Hey everyone, figured I'd come here for a last effort before I take my vehicle to the dealership and spend a crap ton of money lol.

Anyways, I'll try to make this as short as possible but also try and include everything that I can... My coolant system keeps blowing hoses off the fittings or cracking adapters from the heater core. This has been going on and off for probably about 2 years. When it first done it, the heater core hoses popped off. We put them back on bleed the system of air and it did great for about 3-4 months. It did it a few more times until now. So fast forward to this month and it has done it about 3-4 times out of no where. First the Heater core hoses popped off, then the fitting broke, then yesterday the lower radiator hose came off from the radiator ( first time that has happened ).....

It doesn't do it as soon as it gets at operating temps either. You can drive it 3+ days to 3+ months and it will be fine. But literally out of no where it will just decide to pop one of the hoses off.

I have changed the Radiator Cap and tested it, new thermostat, I have tested for combustion gases and no sign of a Head Gasket leak, I done a pressure test on the coolant system multiple times and it doesn't leak off any. I know im missing some stuff that i have done or tested, if i can remember ill comment under this.

But what could possible be going on with this vehicle? I'm at a loss with it and it keeps leaving me and my wife stranded on the side of the road.

 

Did you buy the Durango new or did you maybe buy someone else's problem? My first guess was going to be the radiator cap, but I see you've tested and replaced that. If you bought it new, have you ever had the water pump replaced? I'm not sure how a working radiator cap would allow the cooling system pressure to get high enough to blow hoses off. If you bought used, how long had you owned and driven the Durango before this started happening? Have you ever replaced the water pump? Does the temperature gauge ever suggest that the engine is about to overheat? Does your Durango have the V6 or V8?

-Rod

 

oh sorry forgot to mention... I bought the Durango used. When I bought it 2 weeks later the head gasket blown. The Dodge dealership i bought it from fixed it and i paid for the labor. We've had it 5 years and it did it once probably 2-3 years ago back at the heater core hoses. Then another 2-3 times probably a year ago... Then this past few months its done it. I live in KY and took a trip to TN and it did fine but on the way back it broke off one of the plastic lock fittings that connect to the hoses. So I replaced that and now this week it blew off the lower radiator hose.

So I dont see it being a HG but then again im no mechanic. I'd just figured if it was that then it would do it constantly.

And no the temp gauge stays right around 192-204 and doesn't go beyond that. Even right before it blows a hose off it never goes about 204 range.

 

i wonder if you have a bad temperature sensor thats not showing it as overheating, because as mentioned above overheating (usually in conjunction with a bad radiator cap) is what leads to this type of pressure build up., do you have an IR thermometer you can check the hose temperatures with to verify the temp gauge readings?