss of power that was noticeable only when towing, and they discovered it was a bad lift pump.

 

[monkfarm]

Yeah, not quite enough info here. Is it an auto, did you leave it 5th gear the whole time, or what kind of r's were you pulling up there. Don't want to make you sound (dumb), mayb there is something wrong there. Even stock, you should b doing better than that.

 

[Mad Bomber]

What about the fuel pressurer? sounds likes it's starved for fuel (lift pump)

 

[andrewkoperdak]

I would investigate your fuel Xfer pump. Mine went bad in 15000 miles and I suspect from other symptoms i had that it was bad from the day I bought it. I run a 6000 pound 5th wheel at sea level to 8000 feet without any power problems. Do you have a fuel pressure gauge? My instal of my gauge was what convinced DC that I had a problem. In fact they were using my gauge to make the reporst the DC. Check my sig you will see that I have the same 3. 54 ratio. My average mpg is 19. 35 calculated by had over 37 tanks.

 

[Bigsaint]

At 1803 FT. you must have been pulling the hill at High Point State Park ??? Nothing more to add then was posted above.



Scott W.

 

[Turbo Trucker]

Well when pulling 8000 pounds up a 6% grade, yeah you're gonna have to floor it.

 

[speedracer]

Especially if you are too high a gear(i. e. don't have enough rpm). If you're pulling a significant load up a hill with a manual transmission and a stock engine, you'll need to downshift to get the rpm up to where the horsepower is.