Issue - While under load, (pulling a trailer 19') the truck will over heat. It also got warmer than normal going over a grade with 2 Quads in the back of the truck.

Background - I've taken it into our local Dodge dealer 3 times on this issue. They can see that it is overheating in the logs. They stated that they have replaced the radiator because of a blocked core. They have also replaced the electrical fan as it wasn't coming on.

The issue is still occuring and I don't have total faith in the local dealer. (Haddad) (When I first bought the truck it took them 3 days to balance the tires).

There is a plastic piece under the fan that is suppose to protect the fan, but it has fallen off a few times. Do you think this might cause some issues?

What are your thoughts? Thank you in advance!

 

Fan shroud doesn't make any difference when you are moving, but would matter when stopped. 19ft trailer could mean anything - what kind of weight are you talking about, what gears/tire size and are you in tow/haul?

 

What was the ambient temp. When this occurred?

 

How about the thermostat? It may not be opening all the way when it's needed. Also check your main hoses (radiator) make sure they are not collapsing when the demand for water in the engine is high. Haven't seem this happen in a long, long time but it is worth a check.

 

Sounds obvious but have you checked to see if there is any coolant in your engine oil? Sounds like a cracked head or blow head gasket to me. I hope not because I have the same truck! Good luck

 

Filling us in on some missing information might help such as how high is the temperature getting when you were towing? What was the outside air temp when this happened? Overheating mean boiling the coolant out?

Rising coolant temp when going up the hill with 2 quads in the back could very well be normal considering we don't know grade, distance, weight etc.

 

- 19' Trailer about 5,000 lbs
- 3.92 Gears
- 20" Stock Tires
- Tow/Haul Yes
- Ambient Temp:
- 1st Time 70-75 Degrees
- 2nd Time 90-95 Degrees
- 3rd Time 80-85 Degrees
- 4th Time Most recently 82

- Thermostat - Up and to this point I have relied on Dodge, they have said the thermostat is working properly
- The main hoses have concerned me as they seem a bit "spongie" I have brought this up to Dodge.
- Yikes hope not, only have 20k miles on it! In regards to a cracked head. I'll check on that. Dodge also changes the oil I would hope they would catch something like that. Also it doesn't over heat in my day to day driving. Only under load.

- The Thermostat is going past the 3rd marker before I pull over. It shows 238 for the coolant temp.
- Also yes the coolant did boil over.


Some more back ground:

Up until last year, (I've had this truck since the end of 2009) I was able to tow up this hill no problem, without the heating issue.

I've also had the overheating problem going up a slight grade. I am able to curve this by turning on the heater in the cab.

 

Not sure if everyone will agree but I'd start by changing out the tstat to a 180. Autozone has one that is a direct fit for around $14.00 part is duralast #4128. When or if you go there do not ask for the one for your truck because this is not a mopar tstat but it is a direct fit. Ask for a duralast 4128 tstat and you're go to go. A cooler tstat will definitely help it run cooler and will not void your warranty or cause any codes to pop up. If you do change your tstat and it still runs hot then you most likely have other cooling issues. Make sure your trans is not over heating as well. Other than that, and what everyone else mentioned make sure you cooling fans are working properly. If it only over heats when towing my guess is that is most likely the problem...that's what cooling fans are for. It is possible that they are not coming on at the correct temps to prevent over heating when towing. Everything plays a part in over heating, especially when towing. But like I said, I would start off by changing the tstat to a 180. Not to metion, the oem could be malfunctiong.

 

180 stat won't help. It will only open at 180. Final temp will still be the same and it will still overheat.. What is 'overheating'. What temps does it show? The reason it may be a bitch to fix is it must not be a issue ever on these trucks. Your the first I've ever heard of overheating a 5.7 in a truck. Stick with your dealer and let us know what they find.

 

At this point, I'd be looking at the waterpump.

Changing the thermostat is a silly thought. OK - it opens at 180, it is still going to climb to 238 if that is where the truck is heating up to.