Hello, friends! I am going to try to maintain what composure I may have left to explain what it is that I see going on with this 2005 Dodge Caravan that I was clearly ripped off for. Siiiigh...Wu-saaaaah. When they sold it to me they said that before the let it sit for three years, the thermostat went bad and they replaced it and everything seemed fine. Obviously, that was a lie. But, I digress. I simply want to figure out how to fix it as economically friendly as humanly possible because it is driving me insane. The van will not stop overheating and I have had the thermostat out several times to make sure it opens up and everything is fine. It is seated correctly and all should be cool, but it isn't. In fact, it is quite the opposite. In the past four months I have dumped four gallons of coolant in the thing and still I am overheating and losing coolant by way of the Thermostat Housing. I even used Gasket maker on both sides of the $15 gasket I had to buy to make sure I had the best part I could afford and still it leaks and the still the van overheats and I got no heat all winter unless I was driving with the accelerator down and that was only sporadic. Today, unlike the other days, I opened the radiator cap and took it off and found what looked like someone had taken a huge clump of mud and crammed it down into the radiator and put the cap back on. TONS OF IT! I need help....REALLY BADLY. Problem #2: Valve Cover gasket is leaking oil from the front Valve Cover which is leaking down onto the block - down around the middle spark plug - which is soaked the plug wire and when I take the Plug Wire off, the plug is also wet with oil. Oh, speaking of the middle Spark Plug, it keeps coming loose!
P-L-E-A-S-E H-E-L-P!

 

Sounds like someone put stop leak into the radiator. I would have that flash out first, Then using water and fill the system. Then pressure check the cooling system. It may not be the housing just guessing. There is a 5/8 heater hose the runs from the water pump to the t-stat housing. Or you may have a external leaking from the from head gasket. Valve cover, Replace the front valve cover gasket and that should take care of the leak. And replace all you spark plug cables. If you get the mopar cables the cylinder number are already mark on them. Sorry I'm not on much. I have retired as a Dodge tech 2020.

 

Thank you, brother. The previous owners said that they did put Bars Stop Leak in the van when they replaced the t-stat and parked it. I'll pursue the solutions that you have provided and hopefully let you know what happens. Have a great day, brother.