2007 3.. first time towing today. Trailer is light at just under 1k lbs. No prior known issues w truck. Today, flat open highway towing, Arizona so ambient temp was 102 today. Temp gauge crept up to top of little temp gauge icon (3/4..?) and stayed that way until I turned off AC. It came down a skosh but still higher than 1/2. Can someone offer recommendations? Is this normal to creep up and hang out there? Should coolant be changed or flushed if we keep towing? If so what type needs to be used? Any other recs? Thanks in advance.

and ps- should a parking brake fix cost $900-ish?

 

After you flush and when you replace the Dexcool, add a bottle and half of Royal Purple Purple Ice. The stuff really works!

 

Best to scan for the actual temp. Lots of discussions here about the temp gauge being no better than an idiot light.

I routinely pull a boat about 1,000 lbs, and I am right around 200 degrees. It can creep up depending on the hills, but it is really steady. For me that puts the needle about two needle widths above the center mark.

My water pump and collant was changed a year and a half ago.

 

Welcome to HF.

Your coolant temp will always go up when towing or under load.

NORMAL for your conditions and load. When it gets to the red, then be alarmed. I would be more concerned with the quality of Trans Fluid than your coolant. When was the last time you changed the Trans Fluid and Filter?

As was said, you need to scan it for actual coolant temp before going all paranoid.

We would need to know what is wrong with your parking brake to answer your question. I would fix it myself for that and do all the other brakes too.