[psb27]

My dodge spirit I bought earlier this year had no problems till a couple months ago.It runs hot very fast when I turn the air on,almost to the h.it goes halfway if not running air,I've changed the theromastat twice,radiator cap,and sensors,and relay,just recently flushed the radiator three weeks ago,my fan is running like it suppose to.recently told to power spray it because it had a little trash in the cracks and it should do fine,what is the problem?

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Always make sure to use a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and distilled water. I have seen vehicles have major overheating problems where tap and, especially, well water is used. Look inside your radiator and see if you see buildup on the inside of the cooling tubes--it could be calcium. If you do, you might consider replacing your radiator. Look for radiator core blockage or a grille restricting air flow. Are you sure there are no major air pockets in the cooling system, causing cavitation? It's important to bleed air properly.

In my opinion, it's not a good idea to power spray any radiator or air conditioner condenser coil. You run the risk of bending and damaging the fins and creating a real cooling problem. Take a garden hose and gently soak the radiator or coil until the bugs and dirt wash away.

[psb27]

Thanks for your suggestions,there wasn't any build up.do you think it would have something to do with my water pump?the hoses didn't seem to have any cracks in them,or do you think I need to buy a new radiator. Neither of them are leaking.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Are your radiator, heater, and bypass hoses in good shape? When you changed the thermostat, did it look like you could have a severe engine corrosion problem? What did your antifreeze look like when you changed it?

Can you put a stethoscope on the water pump and hear the impellar turning? I'm not familiar with your vehicle to know if the water pump is internal or not. This is a possible cause of the problem but not real common. Most times water pumps leak and cause cars to overheat.

Remove the thermostat and drive the car. The temperature should stay low then. It will negatively affect gas mileage, but might help you locate the problem.

[psb27]

Everything was normal looking,when I first got the car the heat was not getting hot but at that time it wasn't running hot could the heater coil have anything to do with it.the heat now is blowing hot very hot.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

I doubt it. I think it is kicking out a lot of heat just because the car is getting too hot. Pull your radiator and take it to a radiator shop. They might be able to clean it and repair it for you. It's probably something basic like that.

[psb27]

If I do this will it cause other problems to occur?so your saying I can run the air with it out and then put it back in for the winter if so how long is to long for me to be doing this?

[TxGreaseMonkey]

I would just remove the thermostat for a short test drive and see what happens. If the car gets hot with the thermostat removed then it proves you have a serious problem. If it still gets hot with the thermostat removed, then I would focus on the radiator and water pump.

Here's a pretty comprehensive list of items to check:

. Is the coolant flow blocked?
. Is the thermostat stuck-closed?
. Is the thermostat broken? Symptoms, troubleshoot, test
. Is the thermostat missing?
. Has the air been purged (thru the bleed bolt)?
. Is the fan relay working?
. Is the fan switch working?
. Is the fan working?
. Is the radiator cap working? Releasing fluid? Evaporation through a broken cap?
. Is the radiator holding pressure? (leakage?) Solder or seal joints bad?
. Is the timing correct?
. Are radiator fins blocked from bugs?
. Is the radiator clogged from corrosion?
. Is the radiator expelling pressure (Head gasket problem?) or evaporating from the exhaust manifold?
. Are cooling system hoses leaking? Through pinhole leaks? Look for white dried splash marks inside the engine bay.

Remember, overheating problems on aluminum head engines should be taken very seriously. It can result in blown head gaskets, warped heads, and damaged valves.

[psb27]

Thank you so much for breaking it down for me.here is a list of what's been done:new relay,new cap with pressure release,I do have a little trash in between the cracks and behind it,the radiator was just flushed three weeks ago, the car cranks on point,but at a couple times it took about 5 seconds to cut off after I've taken the key out the ignition,new thromastat.it's time for a tune up could this help? Or do I need to put it on a diagnostic machine?

[TxGreaseMonkey]

. Replace the sparkplugs with the exact ones Dodge recommends (no other brand of plugs).
. Check timing--it sounds like it is retarded too much and needs to be advanced more. This could explain why it keeps running after you remove the key (post ignition).

[psb27]

Thank you so much for all the input you have been giving me,I'm going to take your advice and try to resolve some of these problems,well my husband will. He know a lot about cars but this one has been a head banger,it's always good for someone to suggest things that haven't been thought of. Thanks.if you think of anything else please let me know,in return I'll let you know if any of your input worked.

[mattspop]

my dodge spirit i bought earlier this year had no problems till a couple months ago.It runs hot very fast when i turn the air on,almost to the h.it goes halfway if not running air,i've changed the theromastat twice,radiator cap,and sensors,and relay,just recently flushed the radiator three weeks ago,my fan is running like it suppose to.recently told to power spray it because it had a little trash in the cracks and it should do fine,what is the problem?

This is a known problem. There is an air pocket in the area that the thermostat is located. In this model of car, the thermostat housing is slightly higher that the top of the radiator and air can get trapped in there, affecting the operation of the thermostat.

The trick is to bleed the air out of that pocket.

Some folks have opened the top of the housing using an 8mm Allen wrench and then filling the cavity with radiator fluid to insure there is no air left.

Others have had success parking the car on a slope to ensure that the housing is lower than the top of the radiator and then filling the radiator.

Of course the engine has to be run first to get the thermostat open before doing either of these operations.

Hope this helps. Cheers.

Warren

See http://www.allpar.com/fix/radiator-purge.html