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paul
Dodge Dakota
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4/29/2003
17:59:40
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 Subject: need serious help
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I am spending myself in the poorhouse on my 97 3.9, trying to cool it. I replaced thermostat. Hoses, clutch fan, coolant flush, cap. last year and half did the timing chain and replaced water pump.
Are the temp sensors in the habit of going bad?
The problem is so intermittent. On Sunday I went to a ballgame 90 miles from home. On the way down, temp raised from 200 to about 240 and stayed there, 20 miles into the trip after ascending hill. Didn't lose power, sound funny, or anything...just noticed on the gauge.
On the way home, the gauge stayed at 200 the whole way home. I thought it could be the fan not moving enough air, so I bought a clutch from pep boys. With that clutch, I got to about 240 in the ATM driveup line. Took it off and replaced with old one (210k)it ran fine at low speed, but freeway and hills produced the above.
I put on one from a 2001 3.9. New clutch and fan...the blades were a little different, but substantially similar. from 4x4 so I thought maybe a little heavier duty...
Today, on freeway got to 240 and stayed there.
Heeeeelllllpppp.....
Ideas re: radiator? temp sensor?
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Jon
Dodge Dakota
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4/29/2003
20:19:29
|  RE: need serious help
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Usually vehicles don't overheat on the thruway so i would check the sensor first. Radiator could be clogged but that is unlikely on a 97 unless you just changed the coolant for the first time and it came out like sludge. I would check the temp sensor the go after a possible headgasket problem.
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SXT4ME
Dodge Dakota
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4/29/2003
20:54:46
| RE: need serious help
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Do you have to add coolant every now and then? If you do you probably have a blown head gasket.
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Jon
Dodge Dakota
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4/29/2003
21:17:02
| RE: need serious help
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One more thing, do the 97's have an egr system? I know the 1992-1996's don't. A stuck closed EGR can cause it to overheat.
-Jon
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paul
Dodge Dakota
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4/30/2003
00:54:48
| RE: need serious help
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if the head gasket were gone, though wouldn't I see emulsified water in my oil, like chocolate milk? or are there varying degrees of "goneness" to the head gasket? I just changed my oil Saturday....although very dirty, it was solid oil, not the slightest hint of "muddiness" or prestone smell, smelled like dirty oil and looked like chocolate syrup.
When it is hot, it seems like the timing gets more advanced, also. Is this just a symptom of the heat? When it cools it runs like a top, when hot it just seems like running a little faster---like more advanced.
Where is the EGR located on the 97 3.9?
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Jon
Dodge Dakota
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4/30/2003
08:53:16
| RE: need serious help
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That could be your problem right there, too far advanced timing will cause it to run hot.
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paul
Dodge Dakota
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4/30/2003
12:17:16
| RE: need serious help
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that's why I am wondering if this is an elec./computer/sensor problem. It seems as though it gets hot, then acts like timing is advanced---not advanced then runs hot, if that makes sense.
Follow this and see if it makes sense, if you would please. I replaced my old fan clutch, because when temp rose I did not hear the roar of the fan engaging. I bought a non-oem clutch and the problem continued. I figured it was bad in the box, so replaced with one from Dodge. It doesn't "lock up" either. So my thought is maybe the truck is not actually as hot as reading, as the fans are not locking. Therefore, maybe the sensor is bad, and as it climbs the computer goes into some safe mode or something which may affect my timing, or perception of timing.
For the $ 75.00 I think I will let dealer diagnose, and report my findings. I guess I could take the temp. at the sensor, but as we are talking about the difference between 200 and 220 or 40, I don't know how accurate the reading would be.
Has anyone alse has the temp. sensor go out?
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viperdak6
Dodge Dakota
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4/30/2003
14:06:10
|  RE: need serious help
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there's no egr valve on our daks from '97 and up, and i'm pretty sure that up to a '96 there is an egr valve...but i'm positive that there isn't one from '97 and up
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IntenseDak39
*GenIII*
4/30/2003
15:23:39
| RE: need serious help
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if you drove your truck on the highway with full coolant than there is no way you should over heat even without a fan on. Here is something to do to see if you are getting circulation from the water pump.
1. take your radiator cap off (when cold!)
2. start your truck
3. if your coolant isnt already full, top it off
4. let it run till it warms up a little
5. pull the throttle shaft forward to rev the motor up good
6. check to see if the water level goes down then up
if it does, then your pump is working good... if it doesnt... you might check into that. Now dont just tap the throttle shaft.. pul it so your truck goes at least 3000 rpm to really stir the water.
my guess is either a faulty sensor, the needle might be off on the gauge cluster (did you ever have the check engine light come on when the needle got pegged on the temp gauge?) or a faulty water pump.
Just in case you dont know where the sensor is, its on the front of the intake manifold next to the heater bypass hose (next to the bigger radiator hose). Its a tiny sensor so either it will cost next to nothing or it will be a furtune. If you have another dakota buddy or magnum buddy, just ask them if you could just take theirs off and put it on your truck to see if thats the problem before you shell out the money.
