My Caravan runs fine and the engine temperature.

ANONYMOUS

MEMBER
1998 DODGE CARAVAN
14,400 MILES

My caravan runs fine and the engine temperature gauge stays right about in the middle. When I turn the heater off, the temperature goes up to about 3/4 on the gauge. I can hear the fan running, but it stays around there. When I turn the heater back on and put the blower speed up to about 3, the gauge jumps back down to 1/2 mark. I have a new thermostat in the engine, and sometimes when the engine temp goes up, the oil light with a few warning chimes goes on for a second, and then stops. I am wondering if the problem is a sensor. I am losing absolutely no oil or antifreeze, have no visible leaks, and after 2 minutes if the engine is of, I can run it again and it goes right back to the 1/2 mark. This seems to happen more when I am doing 55 and then coming to a slower speed or a stop. Could it be a sensor?

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,916 POSTS

Check the cooling fins on the radiator. I'll bet they crumble like a rotten chocolate chip cookie. If they are corroded, they won't have the capacity to disperse the heat to the surrounding air. The clue is your heater core is acting like a small radiator.

You know both sensors are working. One is for the temperature gauge which you see working. The other is for the Engine Computer which turns on the radiator fan, which is also working.