96 Dakota V6
Just drove it on an 8 hour highway trip and did great. My temperature gauge slightly moves off C, I have very little heat, don't smell coolant, coolant level is great, upper radiator hose is hot after running. Ive read to check the gauge by grounding the temp sensor wire to see if it pegs out. I have not done that yet.
I don't think my truck is overheating or anything since ran great on my trip, I don think the thermostat is stuck shut since the upper hose is hot. What would make there be little heat AND a cool gauge at the same time?

Thanks!

 

Clogged up heater core. pull your heater hoses and reverse flush it. if you want you can add some cleaner to it, wisk has always seemed to be the all purpose auto secret. but make sure its fully flushed out before re-connecting.

 

I'm gunna lean towards two things, since its not overheating, and actually not warming up at all. No heat in the cab, and temp gauge slightly moving from the C tells me either your thermostat is stuck open, or the temperature sending unit is failing. You have 2 temp sending units, one only has one wire, which is the one that runs the gauge inside the truck, the other has two wires and is used for the PCM to take readings. The one wire sensor is the one you want to short out to test the gauge. If that checks out okay, I would change the thermostat. Make sure that if you do change the thermostat, properly burp the cooling system before driving. Run the heat on high while burping the system, that way the coolant is travelling every path it was intended to, to get the air out.

 

Thanks! I can do all that. I got the heater flushed about 4 years ago but im sure it cant hurt to do it again.