1998 Regular Cab V6 Auto
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paul
Dodge Dakota
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4/30/2003
17:11:19
| RE: need serious help
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thanks for the suggestions. I have a crate motor that I can borrow the sensor from, otherwise--next stop dealer...
I thought maybe I had an air pocket in the cooling system from reading the posts, so I thought I might "burb" the system. I took off the cap, filled filler neck and started with cap off until it got to normal op. temp.---quite a bit of water spilled out as the level rose. I noticed that while running the level seemed to move a bit in the neck. I think I will try the water pump test suggestion. I checked receipts etc. and saw that I changed non-oem pump that disintegrated in 10k mi. with mopar pump about 40k ago. Think the pump could be bad already? no coolant leakage or bearing noise. Orig pump lasted to 150k plus.
Needle never pegged to the 260 line, just to hottest line on the 3 "fingers" in the center of the gauge, what is that anyway---240? 230?
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IntenseDak39
*GenIII*
4/30/2003
17:25:56
| RE: need serious help
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well if the water is moving in your filler neck then it sounds like the pump is working fine. I would just check that sensor.
how much would you say you filled your coolant?
also, are you running a 50/50 solution of prestone and water?
1998 Regular Cab V6 Auto
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paul
Dodge Dakota
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5/01/2003
00:58:23
| RE: need serious help
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I had put in 50/50 premix peak when I changed the thermostat. I opened drain at bottom of radiator and at first---i.e. 2 seconds, some muddy sludge trickled out. Then some greenish coolant came out. I put the hose in the fillerneck and tried to fill the radiator. Shortly all that came out was clear water, when I say shortly, I mean I had less than one minute of drainage of green coolant. I didn't have time to flush so I closed valve and topped off with the pre-mix. took only a half gallon. The next day I had commercially flushed, or rather vacuum sucked and replaced with their 50/50. What came out was kind of brown and foamy. BUt still after flush it runs hot. Maybe a radiator problem?
Even with upper and lower hose on, if drain is opened and rad cap off, shouldn't the complete radiator drain???
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Deep Purple
Gen III
5/01/2003
07:59:10
| RE: need serious help
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An easy way to check if the radiator is plugged is; remove the bottom hose and plug the hose outlet with something that can be easily removed. Fill the radiator with water. The remove the plug from the lower outlet. Water should gush out. If it runs out slow, there is a good chance the radiator is stopped up. This is not a foolprof test, but it will give you an idea of the radiators condition. Aluminum radiators should only be replaced. Cleaning or flushing doesn't seem to help. Good luck.
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kelly coker
Dodge Dakota
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5/01/2003
09:10:44
| RE: need serious help
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i had a slight overheatting problem with my 99 3.9 for a short while. i checked the thermostat and radiator, hoses everythingi could think of, nothing. finally i had it checked out and there was not a problem found, but it did not act up after that and it has run fine and done good since then. so i really can not help you just wanted to get my two cents in.
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vern
Dodge Dakota
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5/01/2003
16:55:49
| RE: need serious help
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also check the top rad hose when the truck is warmed up rev the engine to see if the hose is collapsing
i had a 81 5.2 do this.
good luck
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paul
Dodge Dakota
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5/02/2003
01:36:19
|  RE: need serious help
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well I went to the dealer today. They talked me into a t-stat although I just changed mine on Saturday. BUt, I figured mine was from pep boys and with applying diagnostic charges it cost me another 40 bucks. Needless to say this was not it. They knew it too, as they called just as I was to pick up my truck and said---we found another problem---your heater core is shot. The inlet is hot but outlet cold. This was after assuring me the truck ran cool thanks to their tstat replacement.
I followed the advice of the posts re: heater core. modified it just a tad. I used 2 female ends, one on inlet, connected to garden hose, run into 30 gallon storage tub, the other on the outlet, connected to the house. Flushed heater core. water was pretty clean, not muddy looking. BUT, there was a little "turd" that came out and many little pebbly looking pieces of debris.
it seems to run a little cooler and the heater is A LOT hotter. I plan to do this about 3 times to make sure I get it all, and now feel that there is no way some of that brown clay type stuff didn't make its way into my radiator. Plan to put an HD radiator on this weekend, and next step aux. tranny cooler. It will run cool, damnit!
Thanks for all your help. INcidentally, the dealer wanted 1600 for the heater core replacement.
Any model numbers for HD radiator? will fit with my shroud?
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kelly coker
Dodge Dakota
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5/02/2003
02:48:15
| RE: need serious help
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im not sure about the modle number or even the brand but i got a good HD rad a while back for like $250 that was American made with a lifetime warrenty and all that good junk. and it was all steel as oppose to the plastic and aluminum ones Dodge started in 1994. it was twice the size (and weight) but it did alot better job keeping the engine cool and the shroud fit still and there were no problems with the rest of the fit either.
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buy oem softw
Dodge Dakota
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2/12/2012
13:50:18
| CyzLwoRuhcimOM
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mAGAA3 Read, of course, far from my topic. But still, we can work together. How do you feel about trust management?!...
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