1998 Durango with a Cool Heater

[Benzman]

Radiator might need cleaned, fan clutch might be bad.
Could be cracked head, look at the oil dipstick after the temperature has been hot for a while, see if it is black or brown (oil), or if it has a milky look (coolant in the oil). If milky, then it's a cracked head.

[JObert]

My wifes 98 Durango XLT has a heater /AC problem with air infiltration. I have lived with it for 2 years and decided yesterday to get to the bottom of the problem. Here is what I found. The foam gasket/seal that fits between the car body at the fresh air inlet and the gate valve flange on the top of the heater body has deteriated and fallen out. It has mostly melted into a black greasy goo. This leaves a space approx 3/8" to 1/2" wide that lets outside air flow all the time into the passenger compartment bypassing the heater body. In the winter passenger is cold in the summer passenger is hot because of this outside air. You can check for this problem by opening the glove box and releasing the stops so it falls open to the point where you can feel with your hand at the top of the heater air body to see if you have a foam gasket, or an opening as described above. I also took off the air inlet cover in front of the windshield (remove wipers and keepers that hold this black plastic cover in place. You can then get up on top of the engine (carefully) And look for the air inlet to the heater from the top (near the passenger right side of the vehicle). You can feel with your hand and find the same space described above with you fingers. The opening is oval shaped approx 6" by 3-1/2". I am going to attempt to force a gasket of sorts made from foam material about 1-1/4 inch square and 20-22" long into the crack from the top of air flow path. If it works, I will have saved removing the heater assembly and installing the correct foam part. If it doesn't work I will have to remove the heater and install the gasket, so I am no worse off trying the quick fix. ANYONE had a similiar problem? How did you fix it?

[creslevi]

Sounds like you have the problem pinpointed, just pray your quickfix works, because you can not remove that heater without removing the entire Dashboard, it's been soo long ago I can't pinpoint the gasket in my mind, but if you have to remove it, send me your email address and I will send you some pictures, they will blow your mind on what we had to do to replace a heater core, I think I have a link somewhere for the complete repair manual online.
Rick (Good luck)

[JObert]

OUTSIDE AIR INFILTRATION SOLVED (I THINK)!
I found a large foam rubber "sponge", cut out the center to form an oval opening about 5 inches long by 2-1/2 inches wide by 1-3/8' thick, and was able to force it into the opening between the car body at the air inlet opening and the top of the heater/AC air box. This was pressed into the opening from the outside of the vehicle. If you have medium to small hands and arms and are willing to get on top of the engine on hands and knees you may be able to reach into the air intake opening and install the foam rubber sponge gasket by feel. Will be driving 800 miles home to MO in about 10 days and will find out if this fix for outside air infiltration into the passenger compartment is going to work. If not, I intend to cut a new gasket from some stiffer packing foam plastic material and try sealing it with that. I'm sure the packing plastic foam will stay in if the foam rubber sponge does not. The Dodge dealers want $600.00 or more just for labor to remove the dash, steering column, heater etc. to install this gasket. I can spend a half hour or so on top of the engine several times before I pay the dealers to do the job.

[creslevi]

Good for you!.
Rick

[JObert]

Hey Rick, Thanks for the feedback. This 98 Durango has only 85,000 miles on it. We bought it a couple of years ago after it sat on a dealers lot for a couple of Months. My wife loves it and I get along with it very well. Have had the usual U.S. mfg. car problems with it bad gasket on the thermostat housing, bad brake pads and rotor on passenger front replaced. Other than that it has just been a tire or two and oil changes. I am using 10w30 Mobil 1 syn. oil, and it will use a little oil when driving short trips locally. Seems to not use enough to detect on long road trips 800 miles or so. Gas mileage is 16 mpg on the current trip from Bowling Green, MO to Lafayette, LA to see the daughter grandson and son in law. I installed a spacer under the carb and a K& N filter several thousand miles ago, which was susposed to increase the gas mileage, but saw no change in mileage. However it seems to have more power and be more responsive with those changes. Any advice on getting the mileage up to 20 MPG?
Thanks John O. Allen

[creslevi]

Hi John
Sorry I don't know more about the durango, It was my grandson's, but sounds very similar on experience's with it, We had 3 in the family, only 1 left with a grandaughter. It was a very nice car but our experience with the heater core was enogh to make a grown man cry. Good luck with your patch.
I would advise you to keep this forum in your favorites, it's the most helpful website on any Car or topic I have ever encountered, This is where I found the link to the online manual for the durango and also a link to a Fomoco parts dealer, I think his heater core cost him about $180.00 plus about the same to purge & recharge his A/C, personally I think our engineer's should hang thier head in shame for working so hard to eliminate the home mechanic and drive all of us back to the dealer with there outrageous prices and still they wonder why there is no brand loyalty, that just one man's opinion that's been a do it yourselfer all his life (75 Years old) With all the computers we have to deal with in cars today, that makes a job like this that much harder to swallow, I hope for your sake the patch works!!.
Rick in Oregon

[JObert]

Believe the air infiltration problem was solved with the foam gasket I inserted while in Lafayette. We had fairly nice weather on the 800 mile trip home, but did not have the uneven temp problems between the driver and passenger side of the vehicle. A couple of hours figuring out the problem and a $2.00 foam rubber sponge looks like the ticket to save a few hundred dollars.

[JObert]

The $2.00 sponge is still holding the seal between the outside air intake & and heater/AC box. If it will last another 2 or 3 years, I may be ready to get rid of the 98 Durango!

[JObert]

The $2.00 sponge fix is still working for the 1998 Durango between the heater/AC air box and body and outside air intake path. Wife still wants to keep the Durango.