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StNickless
@tmodns.net

StNickless to PhilAIV

Anon

to PhilAIV

Re: Dodge Durango Overheating nightmare...

Lets go in the correct direction this time shall we ?

The TRANNY is causing it.
TRANNY cooler is in the bottom of the radiator.

Forget spinning on radiator and thermostat, waterpumps leak on those but NEVER have flow problems.
The exhaust valves will tulip like a corsage on a school girls shoulder, but the head gaskets never blow.

I have personally seen that exact same vehicle get so many warranty tranny replacements you wouldn't believe (1 in mind had 12 replacements by 15k miles before chisler ...err Chrysler... bought it back from the owner).

Pull the trans dipstick.
Smell it.
You'll know.

EliteData
EliteData
Premium Member
join:2003-07-06
Philippines

EliteData

Premium Member

said by StNickless :

Lets go in the correct direction this time shall we ?

The TRANNY is causing it.
TRANNY cooler is in the bottom of the radiator.

Forget spinning on radiator and thermostat, waterpumps leak on those but NEVER have flow problems.
The exhaust valves will tulip like a corsage on a school girls shoulder, but the head gaskets never blow.

I have personally seen that exact same vehicle get so many warranty tranny replacements you wouldn't believe (1 in mind had 12 replacements by 15k miles before chisler ...err Chrysler... bought it back from the owner).

Pull the trans dipstick.
Smell it.
You'll know.
would an external cooler help ?

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30

Doctor Olds to StNickless

Premium Member

to StNickless
If the automatic transmission is the "cause" to the OPs overheating "complaint", what is the "correction"? Buying replacement transmissions surely can't be your suggestion? I don't see anything that you suggest as a correction.

StNickless
@tmodns.net

StNickless

Anon

I'm not a person that TELLS other people what thier decision should be.

It's 15 second simple.

Pull dipstick - 5 seconds
Smell fluid on tip - 2 seconds
Gag reflex pause - 8 seconds

He has changed the thermostat...who cares if it isn't the right temp, it didn't change anything.
He changed the radiator and fan clutch to no avail.

Strangely enough, I didn't say he should, or should not ahve changed those. It isn't up to me.

If the trans is as cooked as I know it in all probability is...
he can have the trans changed out with a used or a rebuilt unit.
He can have the trans rebuilt.
He can *try* an aftermarket cooler, but they have little success when it's a "manufacturer refuses to recall it" defective transmission.
He can keep driving it as it is and hope for the best (soe sorta Jesus in the back window sticker may or may not help).

He can also sell the damn truck.

Fuck, it's not my truck or my money.
What do you expect me to say....I care ?
PhilAIV
join:2002-02-16
Carrollton, GA

PhilAIV

Member

It is a Dodge, so it probably does have a bad transmission or at least will.

If I ever get it fixed, it will be sold. Biggest pain in the butt. It is nice, but not nice enough for the headache.

I wish it had a blown head gasket at least then I'd know what the problem was and unfortunately know that it would cost a whooping $400 to fix it. Even without a pressure test being done, with all the mileage I've had to drive (it to see if it still overheats) by now the oil would be milky or the exhaust would be puffing white smoke.

***How would someone check to the water pump to make sure it is pushing enough coolant through it?

Thanks.
61999674 (banned)
Gotta Do What Ya Gotta Do
join:2000-09-02
Here

61999674 (banned) to Doctor Olds

Member

to Doctor Olds
said by Doctor Olds:

If the automatic transmission is the "cause" to the OPs overheating "complaint", what is the "correction"? Buying replacement transmissions surely can't be your suggestion? I don't see anything that you suggest as a correction.
My guess is he works for a Tranny place and the answer to every problem is a new Tranny.

If the Trans is shifting properly and the vehicle isn't being overloaded, I can't see the connection.

If we wanted to go with off the wall possibilities, maybe one or more of the brakes is sticking "sometimes" and creating extra load on the engine, overheating can result.
cahiatt
Premium Member
join:2001-03-21
Smyrna, GA

1 edit

1 recommendation

cahiatt to StNickless

Premium Member

to StNickless
said by StNickless :

Forget spinning on radiator and thermostat, waterpumps leak on those but NEVER have flow problems.
I have replaced two water pumps in the past on 318/360 Chryslers where the vanes were rusted and killed coolant flow....

Of course he may have the 4.7 but can't rule it out as an impossibility.
PhilAIV
join:2002-02-16
Carrollton, GA

PhilAIV

Member

It is a 4.7 liter.

The dealer seems to think there is still some stop leak in the engine causing the coolant flow to be restricted causing it to overheat after the twenty or thirty minutes.They recommend dropping the engine and breaking it down to clean it all out along with a whole new system (replacing everything that hasn't already been replaced).

bryanviper
join:2002-10-12
Toronto, CAN

bryanviper

Member

said by PhilAIV:

It is a 4.7 liter.

