Hello all, i've been trying to track down a cooling issue I'm having with my '03 Durango 4.7. She runs fine but the temp starts to creep up whenever I'm in stop and go traffic. She never overheats but gets to the 3/4 mark on the temp gauge. She usually runs around the half way mark. I've owned my Durango for 4 years now and have put about 100k miles and have never known it to do this.

So, in an effort to fix this issue before I get stuck by the side of the road, I've been replacing parts in an effort to bring the temps back to normal. I changed the t'stat, water pump, upper radiator hose (T fitting was cracked), radiator cap, and did a flush and fill. I also swapped coolant fan relays which had no effect and checked the under hood fuses.

When I started working these issues, I thought I saw the electric fan running but I may have been mistaken. Should the electric fan run whenever the A/C is on? At what point should the electric fan come on in regards to the temp indicated on the gauge? I work at Autozone part time and looked up a fan motor but we don't have one listed and a factory style fan costs $278. Are the fan motors replaceable? Any help you guys could provide would be appreciated.

 

about half way is the correct place for it to sit, it will go up a little bit in stop and go traffic, especially if you have the a/c on, but 3/4 sounds to me like the hash mark on the high end, which is too much

good start, did you have the radiator checked to make sure that it doesnt have hot spots? im sure magic will fill you in on that one when he sees this and is your heater core flowing properly?

the e-fan goes on when the temps hit 212 or so (just a little above the 'high' mark which i believe is 210)

yes the efan should run whenever the a/c is turned on,

and when you say factory style fan do you mean the clutch fan, or the factory e-fan?

also check your clutch fan, make sure it is not worn out, with the engine off spin it by hand, if it goes more than 1/2 a turn replace it (for reference mine only spins equal to the distance from one blade to the next)

 

I checked the fan clutch and I believe it's good to go. With the engine cool, I spun the fan and it turned about 20 degrees or so. When the engine gets hot, the fan engages and I know this because my Durango does an awesome impression of a swamp fan boat, LOL

The e-fan does not turn on when the A/C is on so i'm thinking that's my issue. Does anyone know where if I can change just the motor? If not, what's a good/cheap source for a fan? I prefer to use a factory replacement electric fan instead of going through the hassle of splicing and aftermarket one in.

I guess my next step is to verify that I have 12 volts going to the fan and jump the fan with a 12 volt source to see if it comes on.

 

replace with factory stocker stat and burb burb burb. If all else is good, that will do it.

IndyD

 

yup your clutch fan sounds like it is fine

i would call the dealer(at least for a part number to call around with), or check a local junkyard, but bring a 12 volt power source with you to check it first(only problem here is you dont know how much life the fan would have left in it).

 

Check for voltage and replace the entire unit as a whole. No on just the fan motor swap.

 

Or you can crawl under the D and look for a green-colored clip that connects the efan to the relay. Unhook the clip and run a direct feed from the battery to the clip. If the fan turns on, check the relay, you can switch the relay with another one in the PDC cause they're the same. If the efan doesn't turn on with a direct feed, then you have a blown fan motor and need to replace it with a stock from dealer or upgrade like some here have done. Do a search on efans and you will see your options. HTH.

 

Update: Turns out it was the e-fan. I looked at getting a replacement locally and online. Ebay had no-name fans for 85-125 plus shipping. Local auto parts stores had them for 110-120 for no-names and 225 for Dornan's. I ended getting a Dornan for $85 shipped from Amazon. I installed it last night and drove it all day today with no problems what-so-ever and ice cold A/C blowing. Life is good

 

Glad you found and fixed the problem. Congrats! Thanks for updating us.

 

I am glad you found it but I am going to offer a hopefully helpful suggestion...if nothing else peace of mind and with the high mileage possibly catching some problem sooner rather than later.

Get a infrared digital thermometer, check at various locations around the radiator (as many as you can get with the condenser in the way, you want to use a cool shaded area. Also use the condenser side...not the engine side.

Check around the various spots for temperature extremes, hot/cold spots. Extreme temp ranges could indicate radiator blockage,a couple of degrees difference might be o.k. but extreme temperatures should be investigated further at the least a full radiator flush.

Also, did the mechanic do a block flush? There are drain plugs on the 4.7 about middle on the block.......DO NOT CONFUSE WITH THE FREEZE PLUGS Which are tapped and sealed in.