2013 Tahoe Seems Sluggish

[FelinaWI]

I have had my 2013 Tahoe LTZ for just over a year and it just always feels sluggish when you start going from a stop. You really have to press down on the accelerator to get going. Is this normal?... is there something I need to do so it's more responsive when you step on the gas? It just feels like you almost have to floor it to really get going - which does not seem right.

Thoughts? Opinions? Thanks in advance!

 

[Joseph Garcia]

That does not sound normal to me. Other folks with a similar truck will chime in.

 

[OR VietVet]

Several things can cause this sensation. Dragging brakes, especially in areas of the country where there is salt on the roads and rust/corrosion build up at caliper slide areas. Elevate the axles and have everything in neutral and see how easy the tires spin, especially from side to side.

You may have clogged exhaust/catalytic converters. Have the back pressure checked on them.

How old are the tune related components? Air filter clogged drastically?

Fuel pressure lower than spec? Type and quality of fuel used and is there dirt in the tank that is causing a flow problem?

Transmission problems? What does the transmission look like and last time filter changed and serviced.

 

[swathdiver]

I have had my 2013 Tahoe LTZ for just over a year and it just always feels sluggish when you start going from a stop. You really have to press down on the accelerator to get going. Is this normal?... is there something I need to do so it's more responsive when you step on the gas? It just feels like you almost have to floor it to really get going - which does not seem right.

Thoughts? Opinions? Thanks in advance!

Maybe, I bet you have 3.08 gears (GU4). 3.42s (GU6) or 3.73s (GT4) are the towing gears and have more giddy-up!

Check your RPO sheet in the glovebox. Well, your Tahoe will have either of the first two, not the 3.73s from the factory.

 

[OR VietVet]

Maybe, I bet you have 3.08 gears (GU4). 3.42s (GU6) or 3.73s (GT4) are the towing gears and have more giddy-up!

Check your RPO sheet in the glovebox. Well, your Tahoe will have either of the first two, not the 3.73s from the factory.

Good catch @swathdiver. I did not see that he said in just over the year he has owned that he "always" felt the sluggishness. Those high gears feel like crap for power.

 

[FelinaWI]

Maybe, I bet you have 3.08 gears (GU4). 3.42s (GU6) or 3.73s (GT4) are the towing gears and have more giddy-up!

Check your RPO sheet in the glovebox. Well, your Tahoe will have either of the first two, not the 3.73s from the factory.

Hi thank you for writing. What am I looking for? I do see a label with a bunch of numbers and in the 5th column - 4 down I see a GU6 - really not sure what this means or what can be done if anything.

 

[Geotrash]

Hi thank you for writing. What am I looking for? I do see a label with a bunch of numbers and in the 5th column - 4 down I see a GU6 - really not sure what this means or what can be done if anything.

That's the GM code for 3.42 gears. Same ratio that I (and most others) have and it's plenty responsive and quick.

As others have said, we don't have enough information to help you diagnose this as there can be many reasons for what you're experiencing, and all will have different nuances and related symptoms/behaviors.

When you take your foot off the accelerator to coast, does it glide easily or slow down rapidly?

 

[swathdiver]

Hi thank you for writing. What am I looking for? I do see a label with a bunch of numbers and in the 5th column - 4 down I see a GU6 - really not sure what this means or what can be done if anything.

That's it, that's your gear ratio, 3.42s. Like Dave mentioned, they should give you plenty of get up and go. So now we need to know a little more, like what kind of tires do you have? Do you keep a lot of stuff in the truck weighing it down? How many miles are on the engine now?

 

[OR VietVet]

I loved the 3.73 gears in my 2002 but am completely happy with the 3.42's in my 2005 and it DOES have plenty of go go. Sounds like you have some other problem or feeling that makes it feel sluggish, to you. So, again, answers to my list of questions? Also, what did you drive before you got this rig? What engine and gear ratio was in that rig?

 

[Charlie207]

My Yukon (3.42s) felt sluggish compared to my Armada, which had less power/more torque & 3.36 final drive. A lot more sluggish.

Getting that BlackBear tune really woke it up between the improved throttle response and transmission reprogramming.

The problem with the 6spd is that it wants to aggressively upshift (emisions?) so there was always a pause in acceleration, or me having to preemptively doubletap the throttle pedal to trick it into downshifting.

I eventually just drove everywhere in manual mode, and shifted with the buttons. (that's how I learned about how manual mode/5th gear would turn off the DoD also)

 

[FelinaWI]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I was starting to think it was maybe the gas pedal sticking... but I will have our mechanic check things out ... I will have him also review @Geotrash list. @Charlie207 what is a BlackBear Tune?

 

[Charlie207]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I was starting to think it was maybe the gas pedal sticking... but I will have our mechanic check things out ... I will have him also review @Geotrash list. @Charlie207 what is a BlackBear Tune?

https://blackbearperformance.3dcartstores.com/AutoCal-V3-Tuning-System_p_1467.html

It is an aftermarket tune for the engine and transmission that helps to liven up the factory hardware. It was the single biggest upgrade for my truck in terms of improvement in drivability.

The owner of the company is on this forum now & then, and I think there's a dedicated vendor sub-forum as well.

 

[Geotrash]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I was starting to think it was maybe the gas pedal sticking... but I will have our mechanic check things out ... I will have him also review @Geotrash list. @Charlie207 what is a BlackBear Tune?

It is possible that you do have a bad gas pedal, but usually when they go you get codes related to it.

 

[OR VietVet]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I was starting to think it was maybe the gas pedal sticking... but I will have our mechanic check things out ... I will have him also review @Geotrash list. @Charlie207 what is a BlackBear Tune?

The throttle pedal has a "throttle pressure sensor" on it but will usually set a code with a problem but sometimes that problem has to get far enough out of the parameters to set that code and what you are feeling may not be far enough out of those parameters.