hey guys my wifes 01 durango with the 5.9 is acting up again. when we first bought it almost 2 year ago we had all kinds of overheating problems that we fought for about 6 months. we ended up replacing the thermostat 3 times the water pump twice the cap twice all hoses are new and the fan clutch was new along with flushing the system multiple times. we haven't had any problems with it for close to a year but last friday when it was close to zero outside it overheated on her way to work which is about a 20 miles drive. when she came home it was fine so i topped off the coolant that she lost when she opened the cap. since i had the hood up i checked her oil to my surprise it was 3.5 quarts low. topped it off and we drove it all weekend without any problems. today it was -25 with the wind chill and it overheated again she released some pressure and let it sit for 5 mins and the gauge came down to about the half way mark and didn't get above that for the rest of her drive.also the electric fan is working so what else am i missing here? her truck runs great so i don't think it would be a head gasket but thats the only thing popping into my mind. were down to 1 truck untill i do my taxes and find a head for my ram so we really need to be able to rely on hers. i'm open to any ideas and thanks in advance for any help

 

my truck had overheating issues a while ago and ran fine, replaced hoses, caps, oil change, radiator, tstat, still had the issue. the problem ended up being a very minor passenger head gasket leak...replaced gasket and overheating is no longer an issue. If you want to make sure you have a leak before you dig into your car, i suggest buying a leak tester kit.

 

If in fact it's a head gasket leak you want to limit the miles you drive....check the engine oil for signs of liquid (white foaming).....if too much coolant gets in the oil you can spin a bearing.....of course, that's if it's a head gasket leak.

 

i guess i'll have to pick up a tester as of it doesn't show any signs of a head gasket ie coolant in oil/oil in coolant it's not smoking and doesn't have the sweet smell out the exhaust.whats strange is that it hasn't happened again since i posted this. i am actually thinking that her oil getting so low caused it. but i'll pick up a tester next time i get to the parts store. it's 75 miles round trip for me so not sure when i'll get over there