[bigchad4200]

I own a 2015 DD R/T. I have this coolant problem that I literally can not fix or even understand why it is happening. I have owned my Durango since 2021. In 2022 my radiator blew a hole on the drivers side heading to work. About a month later after replacing the radiator I installed a 180° Tstat. Everything was amazing until a year ago. In the past year I have gone through 3 upper coolant hoses and 4 Tstat's "2 where 180°'s and 2 where OEM. Also my 4th one literally just went out 15 mins ago." My coolant is fine, my oil looks perfect, literally no smoke from the exhaust "Also True dual straight piped", it always has coolant, literally not a single Crack in my block and or heads. The only leak I have is at the heater core elbow and ONLY when I turn on the heater. This started in December. Since it's 80°F rn in Alabama I see no need to fix a non leaking elbow until the fall. The main issue is that when I am in 1-5th gear at 3.5k- Redline the temps shoot up. When I shift up the temps drop back to normal. Every 2-5 months this happens but instead the temp never drops and just overheats. After this happens literally everytime I start it. It instantly overheats in 2-3 mins. The only thing that will fix it is replacing the Tstat. Only for it to happen again in 3 months. Also to note I replaced the coolant temp sensor and nothing is wrong with my fan. Btw to clarify replacing the Tstat only keeps it from overheating but the problem with the rpm's remains until it decides to off its self randomly and attempt to blow my engine. If you have any idea why this is happening please help me. Also I apologize for this long book of a explanation and the many typos that may litter this. I am just extremely frustrated. At this point idk what is worse Dodge and coolant / electrical issues or Ford and their notorious crap plastic interiors.

Was the cooling system burped of air pockets

 

[54889]

I own a 2015 DD R/T. I have this coolant problem that I literally can not fix or even understand why it is happening. I have owned my Durango since 2021. In 2022 my radiator blew a hole on the drivers side heading to work. About a month later after replacing the radiator I installed a 180° Tstat. Everything was amazing until a year ago. In the past year I have gone through 3 upper coolant hoses and 4 Tstat's "2 where 180°'s and 2 where OEM. Also my 4th one literally just went out 15 mins ago." My coolant is fine, my oil looks perfect, literally no smoke from the exhaust "Also True dual straight piped", it always has coolant, literally not a single Crack in my block and or heads. The only leak I have is at the heater core elbow and ONLY when I turn on the heater. This started in December. Since it's 80°F rn in Alabama I see no need to fix a non leaking elbow until the fall. The main issue is that when I am in 1-5th gear at 3.5k- Redline the temps shoot up. When I shift up the temps drop back to normal. Every 2-5 months this happens but instead the temp never drops and just overheats. After this happens literally everytime I start it. It instantly overheats in 2-3 mins. The only thing that will fix it is replacing the Tstat. Only for it to happen again in 3 months. Also to note I replaced the coolant temp sensor and nothing is wrong with my fan. Btw to clarify replacing the Tstat only keeps it from overheating but the problem with the rpm's remains until it decides to off its self randomly and attempt to blow my engine. If you have any idea why this is happening please help me. Also I apologize for this long book of a explanation and the many typos that may litter this. I am just extremely frustrated. At this point idk what is worse Dodge and coolant / electrical issues or Ford and their notorious crap plastic interiors.

Could it be a stuck heater control valve?

 

[KevinVarnes]

How are you determining that the thermostats are actually bad? Can you post a picture of this burned thermostat?

 

[ItIsZiggy]

Alright sorry for the late update. Recently had alot happen in my personal life. Anyways I figured it out. I replaced the Tstat with a oem 203°F one. My Durango started doing the opposite. It would overheat on idle and drop as soon as I took off. Which was odd. So I thought it was the water pump. Before I decided to change it out I tried to see if there was any more air somehow in the system. I previously tried to raise the front end up and burp it. No air came out. I So I opened the radiator and squeezed the upper hose. Air bubbles rose out. I spent 40mins squeezing the upper hose, adding coolant till it stops bubbling, turning it on and reving to 4k for 5secs, turning it off and repeating. After spending almost and hour and adding 1 1/2 jugs of antifreeze straight to the radiator I couldn't get anymore air out of it. I closed everything up and took it for a drive. Now the overheating has been fixed. Ik not your conventional way of burping the system but like I said raising the front end and letting it run for 30mins did not work for me.

 

[Don Fox]

Ziggy:
Congrats on getting it fixed. You are correct that elevating the front and just idling it with the system open won't work.
Squeezing (carefully) the upper/lower hoses helps a lot. You don't have to rev it to 4k, but 2-2.5 is helpful. This is not a quick process, by any stretch as you have learned.

What you did is exactly what was needed. If you think that was challenge, the 3.6L is worse!!!!!

Don

 

[Tin Foil Hat]

Turn it on and off during the purging was not necessary but glad you got it working.