On my 95 ram 1500 5.9 the temp goes up to 200 and then gradually goes up to 220 then back down to 200. Im starting to smell antifreeze so i think it might be leaking somewhere. The heat isnt blowing very warm so I dont know if the core is plugged or if i need a waterpump? A couple weeks ago I put a new radiator in it b/c it was leaking and I poured 1 gallon of straight in it and topped it off with 50/50. Now the radiator has like black dirty water in it. Im not sure what is going on or if the block just needs flushed or what. Someone please help me out. -Dave

 

You might have a leaky head gasket... I'd flush the block (should have done that when you put the radiator in) and do a pressure test on the cooling system to see if there is a leak. Also there is a kit you can get at the auto parts store to see if you have exhaust gases in your cooling system... sign of a leaky head gasket.

 

i got a 96 dodge ram indy and mine did that and then stoped i looked in the owners book and it say that if you live in warm climates it will do that so where do you live

 

I live in Ohio and its like 5 degrees right now so I dont think the warm climate thing applies for me. Hey steve I pressure tested the radiator and its leaking slightly around the thermostat housing but I couldn't see any other leaks. I put about 16psi in it and it held it for about 10 minutes and then it started to go down a little and thats when I noticed the thermostat housing leaking a little. Whats that exhaust gas tester called that tells you if your head gaskets are bad? Im trying to narrow it down but I think it might be that little bypass hose inside the waterpump that you cant really see without pulling the pump. Theres a little play in it so I might just replace it anyway.

 

Look at the base of the thermostat gasket housing (front of engine, behind the a/c compressor). Every single one of them ends up leaking so that would be a good place to start. If it is leaking replace the gasket and the thermostat (might as well). When installing the gasket, make sure the housing and the intake are both very clean and dry. Smear a very thin layer of RTV sealant onto both sides of the gasket when you reassemble. If thats not the problem, look at the water pump for leakage. I've seen very very few head gaskets leak on these things...they finally got something right. Good luck!

 

Moparman... Change that t-stat housing gasket but use the one from Dodge, it has sealant in the gasket already. Ive used 2 of them already and neither has leaked. didn't have to add anything to it, just put the gasket on dry and your good to go. Change the bypass hose right next to the t-stat housing, that's the one that is a bitch to change. then put a new radiator cap on it. You might have a couple of problems... 1 being the leak, which I wouldnt think would raise your temp unless the waterlevel was low and then the temp issue. If it still has a problem after you do the above 2 things, then look at your fan clutch...

the fact that you have black dirty water in your system makes me think you might have a leaky head gasket, I'm not sure what the kit is called for checking for exhaust gases in the cooling system but the parts store guys should know.

The other thing I'd do in all this is flush your cooling system, do it the same time as when you change the t-stat... What I do is drain, fill with just water run it, drain it and do this a few times until it comes out clean, then use the prestone stuff and follow their directions. Once that's all done, then when you drian out the prestone stuff, then change the t-stat. You might have alot of sludge in your motor and it's causing an issue with your cooling. I had that same sludge in the bottom of my overflow bottle and cleaned and flushed my motor and never have a cooling issue...

 

Thanks a lot for the help. I'll get that gasket from mopar today and im going to replace the waterpump because i noticed antifreeze on the hood and on top of the shroud so im guessing that the waterpump is leaking onto the fan and blowing it all around. Should I flush the system fist prob. before i put on the new pump?

 

the water turned black-----thats nothing to to do with the thermostat----sounds like head gasket seaping alittle------these engines are easy to replace gaskets on if your a mechanic---if you do it be sure and have the heads magnifluxed and tested for cracks while their off--good luck, but I promise the thermostat not gonna do it might get rid of the smell.

 

I'd flush the cooling system before changing anything, that way the system will be clean when you put in the new parts.

 

A leaking head gasket would cause either oil or exhaust gasses to enter the cooling system. If it is oil check your oil levels, and also check the oil for water in it. The coolaant would be foamy, and also kinda pearly like parking lot puddles. If its exhaust gas I really dont know how to check for that, but it would mean that likewise water would enter the combustion chamber, so maybe check for white smoke out of the tailpipe. Check your water levels over a period of time. If the gasket is leaking, or anything for that matter you should be loosing a good amount of water at 200 degrees.