I have had my dodge sense Nov.

The over heating problem does not make sense at all.

It will go almost all the way up too the red but will never reach it.

My radiator is hot on the bottom but cold on the top.

Replaced the T stat. I no it could be the head gasket but there is no white smoke or even a slight smell of coolant out of the exhaust.

I can hear bubbles in the radiator I have tired multiple times to take the bubbles out.

I think the over flow tank might have a leak in it or a crack.

And when the engine does get hot it never over flows out of the over flow tube or anything like that.

I was thinking maybe a clogged rad, bad water pump, or the coolant temp sensor is bad and telling me its getting hot when its not.

When i turn the heat on when it does it hot it does not do anything like it should if it was really over heating?

I am a mechanic work on cars all day. But this truck really has me stumped!

Thanks

Brett

 

It's probably a clogged radiator, these aluminum core radiators are about shot after 10 years, just had the one in my '02 Grand Cherokee go in November.

It's very important you fix this, the biggest flaw of the 4.7 is that the aluminum heads DO NOT rebound from an overheat well. At best you'll lose the head gasket but more likely warp the heads with even a moderate overheat...

 

+1 on the radiator, especially if coolant wasn't changed often enough. My 02 4.7 had a bad radiator and now my 4.7 engine is on a stand in my garage after overheating and a piston detonating

Edit: I had a similar experience with it not reaching the red until I was giving it hell while going up a hill and it reached the red a little too quickly. Also had a new tstat, water pump, and e-fan at the time.

 

So radiator is the problem. Thats what I was thinking sense it is only hot on the bottom and the top is cold too the touch. I am taking to a shop that specializes in radiators and I am just going to have them go threw the cooling system sense I do not have time till the weekend.

One more thing my truck is hesitating like crazy. Some times it is very responsive and some times it doesnt.

Have a superchip but it didnt really do anything at all. Also have exhaust read somewhere that maybe the TB needed to have an extra ground didnt make any sense. But would like too have some more power too tow a 3 place snowmobile trailer from cali to bend oregon with. Any ideas?
But I have got to get the overheating problem fixed first.

Thanks.

 

So I should just order a new radiator then?

 

I heard that with the infrequent coolant changes, that the heater core could easilt become clogged.

What do you guys think?

 

My heater core is not clogged the radiator is possibly clogged.

 

Well, you can have the coolant system checked as planned, but 90% of the time at that age the rad is shot.

Hesitation could be anything, have you completely tuned it up yet? Whenever I buy used I do EVERYTHING, plugs, filters and replace all fluids regardless of any records the previous owner may have. Also I'd bet the throttle body is a caked up mess and needs cleaning - probably the biggest culprit for hesitation and MPG loss in these trucks that gets neglected.

BTW - grounding the TB won't do anything for you, the 4.7 isn't "fly-by-wire" until '08. You have a good, old fashioned throttle cable...

 

Yeah tune up right when i got it. New plugs, replaced a couple coil packs that were throwing codes. New oil changes. Front and rear diff are still good color and so is the tranny.

TB was actually nice and clean. Might just need to take the whole thing off and clean it but I did check and it was clean.

I run 92 too in also. Just seems like the pep is gone every once in awhile. Might go with a intake the stock is still on it. And probably going to do the e fan once I replace the radiator.

Thanks for the advice.

 

Sorry for trying to help. If you know what it is why are you wasting our time.