1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager Overheating

1999 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER
165,000 MILES
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PAULSCHOCH
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5 yrs ago my vans temp gauge rapidly started to shoot up into the danger zone. It was a very hot day and I was pulling a steep hill at the time with the ac on. I quickly shut off the AC and switched to full heater and fan. That would bring the temp gauge back down where it should be. All is fine the rest of the year until the summer time. It will happen suddenly and the car has to have the AC on to get this to happen. Is this blown head gaskets? For 5 years no problems with the car and overheating. Like I mentioned, it shoots up fast too! Hard to induce, very hot days with the AC on and under a load like a steep hill.

I have R R radiator, thermostate, verified aux. fan operation and used the block check but was hard to induce condition. I and going to R&R the head gaskets unless you can think of something else. Don't want to do the heads unless you agree with me. I will donate $100.00 if it saves me the head gasket work but, if if you this as I do that the donation will be $10.00. Untill the next head scratcher.

Hope you can respond fast on this, I'm pulling the trans. to rebuild it. Yeah, I know, why don't I just buy another van. Don't have the money but have the tools and a little know how.

Thank you for having this website availible, if you are able to help me, I will help you in kind.

Paul Schoch
Apr 28, 2012 at 12:05 AM
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CJ MEDEVAC
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I'D LIKELY DO EZ CHECKING 1ST. LOOK AT THE FANS POSSIBLY NOT OPERATING, OR INTERMITTENTLY WORKING (FAN MOTOR, FAN RELAY, OTHER ELECTRICAL RELATED)...ARE YOU WITNESSING THEM COMING ON?

THERMOSTAT? INSTALLED PROPERLY? I ONE GOT 3 BAD ONES IN A ROW (JUST A BAD BATCH) EVEN BRAND NEW STUFF CAN BE DEFECTIVE

THERE COULD BE OTHER POSSIBILITIES SUCH AS BUILD-UP INSIDE THE RADIATOR (HAVE PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED OR REPLACE, THE AUTO PARTS STORE FLUSHES USUALLY WON'T TOUCH THE HEAVY STUFF)...THE RADIATOR IS SUPPOSED TO EFFICIENTLY TRANSFER THE HEAT FROM THE WATER, TO THE OUTSIDE AIR.

VANE RESTRICTIONS FROM MINERAL BUILD-UP WILL NOT LET THE WATER FLOW THRU THE RADIATOR FAST ENOUGH---THIS WOULD BE LIKE PINCHING OFF THE MAIN HOSES INTO THE RADIATOR. IF THIS IS THE ORIGINAL RADIATOR, THIS MAY VERY WELL BE THE PROBLEM IF THE OTHER STUFF CHECKS OUT

I HAVE SEEN THIS ISSUE A LOT IN MY REGION, WITH MINERALS IN THE WATER SUPPLY. IF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN FLUSHED OUT, RUSTY WATER ETC COULD PREVENT THE RADIATOR FROM DOING IT'S JOB

A HEAD/ HEAD GASKET ISSUES CAN CAUSE OVERHEATING....SYMPTOMS MIGHT BE LOSS OF COOLANT, RUNNING ROUGH, WATER IN THE OIL, OIL IN THE WATER

GOOD LUCK

KEEP US POSTED

THE MEDIC
Apr 28, 2012 at 12:54 AM
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Hi:
If it is going up that fast, I would recommend that you make sure the vehicle is overheating. It may deal with a short, a bad sending unit... Also, check to make sure none of the radiator hoses are collapsing when this happens.
Let me know

Joe
Apr 28, 2012 at 2:20 AM
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PAULSCHOCH
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Thank you, a new sending unit will be installed asap. What about a cracked head? Reason I ask is because I need to decide if I'm pulling the engin and trans. or just the tranny at this point. The tranny is history. I will just do the tranny for now, and verify if the engine is really heating up that fast. And check for a collapsing hose too. The radiator is new but I will also change out the thrmostate too.
It will be awhile before I can report back, but I will.

Paul
Apr 28, 2012 at 3:53 PM
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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If you question a cracked head, try this. With the engine cold, remove the radiator cap. Start the engine and see if coolant shoots out of the radiator. If it does, then compressed air is getting into the cooling system. It could be a head gasket, cracked head...

Let me know what you find.
Apr 28, 2012 at 4:25 PM