2005 Dodge Ram 4.7 liter, 4x4. I'm not even really sure this is 3rd gen, but Google says it is, and so it must be. I bought this truck a year ago with 180k miles. Check engine light was on when I bought it. Truck was running really rough up hills and such. Had a friend scan it and was misfire codes along with p2098 and he suggested I replace the spark plugs, which I did. I don't recall which cylinders were misfiring on the initial scan. Flash forward several months to my son and I taking a hunting trip. I noticed the heat was very minimal. Slightly better than lukewarm. Truck wasn't overheating. I figured I was low on coolant because it does leak. Where I do not know. Filling reservoir with coolant didn't help and eventually no heat whatsoever. Wasn't yet real cold, so I just didn't mess with it for a month or so. Then, on startup, there was a lot of white smoke from exhaust. A lot. If it sat for two hours, it would smoke. The smoke smelled like regular exhaust and not like antifreeze (except once, that smelled like rotten eggs) . I don't drive the truck much at all. 5 miles per trip, 4 times a day. So, I wasn't over on miles for an oil change, but I was over the length of time. Like a month pastdue. I got an oil change and had the radiator flushed. No more smoke. And hasn't smoked at all in several weeks. However, still no heat. And the temp gauge is reading hotter than normal. Not overheating, just hotter than normal. So, I Googled again and flushed the heater core. A little came out, but nothing extreme. I didn't know about bleeding the radiator at this point, so I just flushed and put it back together. Heat worked! For a few days. Couldn't hook up with my friend again, so I bought a scanner and cleared those old codes. Few days later the p2098 popped back up. Also, my truck is running even hotter than before, but still not overheating. My gauge in the dash doesn't have the temp numbers, just hash marks. Normal, well, when I bought it, was right around halfway between half and zero. Now it's ever so slightly under the half mark and it stays there regardless if I'm idling or cruising. Again, like I said, I only drive about 15 minutes per trip, so it's possible it could rise higher. And this is where I'm currently at. Reading a tin and learned bleeding is important, lol. I've tried every bleeding suggestion I've read. Today, I elevated the front end and from a cold start opened the bleeder valve (not out, just loosened) and I had bubbles. And bubbles and bubbles. Truck went up to the halfway mark on console temp gauge. Bubbles never really stopped, but they did slow down. Still no heat. Also, I took radiator cap off while the engine was running and the coolant was slightly warm and wasn't circulating, which I thought it should be, right? Top rad hose was hot, bottom was cool. Gave up and went to work. Got home and felt the two hoses again. Top was hot, bottom was hot too, but it was real hard. Like it was under pressure. Sorry if this is a long post, but I've read a ton here and learned y'all experts need data, lol. Hopefully I haven't missed anything. I do have a new thermostat and I'm going to install it this weekend (after I Google how, of course). And keep the head gasket diagnosis to yourselves, lol. Not really, but I really don't want that to be the case. Please, please help. As you have already, most likely, ascertained, I am not a mechanic and I would even hesitate to say I'm a DIY'er. Just broke and trying to save money, which really hasn't worked out yet because I'm $200 in this with the scanner and the million gallons of antifreeze I keep buying. Thank you all so much either way.

 

First off i would fix the coolant leak so you wont keep spending money on that at least, next for a small fee any Chrysler dealership will diagnose the problem or problems seams like you may be better off not wasting money and time and let trained techs look at it.
You can fix it yourself once they tell you what it is or they will apply the diog money towards the repair of your truck.

 

The coolant leak is minor. Not enough to notice between full service oil change.

 

Sorry i figured it was bad since you wrote this,

because I'm $200 in this with the scanner and the million gallons of antifreeze I keep buying.

 

Yeah, apologies. The million gallons (lol) was me trying to bleed. More like 4 gallons. Also got a pair of hose clamp pliers. Why anyone would use those is beyond me.

 

Also i found this out the hard way when i was 16 years old, cars will not produce any heat if theirs not coolant in the system. but if theirs coolant i would suggest the heater control valve it may be bad or cable might be bad. i hope you find the problem and best wishes.

 

Thank you. Me too.

 

Try a thermostat. Could be just that simple.

 

I will definitely update, but I really, really hope you're right.

 

Because they keep squeezing as the rubber in the hose gets softer and settles in.


It's a 4.7 You have a head leak probably. I wouldn't be surprised.