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Re: my 1997 dodge neon keeps overheating
How do you know it is overheating? Does the pointer in the temperature gauge point to the upper 1/3rd of the operating range? Is coolant bubbling out of the overflow container, when the radiator cap is on tight?
If the system is filled with water (up to the top of the opening at the radiator cap, and there is some fluid in the overflow coolant container behind the motor, then drive it around until the gauge shows it is warm -- and park it and let it sit for about 2 hours. Then the coolant shouldnt spew out when you open the rad. cap. It definitely would if you opened the radiator cap when the engine was still hot/warm.
After an engine has been out/replaced, it takes a while to get the cooling system completely refilled; after the initial filling, you have to add more coolant after running it for a couple of minutes - and you run it with the heater control set to 'warm'. This lets the heater core & the engines water jacket fill with coolant; resullting in an air bubble under the radiator cap.
Was the replacement engine a new one, or rebuilt, or one from a salvage yard? If it was a used engine, it may have a leak in the heater hoses. There are 4 of these. Two of them are visible running from the driver's side of the motor up to the firewall. The other two are below the intake manifold near the water pump, and are hard to see. They are also a chore to replace when the motor is in the car. If they are the original hoses, they may be leaking. You could also have a thermostat that is sticking shut.
Did you have the water pump replaced before the engine went into the car? Because it is such a narrow space, its much easier to replace them with the engine out of the car.
And of course the timing belt & its tensioner should be replaced about each 60,000 miles; if I remember correctly. Thats a good time to also replace the water pump, since you have to remove the timing belt to replace the water pump on a Neon.
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08-23-2009, 07:15 PM
my 1997 dodge neon keeps overheating
