Glad to be here. Before you all hate me, I ran all sorts of searches and couldn't find the similar situation. If its been posted, I apologize. Anyway, I have a 96 Ram 2500 V10 8.0L. This is my third Ram and I'm pretty good with working on them. Here's the situation... I bought the truck in August and when I bought it I was under the impression the temp gauge didn't work. Shortly after I realized the temp gauge was working due to the heat outside but the truck wasn't running at 190 degrees. More like 145ish. Now that its winter here in Vermont , its freezing outside. Trucks been running at 130 if its lucky with no heat obviously. So immediately I knew it was the thermostat. I replaced it today but not the gasket (I was seriously pressed for time and the old gasket was stuck in there pretty good, oh and the old thermostat was stuck open like I assumed). Anyway I put some antifreeze in the radiator and started her up. After 15 mins of idling, the temp gauge was up to 180 and heat was very warm but not hot. A quick spin around the block brought the temp to 160ish and not so warm heat. Ran out of time and had to head home 20 minutes at 50 MPH in 8 degree weather. Temp was at 160ish with very little to no heat. Parked it and popped the hood to hear a gurgling radiator and a hot upper radiator hose but a cold lower hose and an almost ice cold engine... I'm stumped

 

Also its gas not diesel, not sure if diesel comes in that model but just wanted to clarify

 

Still need to bleed the air out of the radiator. Try and get the passenger side/front of the truck higher than the rest If possible and take off the rad cap and idle the truck longer. If that doesn't work you should pull the tsat and test it, then put it in the right way/seated correctly. If ya still got problems you might wanna look at the temp sensor.

And the diesels are a 5.9l inline 6...all v10s are gassers

 

+ 1 ^

 

did you put in a 180 or 195 thermostat? that'll make a pretty big difference as to the heat you get in the cab. I recently chanced my 180 to a 195 and wow, what a difference it made.

 

There is probably a blockage somehwere in the cooling system.. or the water pump is shot.

 

I'm going to agree with Matt, air bubble: Burp that sucker again.

 

i have a 180 t-stat in mine, and it still tries to kick me outta the truck. doesnt matter what stat you got in there, you should get some heat.

as stated, burp the system, you got air in there somewhere.