Overheating issue

It sounds like you have blown head gasket which is common on these cars. To confirm the problem please follow this guide.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

The fans sound like they are working properly. With everything you have had replaced there is not much left with your cooling system.

You said it over heats when you have the A/C on, does it happen as soon as you turn the A/C on, does it happen while you are driving or when you are at an idle? Are you loosing coolant? Do you notice a gurgling sound or is the coolant bubbling out of the coolant bottle?

Lots of questions I realize but each symptom leads to a different diagnosis. The most common problem with older caravans that cause over heating (with all you have already done) is the head gasket is leaking.

let me know a little more and I will try to steer you in the right direction.

Here are some guides that should help as well

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-overheating-or-running-hot

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/symptoms-of-an-overheating-engine

Please let us know what you find.

Cheers

I just bought the van used a few months ago..it was overheating and I took it to a mechanic friend of mine..120,000 miles on it, I've only driven it for a day since the repairs, I had the AC on full, I live in AZ where it is 110, it took about 20 minutes for it to run hot, I turned off AC, turned on heat, gauge went back to normal, tomorrow I will drive it some more to narrow it down, I'll do highway with AC off, then on, then city driving. Could it need a new radiator? What would be other symptoms of a bad gasket? Prior to my repairs, I did have to add coolant about once a week, I don't think it was leaking, never saw any leak or on garage floor. i have tried to drive it as sparingly as possible to prevent any furthur damage. If it is the gasket, it is covered under the warranty I got from the used car lot. Thank you.

If you were having to add coolant, it was going somewhere. Some loss id nornal over extended periods (6 months to a year) do to the water content of the coolant. Having to add coolant on a regular basis in the short period of time does indicate a problem.

This guide can help you

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/coolantantifreeze-in-the-engine-oil

Being in AZ is not really a concern in this diagnosis. The majority of vehicle produced by all major manufatures of automobiles are operated in warm temp areas, more concern is given to overheating that cold temps in automotive design.

You could have a plugged (bad) radiator like you ask, this is checked by checking the temp into and out of the radiator. larger than normal temp between the inlet and output or the radiator. If it is hot before the rad and cooler after. If the radiator is getting hot, it is not the radiator.

Turning the A/C off and turning on the heat adds to the dissipation of heat from the engine. Again not a symptom, just an age old stop gap to try to cool an over heating engine while still trying to operate it.

Hope this helps, let me know...

Let me know what you find out.

I drove it yesterday, sat in driveway for 45 min, AC off, gauge stayed normal, drove city driving, AC off 30 min, normal, got on highway, again AC off, started to run hot within 2 miles, turned on heat, went to normal, got home, ran AC on full in driveway for 30 min, stayed normal, then revved up engine for minute or two, started to run hot...I have noticed that the coolant is not full anymore, should be completely full under radiator cap, right?. Do not see any leaking, or any stains on my driveway. After I turn van off, I can hear , sounds like a boiling or gurgling sound coming from the engine I think, definitely not the radiator.

So I did the test on the head gasket and to was positive it turned the test liquid yellow now I need to see if I want to fix it or trade it in!

Engine Cooling problem
1999 Dodge Caravan 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic 130000 miles
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Hi -
We have been having issues with the van overheating. The check engine light went on a while ago got that checked out and was told it was the relay switch, replaced that didn't help. We have now replaced the temp. sensor and the fuse. The van still over heats. The thermostat is only about a year old or so. We have had the fans checked and they do work they just for some reason will not turn on. The air conditioning will work but it makes the van get hot too fast so we don't dare run it. We can drive for hours and the van is fine, it is just when sitting for too long.
any suggestions??

Could be the thermostat again, engine temperature sending unit/switch, fan relay, failing water pump and clogged radiator

thanks for your reply. I have called a few auto stores looking for the engine temp sending unit but no one has it for our van. Can you tell me where it is and what it does?

