Looking to buy a dodge ram 1500 pickup truck but there is a heating problem. IT HAS NO HEAT. Can anyone help me. The carlot says maybe just a thermostat, well how much work goes into changing a thermostat and what would it cost me to get this replaced?
HAS ANYONE HAD ANY major problems with the heat on a DODGE Pickup truck or is this worth getting fixed and buy this truck. It is in good shape nothing wrong but the heat. PLEASE ADVISE>

Thanks

The thermostat is very simple to replace and can be up to 5 bucks to buy. Just don't put it in upside down. Now maybe the heater coil is plugged up and needs unclogging as well. Should be a maximum of 20 bucks to get the thermostat replaced. That should included the thermostat in that price.

Thermostats are cheap, and on a truck usually are easy to replace. Does the truck have a heat gage? If it runs in the middle of the range, normal, the thermostat is OK. If I was selling a truck, I would take care of simple fixes like a stat. Chances are it is the heater core or the controls. They tend to be buried up under the dash and a major pain to fix. I would tell the guy to fix the stat if that is all it is, and then you will look at the truck.

Check the dip stick and try to look in the valve covers through the oil filler. If the truck has been run cold because of a bad stat, it may be sludged up.

Thanks for all the info.. Seems they are saying it is the heater core.. and say it will cost $350.00 dollars to fix.. $50 for the part and $300 for the labor, does that sound about right. Is it that hard to fix?

Thanks again .

50 bucks is about right for that part, but 300, I would say since I know nothing hardly were it is in that vehicle if it's a hard place to get to then well maybe, but a heater coil is simply a mini radiator, has a hose going through and one coming out and isn't that hard to work on. But if its hidden behind a lot of stuff and plus you might not want antifreeze all over the ground at your house I would say its reasonable but depends also on their hour rates as well.

''They tend to be buried up under the dash and a major pain to fix.'' It wouldn't take having to rip out and put back too much to get at a heater core to run $250.

Thanks for all the answers.. LOOKS LIKE They are keeping the Truck I am not going to stick 300-400 more dollars into this thing when they are asking $5500.00 for the thing anyway... No maybe if the fixed the heat I would be willing to spend $5500.00 on the truck.

But Thanks again.

Well you could tell them that, but hey 5,500 isn't bad for that model, that's actually the best price I've seen if it has little miles on it I would seriously consider.

I recently borrowed a 96 Dodge Ram 1500 to haul some stuff. I assumed everything was OK until it froze up going down the interstate. I let it cool down, and stopped and got some antifreeze. I put it in, and the temp gauge is normal now, but the heater doesn't work anymore. I hate to give it back like it is, but I also don't want to put a new heater core in just because I happened to borrow it on a 15 degree day. Any ideas?

Looks like the truck I was looking at, ended up being the heater core I think they said but it had other issues.. Someone has screwed up the wiring and it didn't have brake lights so I didn't buy the truck... Sorry I think I would just let the people know that the heat quit on me... Besides that we got a better deal on a different truck.. 97 Dodge Dakota Sport.. with 4 wheel drive and a Cap for the back part...

Ihave a 1996 dodge ram 1500 sport and I get no heat until I rev it to about 2000 rpm. I have flushed the system and changed the thermostat and also the water pump... what next?

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Originally Posted by dpen71

looking to buy a dodge ram 1500 pickup truck but there is a heating problem. IT HAS NO HEAT. Can anyone help me. The carlot says maybe just a thermostat, well how much work goes into changing a thermostat and what would it cost me to get this replaced?
HAS ANYONE HAD ANY major problems with the heat on a DODGE Pickup truck or is this worth getting fixed and buy this truck. It is in good shape nothing wrong but the heat. PLEASE ADVISE>

Thanks

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My 1996 Dodge Ram Sport pickup with a 5.2 was doping the same thing. We have replaced the 2 or 3 thermosat, radiator cap, and many more things. None of these fixed the problem. I found out my radiator is pluged. I will either have to get a new one or have this one recored.
Many Dodge radiators have this problem. Check for cool or cold spots on radiator after it has heated up. Simple check for a small repair. Don't get rid of it just check the radiator. A flush will not rapair the problem if it is really pluged up.

The problem is usually caused by phosphate scale. Only use a 50/50 mixture of original Zerex green antifreeze (or equivalent) and distilled water in your 1996 Dodge truck.

Truck is cold low air at idle 120 +/-degress run down highway turn heat to hi air temp dropps to 90
Change stat worked for about 8hrs is their a deverter for outside air or inside air recqulation
Rad temp 190 tells me stat should be good can't figure why it worked for awhile. Second time last year
Stat was stuck open changed was fine do I have different promblem

I have a 96 dodge ram. I have to pay $763 for a new heater coil and radiator. The parts aren't expensive but the labor is what gets you. They say the radiator is easy to fix but they have to take a lot of parts off the truck to get to the coil itself. Can't even run the truck because fluids are gushing out when I fill them up. Nice to know I am spending around the same as you.

i have a 96 dodge ram 4x4 we were going down the highway and had the heat on and i turned it off as i was hot then i got cold so turned it back on i didn't get heat looked at the gauge and it was on hot so pulled over and it smoked out got it towed put thermastate in now it blows out heat but its not as hot as it should be what is wrong?