1996 Dodge Intrepid Engine Overheating

GERRYN

MEMBER
1996 DODGE INTREPID
6 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
150,000 MILES

Took car in for service as it was overheating and coolant in reservoir tank would disappear. They found only small leaks around fittings/hose connections. Tighteded these up and ran engine for period of time - no problems. They did not think it was a leak in head gasket.

Ran on road and again it overheated. Noticed that no heat coming out from heater in car when fan on high.

From a cold start, idled car in driveway for half hour. Radiator never seemed to get hot. Input and output hoses to radiator seemed fine - none collapsed. And initially when engine was cold, upper hose was soft. After engine was hot, upper and lower hoses were under pressure. When engine temperature got hotter, electric cooling fans in front of radiator did come on properly.

Could this be as simple as a bad thermostat? Plugged radiator?

1 Reply

OLDTECH2

MECHANIC
64 POSTS

Sounds like you definitely have a coolant flow issue. Could range from a t-stat to a water pump impeller.

I doubt that the radiator may be at fault since you don't have heat. Lack of coolant flow in the heater is an indication of a coolant flow issue in the engine itself, not the peripherals.

When you ran the engine, was the radiator cap in place? If so, the hoses building pressure is not unusual.

If a head gasket is blown, you will usually find sludge on the bottom of the oil fill cap, and on the dipstick.

Loosing coolant is a sign of overheat. As the engine overheats, the coolant boils and pushes out of the radiator overflow. Check the overflow tube on the surge tank.

Is the overheat something where it happened suddenly, or has the problem been building?