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Pickups Dodge Dakota Dodge Dakota Radiator and Cooling Problems
62 messages, Last post on Dec 05, 2009 at 3:27 PM
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1998 Dodge Dakota, 4-Cylinder, Stock I recently noticed that during the cooling cycles the car goes through from going to ~210 down to ~185 (when the radiator fan is on), a significant amount of steam (I think) is produced from the radiator. I initially noticed this when I turned off my car and got out to see steam coming from the grill. It is not enough to see when the car is moving, but if the radiator fan is turned on at a stop light, you can see steam coming out from under the hood. The engine never overheats! When I open the radiator cap, coolant is filled to the brim. The reservoir also indicates a sufficient amount of coolant. Oil level is slightly low, right on the "add" line. Is this something I should be worried about? Again, the engine doesn't overheat. Thank you.
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Replying to: DeLorean (Jan 15, 2009 3:37 pm) If there is around 13 pounds of pressure and there is no signs of coolant loss, either from the radiator or the coolant expansion tank, you are probably experiencing steam from the collection of moisture under the hood or possibly snow, if you live in a snow climate. I wouldn't worry about it, but would monitor the expansion tank for signs of coolant level change when cold. If there is little or no pressure released when the radiator cap is removed, the cap is likely defective. In this scenario the steam you see is probably hot coolant vapors being released. Over many cool down cycles you will notice coolant loss in the expansion tank. the fix is to replace the radiator cap. Best regards, Dusty |
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I'd like to do a total cooling system flush on my '97 Dakota 2WD (V6/3.9L). Should I just following the basic procedure suggested by the Prestone flush kit, in which you add water to an in-line Tee (hose going to heater core inlet) and open drain at the bottom radiator, etc.? Or there a better way that requires - in addition - removal of one or more plugs in the engine block itself? Any thoughts are appreciated.
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Replying to: tommy97 (Jan 24, 2009 2:24 pm) For low pressure flow flushing, the engine block drain plugs do not need to be removed, however, they will need to be removed to completely drain the engine of coolant. If you are real fussy...or "anal" as my kids would say, you should use distilled water instead of tap water when replenishing the coolant. I know, this is not typically done, even at automotive repair centers and tap water is probably adequate for most vehicles within the expected lifetime of the cooling system parts. But tap water can contain minerals that may be corrosive to internal engine and cooling system parts. It depends, of course, on any particular water supply. Best regards, Dusty
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Replying to: dustyk (Jan 25, 2009 11:35 am) Your point about distilled vs. tap water is well taken, and one I'm well aware of. Tap water, while not ideal, is most practical. When all's said & done, it sounds like the "upwelling" approach (forcing effluent up & out of the radiator fill port under pressure) is the best all-around way. As a side curiosity, regarding the radiator drain plug, if a guy wanted to open it, is there any easy way to do so? I looked a couple times and it seems to be well hidden and disguised. Is there a special "hat trick" involved to access it?
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Replying to: tommy97 (Jan 25, 2009 5:30 pm) Regards, Dusty
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Replying to: dustyk (Jan 25, 2009 7:36 pm) On a final point, what was driving this whole thing was the sad circumstance in which a couple years ago I lost virtually all heating. My heater core is toast and this was no doubt due to my lame failure to ever flush my coolant. This even contributed to my water pump failing (bearings/seals) at about 8 years (57590 miles). So - what to do about the clogged heater core? I'm sure you know what's involved in removing it from the Dakota so let's not even go there. In exploring/searching/surfing the 'net, I stumbled onto what I believe may be the very next best thing: Thoro Flush by Irontite (Kwik-way): http://www.irontite.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_- id=4&zenid=1ca29354381138950675c2b8b7603f95 According to its manufacturer, this industrial strength product has been successfully used on diesels and heavy duty trucks. The one-pint jar is actually a powder which is mixed on-site to the recommended specs (using very hot water). You then isolate the heater core by cutting/disconnecting the feeder hoses and circulating the Thoro Flush solution in a backflush direction for about 10 minutes or so. It's supposed to work miracles ... This, my friend, may be the only "solution" to this problem, short of the miserable task of removing the core from under the dash. What say you? Have you ever heard of/used Thoro Flush?
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A couple years ago I lost virtually all heating. My heater core is toast and this was no doubt due to my lame failure to ever flush my coolant. This even contributed to my water pump failing (bearings/seals) at about 8 years (57590 miles). So - what to do about the clogged heater core? I'm sure many of you know what's involved in removing it from the Dakota so let's not even go there. In exploring/searching/surfing the 'net, I stumbled onto what I believe may be the very next best thing: Thoro Flush by Irontite (Kwik-way): http://www.irontite.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4&zen- id=1ca29354381138950675c2b8b7603f95 According to its manufacturer, this industrial strength product has been successfully used on diesels and heavy duty trucks. The one-pint jar is actually a powder which is mixed on-site to the recommended specs (using very hot water). You then isolate the heater core by cutting/disconnecting the feeder hoses and - with the heater turned ON - circulating the Thoro Flush solution in a back flush direction for about 10 minutes or so. It's supposed to work miracles ... This may be the only "solution" to this problem, short of the miserable task of removing the core from under the dash. Has anyone ever heard of/used Thoro Flush? |
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Replying to: tommy97 (Jan 26, 2009 7:01 am) I worked in a radiator shop for a year and we typically backflushed heater cores and entire systems without using a chemical additive with good success. Occasionally some vehicles did need a cleanser. Dodge used heater cores and air conditioning condensers and evaporators in their trucks from Harrison in the lates ninties and these were trouble prone. Regards, Dusty |
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This is for the '97 Dakota Sport 2WD Heater: Does anybody know for a fact whether the control knob/key position actuates a solenoid valve, etc. to allow hot water to flow/not flow thru the heater core? Something inside me says there should be such a control. Otherwise, when driving thru Death Valley in August, even though the AC is turned on, hot water is circulating under the dash board! On the other hand, when I recently isolated and flushed said heater core, I could find no such position of control knob/ key position that seemed to prevent water from circulating thru the core. In other words, once I got it flushed out, water flowed through it no matter what the position of any knob/switches (and whether the ignition key was on or removed). Radiator drain valve: Along with my heater core clogging, it turned out that the radiator drain valve was also clogged - so much that nary a drop would drain out when "opened". When I looked at the valve, the "rib" on the plastic knob was vertical. It would only turn counterclockwise 1/4 of a turn, where it seemed to hit a stop. I presume this horizontal position of the rib is the open position. Does anybody know of a physical trick that can be done to clear out the drain valve? I tried fishing a small wire up in the valve opening (it's hard to get to), but no luck.  Any help is appreciated!
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