The dealer seems to think there is still some stop leak in the engine causing the coolant flow to be restricted causing it to overheat after the twenty or thirty minutes.They recommend dropping the engine and breaking it down to clean it all out along with a whole new system (replacing everything that hasn't already been replaced).
Wow a little extreme no? & that might not even fix the issue. sounds more like a we dont know what the issue is so we are going to replace every part in the cooling system this way we got to hit the problem.... right?....right?
PhilAIV
join:2002-02-16
Carrollton, GA

PhilAIV

Member

Yep, just a tad extreme.

It's sad that two independent mechanics as well as the dealer have no clue.

StNickless
@tmodns.net

StNickless

Anon

I have seen piss poor mechanics at the dealership, just because they work there does NOT mean they know how to repair a vehicle.

In the same light, I have seen absolutely brilliant mechanics work at WalMart. You have to take a poor job if you need work and nothing good is presented.

Of course the inverse is the norm.

I would find some mechanic ...somewhere else?!? that is willing to actually diagnose the vehicle before replacing 1 single part, save for maybe that little thing (such as a fan relay or thermostat) that would be considered a *just in case* as a part of the diagnosis.

Has anyone tested the coolant to make sure it's 50/50 ???
If coolant is too much coolant to water ratio it WILL overheat.

bryanviper
join:2002-10-12
Toronto, CAN

bryanviper to PhilAIV

Member

to PhilAIV
So what do you plan on doing then? I'm sure doing that at the dealer is going to be way to expensive?

See another mechanic maybe? lol
61999674 (banned)
Gotta Do What Ya Gotta Do
join:2000-09-02
Here

1 edit

61999674 (banned) to PhilAIV

Member

to PhilAIV
When you say "dealer" you do mean the shop at the place they sell the vehicles right?

When did you take it there? Seems like a very short time to diagnose a problem like that.

Where was this "used" radiator purchased?

I have had a water pump where the impeller broke loose from the shaft and would no longer pump.

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30

Doctor Olds to StNickless

Premium Member

to StNickless
said by StNickless :

I'm not a person that TELLS other people what thier decision should be.

[snipped rambling]

Fuck, it's not my truck or my money.
What do you expect me to say....I care ?
You were not asked either of those. Now if you want to be civil, oh wait..... never mind.
PhilAIV
join:2002-02-16
Carrollton, GA

PhilAIV to StNickless

Member

to StNickless
The dealership wanted to drop the engine and break it down to clean everything by hand which I later found out was only because they have no clue either.

No leaks. They've done multiple hydrocarbon as well as pressure tests on every cylinder & radiator.

Chrysler dealer not some used car dealer. They had it four hours before they gave their opinion. (their shop opens at 7 am)

They say it isn't the water pump... but who knows, lol.

No collapsed hoses. I wish.

Yep, definitely 50/50.

It was just delivered to a mechanic who is going to look at every single part one by one to eliminate them as being the culprit instead of dropping the engine for the hell of it.

salzan
Experienced Optimist
Premium Member
join:2004-01-08
WA State

salzan

Premium Member

said by PhilAIV:

No collapsed hoses. I wish.
Just as a note on this, a collapsed hose may look fine when the engine is off or when conditions for the collapse do not exist. The radiator return hose often has a spring inside to keep the hose from collapsing under negative pressure. You should be able to feel it by squeezing the hose. Obviously with the engine off and relatively cool.

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30

Doctor Olds

Premium Member

said by salzan:
said by PhilAIV:

No collapsed hoses. I wish.
Just as a note on this, a collapsed hose may look fine when the engine is off or when conditions for the collapse do not exist.
A collapsing hose problem is usually easy to reproduce by running the engine until at operating temp then visually watch the hoses (usually the lower hose aka the suction hose) while you increase the engine speed to simulate highway speed.

salzan
Experienced Optimist
Premium Member
join:2004-01-08
WA State

salzan

Premium Member

As said by Cho Baka See Profile,
Without a chance to see, smell and feel, anything I give you is going to be a guess.
Many of us would rule this type of problem out quickly by just being able to touch and feel things.
61999674 (banned)
Gotta Do What Ya Gotta Do
join:2000-09-02
Here

61999674 (banned)

Member

Hence the problem.

disconnected
@sbcglobal.net

disconnected to PhilAIV

Anon

to PhilAIV
said by PhilAIV:

It is a 4.7 liter.

The dealer seems to think there is still some stop leak in the engine causing the coolant flow to be restricted causing it to overheat after the twenty or thirty minutes.They recommend dropping the engine and breaking it down to clean it all out along with a whole new system (replacing everything that hasn't already been replaced).
That would be my guess as well. The engine may be clogged with Stop Leak.