Engine Cooling problem 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 158,00 miles

I have a recurring problem with overheating, on & off. mechanic says thermostat is OK. what gives?

cooling fans operating at time of overheating?

yes, blower was on but not a/c

Cooling fans underhood behind radiator

after the van warms up(about 2 miles) the temp gauge starts to get close to pegging the hot line. replaced the thermostat and water pump.still acting the same. I haven't seen any milky oil yet.Not blowing any white exhaust yet. I see some bubbles when the radiator cap is off when I'm checking the antifreeze. I guess my question is does head gasket sealers work?

o.k. first a few simple ideas. have you cleaned the radiator out?? take the upper and lower hoses off and flush water thru the radiator. then take a hose and flush thru the radiator to clear out bugs and road debris. you are using a 50/50 mix of good antifreeze?? see if your local auto parts store has a cooling system pressure tester. put that on where your radiator cap goes, start the van and watch the gauge as the van warms up.
if it climbs over 17 lbs you may have a head gasket issue.

if pressure test fails head gasket sealer may fix it. cheaper than engine dis-assembly.

regrouped could this be a bad cooling fan relay? the fans work when in park or at a low rpm. Could fan speed be a problem at higher speeds with the a/c on?

fans need to be on high speed with air on.

Just took the van for a ride till it got hot. the radiator cap was not hot and the top hose was rock hard like the thermostat was closed. Could it be a bad thermostat? I replaced the thermostat. Might of gotten a defective one.

just remove it/drive it and see how it goes.

Husband drove van from St.Charles missouri to Lonedell missouri during bumper to bumper hwy traffic with the air conditioner running and had no problems with overheating or even gauges showing a sign of over heating. Van sat in driveway for about 15 - 20 minutes. While in driveway it wasn't running. Then I drove it to gas station which is about a quarter mile from house. Came back and van sat not running in driveway again but only for about 5 minutes. Then drove back to gas station. Left van running while in station this time for about 5 - 8 minutes. Drove van home and sat with van idling while talking with neighbor(outside temp was about 83 - 86°). After about 8 - 10 minute s I could smell the odor of antifreeze(odor when radiator is busted or extremely hot). Looked at gauges and noticed that the water light was on. Immediately I shut van off, the odor got stronger and you could hear the fluid bubbling(like a hot pot on high on the stove boiling with liquid in it)extremely loudly. Listened to it for about 5 - 8 minutes. Got out of van, just pulled the hood release but did not open up. Walked to the front of van and noticed that there was some liquid on the ground. If I had to estimate it was about a quarter gallon at the most that came out from overheating. At that point the van sat for a good half hour to an hour cooling. Then drove to my driveway about only a 100 - 125 yards apart. Van has been sitting since not running or anything. Why or what could be the problem and cause it to overheat? I would think that driving in rush hour traffic it would have overheated or gauges light up to warn of temperature rising. There was no sign of overheating at all on the bad traffic during rush hour with the distance it was driven. I do know for a fact that the fuses for the coolant system were and are in great working condition. It was safety inspected today also about 2 - 3 hours prior to this happening. The mechanic never once mentioned anything about overheating or coolant system. Hope this information is helpful and detailed enough for you to give me a good idea if not the definite problem with the van overheating. Thank you for your time and knowledge. I am very sorry hat I can not afford to give a donation at this time for your time and help. I honestly just purchased this 1999 Dodge Caravan sport with the 6 cylinder motor about 4 hours prior to this happening. I drove it all over trying to find somewhere to safety inspect it for me today at that time I purchased it for $3200.00. Had to get temporary tags so I could get it home today. I never had a problem out of.it driving all over trying to take care of business earlier today. I am praying that this is not an expensive issue cause I have all my money tied up in just purchasing and get it legal to drive until I get everything together for sales tax and licensing. I am very sorry.

Is full of coolant , does the heater work, when it's overheating is the cooling fan running? Is the temp gauge reading hot or normal

removed the thermostat and drove for 30 minutes with the air on and the highest temp reading on the gauge was about 3/4 up. It usually runs at about the halfway mark.

THE DONATION THING IS NOT A MUST---BUT IS APPRECIATED

WE ANSWER LOTS AND LOTS OF FREE QUESTIONS

WHILE YOUR RIG SEEMINGLY WAS RUNNING HOT, WERE THE COOLING FANS RUNNING?

THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT MIGHT MAKE IT RUN HOT.....EVEN FIVE MINUTES AFTER LEAVING THE FACTORY SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN! SO LET'S NOT GET LOCKED INTO THINKING THAT THINGS SHOULD ALWAYS BE PERFECT BECAUSE IT WAS JUST LOOKED AT.....THIS IS A MACHINE, BUILT AND SERVICED BY IMPERFECT HUMANS.

