So this is a long question concerning my 98 Dodge Durango. A few days ago I was driving home and just a few blocks from home my car overheated a little. I stopped and let it cool down and then drove home very slowly. When I parked the car in the garage and got out I noticed coolant on the floor and light steam coming from the engine. After letting it cool off I checked the coolant overflow and it was empty. I filled it up and when I started the car the battery was dead. I jump started it and let it run for a few minutes, looked for leaks, but then it overheated again. After talking to a friend he suggested I changed the thermostat, so I did. It was still dead so I jumped it again, but this time it would not stay running unless my foot was on the gas and it still overheated. I should also add that while it was running the last time and I was looking under the hood for leaks I could feel water spraying and that my AC quit working a few days before. Anybody got any clues.
Thanks

 

Welcome to the site

Try posting in the Durango section for more help

 

Welcome to the site. I will move this thread to the first generation Durango section,
FF

 

Check the oil and make sure there isn't water in it. If so you might have a blown head gasket.

 

Had almost the same prob with mine not running and I swapped the batt out overheat issue IDK but it not running could be anything, try putting a new battery in and see how that works.

 

Try to pin point where the water is coming from, look closely around the water pump this is the most likely cause. Also sounds like a bad battery, have it load tested (I believe oriellys does this for free) to see if you need a new one. It could also be a bad connection, I just got done with that on mine wed, it wouldn't start had to jump it and it would die when I tried to drive it. It was only a little corrosion, I have not had the joy of working on A/C so some one with experience might chime in.

 

Also could be your battery temperature sensor under the battery.

As for cooling issues, find the leak and do a compression test.