Hello all,

I have a newly acquired Dodge Ram 1500 5.2l that initially had a small radiator leak on the upper left side. It wasn't overheating or losing much fluid so I didn't immediately repair it. yesterday while driving to work it began to overheat going down the road. When it was almost to the red I could hear a sound like a box of rocks being shaken up that sounded like it was coming from under the glove compartment area. The temperature would then lower back to normal operating temp, but soon began to overheat. This cycle continue until I could get it home. Before driving it home I did top off the radiator fluid and it continued the cycle.

I'm thinking the water pump started to go out. Any other advice or knowledge before i replace the water pump and repair the radiator?

Thanks in advance.

 

Check your oil.

If the oil looks ok, replace the radiator, refill the system, and burp it out. (if it is still making noise, find out where its coming from, and then, fix it.) Don't replace the pump just yet until you are sure you have to.

 

The box of rocks under the glove compartment was probably air in the heater core (from the core boiling). Second gens are old enough now that heater cores are going to be failing a lot anyway, so you might consider replacing yours when you have an opportunity, hopefully before it starts spewing steam at your windshield and making puddles on the floor.

Since you're already planning to replace the water pump and radiator, and might be considering the heater core, too, you should flush the ever-lovin' you know what out of the cooling system. It's a good idea to do so every four or five years on older engines anyway so the rust and scale don't get the opportunity to plug passages -- but doing so will expose any leaks that were going to wait a few thousand more miles before appearing. The flush doesn't cause them, it just brings them to light a little sooner.

Myself, I'd also replace at least the bypass hose while there, and consider replacing all radiator and heater hoses. I'm one who values peace of mind so much that I don't care if I could've got another 10,000 or 20,000 miles out of a hose or belt. I like knowing that if I had to cross the country tomorrow I could just turn the key and go without worrying that some greasy old drunk in some backwood garage is going to get an opportunity to charge me five times retail for some part he's got that I need.