THIS IS WHAT I'D DO 1ST

LOOK FOR LEAKS FROM THE COOLING SYSTEM....COLD

REFILL THE SYSTEM---NOTE HOW MUCH IT TAKES TO DO SO

CRANK AND GET TO OPERATING TEMP....LOOK FOR LEAKING

PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO WHEN THE FANS COME ON.....TIME WISE AND TEMPERATURE WISE____________THIS COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS A COOLING FAN RELAY NEEDING TO BE REPLACED

THERE ARE OTHER POSSIBILITIES....I FIGURE WE WILL CHECK EZ STUFF 1ST, BEFORE MOVING ON INTO EXPLORATORY SURGERY

IF IT STARTS OVERHEATING---TURN IT OFF---RUNNING THE ENGINE IN AN OVERHEATED STATE CAN DAMAGE THE HEADS, BLOW THE HEAD GASKET, AND MORE.....HOPEFULLY THIS HAS NOT ALREADY HAPPENED

RETURN WITH ANSWERS, I MAY CAN AID YOU WITH DIAGRAMS ON THINGS TO CHECK, OR WHERE STUFF IS LOCATED

I SLING THIS LINK OUT TO FOLKS, THIS COULD SAVE YOU SOME $$$ AND AID YOU I DIY

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/2007-ford-taurus-tune-up

THIS HAS WORKED FOR ME FOR MANY YEARS..........."MY NAME IS CJ MEDEVAC....AND...I....AM A.......DIYer!"

THE MEDIC

My 99 Dodge Grand Caravan keeps overheating. I have replaced the cap, put in new antifreeze fluid and checked for leaks at the hoses. There is no visible water on the ground but I have to keep refilling the resevior and when there is water in it it boils.

did you replace the thermostat?? with all the overheating. get a leak down test to confirm no head gasket issue

Roy

I havent done that yet. Thanks for the advice.

I got a van ONE month ago, and today, it's OVERHEATING. The battery light came on, and the power steering went out right in the middle of driving it. I checked all my fluids, power steering fluid and antifreeze was low, so I filled them. STILL same problems, don't know what could be wrong. It only has 20,000 miles on it.

#1. over heating - try and replace your radiator cap if that dosen't help try to locate a leak.

#2. power steering - you need a new power steering pump or belt.

#3. battery light - it comes on after a wile of driving but will go off later down the road. but if it doesn't get your altinator checked.

Why is my 1999 Dodge Caravan, 130,000 miles, overheating while it is idle? When it is moving the temperature is fine, but if I stop moving and leave the engine running it starts running hot.

check and make sure the fan is cutting on. also the water pump might not be circulating the coolant.

Engine Cooling problem
1999 Dodge Caravan 6 cyl 172000 miles

My 1999 Grand Caravan's temp gauge has gone to the "hot" reading. I have turned off the AC, turned the heat on all the way and then the gauge goes back to the center. If I don't keep the heat on after that it goes back to "hot". Could it be the thermometer, water pump or something else?

Replace the thermostat and go from there.

Have you ever tried adding an air/gas vent to relieve exhaust in the cooling system Due to a blown head gasket?

no, the only way to correct it is to remove the heads and do the job properly.

Roy

Why does my 99 Dodge Grand Caravan SE's temp gauge goes up real high then drops back down and makes a clicking noise? And the fan runs constantly while the van is on.

Check and test the thermostat,coolant temperature sensor and fan relay

Engine Cooling problem
1999 Dodge Caravan 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 140000 miles

fans do not come on. tested fan itself it works. fuse is good. understand there are two relys for the fan but can't locate them, any idea. car will over heat at an idle, but not while driving. turn air on fans do not come on can you help? Thank you.

check this 1st and let me know
https://www.2carpros.com/forum/1998-dodge-caravan-engine-running-hot-vt294351.html?highlight=

I have the same car and the same problem , the fan motor burned up and now it gets no power, but where exactly is this fuse link located

https://www.2carpros.com/forum/1998-dodge-caravan-engine-running-hot-vt294351.html?highlight=
Click and check the link above should have all the helpful information that you may need
let me know if need more
good luck

Engine Cooling problem
1999 Dodge Caravan 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic 130000 miles

Can you tell me where the coolant sensor is on 99 Caravan? Also, do you have a diagram or picture of WHERE the Relay is at? The fan will not come on and I know NOTHING about cars :( Thanks for any help you can provide