Temp Problems

[gpintler]

My truck -- 2004 2500 5.9 113K miles - Stock Truck
- no Mods - completely stock except for BD Valve Body in the transmission and a nice stereo.

What I know - my truck temp gauge has never gone over the second 0 in the number 200
UNTILL one day I was pulling a 23 ft travel trailer up a short steep hill
[7,136 feet long 400 feet in climb]. At that point the temp went to the top
of the normal range and not to the red zone. I can't tell you the RPMs I was turning. I have gone up this hill many times before without any problems before.

My problem - the truck will run down the highway at 75-80 [Idaho] all day without getting on top of the second 0 of 200, but when I slow down for traffic the temp starts creeping up over and pass the third 0 in 200.

There is resistance in the fan clutch but it can be stopped by hand before the temp gauge gets to 200.
Others have said that I need to pull the intercooler and radiator and make sure the they are not pugged
with dirt or cotton wood seed fuzz.

Were do recommend that I start ?

And Thanks

Is there something that people use to clean out the Air Condenser fins ?

 

[Ozymandias]

At the fan I'd say, it sounds like it is out of order.
Mine acted the same when the fan cut it's wire, from one minute to next I experienced a temp problem in long grades - but never in flat terrain.

If it is still the factory fan you are anyways good for a new one, they degrade with age anyways I was told.

 

[BigPapa]

I second the fan clutch.

 

[Darkbloodmon]

Third on the fan clutch.

 

[RogerM]

A simple way to check the fan clutch is to turn on AC and once the head pressure reaches a set point it should engage the fan. You would’ve noticed the AC wasn’t cooling also at idle and the engine cold, but once rolling the AC gets cold.

 

[Tuesdak]

There is resistance in the fan clutch but it can be stopped by hand

Good way to loose your hand an in instant and won't tell you what you need to know. Be Safe! If you seen what happens to cats when they crawl under the hood for warmth and you also got to replace the fan after an unlucky one finds the fan on engine startup... You wouldn't be putting anything of value near that big fan when it's spinning.

Is the fan clutch over 5 years old? If so throw a MOPAR fan clutch at it. Fan clutches loose 200 RPM per year. Although the ECM can compensate for this eventually the RPM when kicked out is so low combined with age and wear the clutch takes forever to kick in. (Yeah X2 the advice above... and why.)

Check for codes. Inspect the fan clutch wiring esp. in front of the fan as it likes to come loose and get sucked through the fan.

@RogerM Do NOT try the A/C with a suspect cooling system as 2003-2007 RAM Diesels have a bug in the ECM where they will not kick out the compressor when the A/C condenser overheats: they vent half the system charge out the relief valve at over 450 psig. Detailed here: https://www.turbodieselregister.com...rams-ecm-defect-opening-the-ac-relief.258779/

 

[RogerM]

Good way to loose your hand an in instant and won't tell you what you need to know. Be Safe! If you seen what happens to cats when they crawl under the hood for warmth and you also got to replace the fan after an unlucky one finds the fan on engine startup... You wouldn't be putting anything of value near that big fan when it's spinning.

Is the fan clutch over 5 years old? If so throw a MOPAR fan clutch at it. Fan clutches loose 200 RPM per year. Although the ECM can compensate for this eventually the RPM when kicked out is so low combined with age and wear the clutch takes forever to kick in. (Yeah X2 the advice above... and why.)

Check for codes. Inspect the fan clutch wiring esp. in front of the fan as it likes to come loose and get sucked through the fan.

@RogerM Do NOT try the A/C with a suspect cooling system as 2003-2007 RAM Diesels have a bug in the ECM where they will not kick out the compressor when the A/C condenser overheats: they vent half the system charge out the relief valve at over 450 psig. Detailed here: https://www.turbodieselregister.com...rams-ecm-defect-opening-the-ac-relief.258779/

Thank you Sir, replacing my fan clutch this year made a difference in AC performance and now I understand why the passenger side is warmer. Having the MM3 I will be keeping an eye on the fan operation vs head pressures and as always low fan speed on blistering days at start ups.

 

[Ozymandias]

Not to dangerous to touch a moving fan blade from the rear as the blades work away from you.

Still not recommended tough.

 

[Tuesdak]

@Ozymandias The fan is turning at 350-1200 RPM at idle. So it throws your hand off the fan backwards... into what? The Serp belt behind the fan is not forgiving. Just saying.

 

[gpintler]

Most everybody makes mention of wiring but mine has none MFG date is Sept of 03 [looked twice now]. Mine is an 03 built for the model year 04 I thought that the electronic fans started in 04.5

 

[Tuesdak]

So you have maybe a 2003. My 2003 also had the electric controlled fan clutch. Wires are in front of the fan clutch to the lower passenger side of the radiator shroud. See if you have a connector there on the bottom. If the wires are missing fan ate em or someone converted it to the Obsolete thermal spring Ford kit.

 

[Ozymandias]

Most everybody makes mention of wiring but mine has none MFG date is Sept of 03 [looked twice now]. Mine is an 03 built for the model year 04 I thought that the electronic fans started in 04.5

It was a Vistronic from the advent of the CRD Engine, it just had a different fan shroud for the first two years.

 

[gpintler]

Looked at mine again. Big [maybe 24 mm] nut on the back side of the fan clutch. I called NAPA they show a pre Jan of 04 and a post Jan of 04 both with wires. I then called Dodge same thing until I said big nut Their response was I have an 02 clutch. Kind-a weird I bought the truck 4 years ago with only 64K miles on it.

 

[BigPapa]

This belongs to a mobile service tech that was doing some warranty work on a bus at the shop. It was a transit front with a doghouse. He was finishing up and had it running looking for leaks. A hose was leaking and he figured he’d just reach down and tighten it. When he did, the alternator pulley got him.

I’ll do the thumbnail in case someone doesn’t want to see it in detail.

 

[Ozymandias]

Looked at mine again. Big [maybe 24 mm] nut on the back side of the fan clutch. I called NAPA they show a pre Jan of 04 and a post Jan of 04 both with wires. I then called Dodge same thing until I said big nut Their response was I have an 02 clutch. Kind-a weird I bought the truck 4 years ago with only 64K miles on it.

Cheap repair in the past.....

Hopefully the wire harness is still around and not cut off to cover the hack.

 

[Darkbloodmon]

I can take a pic of my 03 harness connector if you want, it's just hanging atm. My engine is an 02 mfg. date for the 03 model year.

 

[gpintler]

1st let me say "Thank you all for your knowledge and help". I went to youtube and did a search on fan clutch replacement.
There I found were the wires should be. Then at 11 at night after the rain I could not let it go so I went out and crawled under the truck found the connector and the wires up to the fan. I will get one ordered tommarow ..

Thanks for the help

 

[Tuesdak]

Edit: removed Ford conversion info as we posted at same time.

This is what your fan clutch should look like and what I would recommend using.

https://www.genosgarage.com/product/52028879af/fan-clutch

Wires are in the lower right corner. Note two plastic pins and the the bottom part comes out. Fan comes out the bottom with just the bottom part of the shroud removed. Mine had a broken part thus the new one in the pic. The hammer is to wack the tool on the fan nut in the direction it normally turns to break free and loosen it. (Normal thread direction here.) An air chisel used to loosen the nut also works.

Common tools to do the job. or https://www.genosgarage.com/product/WRENCHSET1/tools

 

[gpintler]

I got the job done this morning. After noticing that I had the 2 piece shroud, I removed the bottom section unscrewed the clutch and took it out the bottom. 40 minutes for the whole job -- thank you for your help !!!! Did a test run and everything is back to normal.