Low heat/ thermostat ?

[jacobbuelow]

Winter has come and I noticed my truck was not getting very warm, first thought, change the thermostat as it is a cheap place to start. It worked great for about two weeks. Now it is back to blowing lukewarm air when I am on the gas, but when I come to a stop it blows cooler air. Flushed the core out with CLR the other day and burped the system today. Both hoses to and from the core get hot. The hose that goes to the thermostat does not ( not sure if it is suppose to). My question is could my thermostat be shot after a month and what would cause that to happen.

98 Ram 5.9 Liter

[Chris Stewart]

Do you have a temperature gauge on your instrument panel?

[kevinb70]

google this:


dodge "goes to defrost" FIXED

[jacobbuelow]

I do have the temp gauges in the cab, I run at roughly 170 or so. I think I have it fixed though. I burped the system and it seems to work correctly, however the if I turn the fan on high the air seems to blow cooler but if I put it it on about two it gets real hot. So I think it was just low coolant and had and air in the system.

[kevinb70]

make a cardboard "winter front"... cut a piece of cardboard to cover part of the radiator (left or right side) cover 1/3d or 1/2. secure it so it doesnt blow away!

This will reduce the amount of cooling thru your radiator from the freezing air. should warm up the cab ... semi trucks do it all the time in the winter.

if the winter front works good then consider ordering a real winter front


as far as the google thread i mentioned above - i was thinking you may have a vacuum leak causing your temp blend door to go to cool.... but it might just be too dang cold where you are

[jacobbuelow]

I will try that, thanks.

[RahX]

Whoa whoa do not block your radiator, that is asking for trouble. Diesel trucks get away with it because of the radiator size and the amount of heat the produce. Gas engines are way different. Sounds like your water pump isn't pumping as well as it should.

[Chris Stewart]

All my gassers show 200-210F at operating temperatures and the Cummins runs 190F.

[kevinb70]

Originally Posted by RahX

Whoa whoa do not block your radiator, that is asking for trouble. Diesel trucks get away with it because of the radiator size and the amount of heat the produce. Gas engines are way different. Sounds like your water pump isn't pumping as well as it should.

http://www.cabelas.com/p-0005914512605a.shtml#chart

winter front is fine for a truck in good mechanical condition - the cooling effect of the radiator is greatly multiplied in extreme freezing temperatures, a front reduces that extra cooling ability

[jacobbuelow]

I am gonna try covering 1/2 the radiator and see, it does get warm now, however I never get up to 200-210. I am always between 150-170. and it does get cold up here by the twin cities. So that is my next option.