Running hot '98 Durango

[MCummings]

I picked up a '98 Durango off ebay for the g/f and I. Got it cheap ($3,551), and it's in great shape besides ahving 168k miles, but it runs great, except, maybe a little hot.



It's had a tune up (before I bought it, new plugs and wires), and I replaced a non-functioning fan-clutch and a not so sealed up valve cover gasket.



The problem I'm having is thatit runs ok with the a/c off, but about 10* warmer with the a/c on. This doesn't bother me too much as I thinnk it's just low on freon, but, wheat does bother me is that when the water gauge is at 210-215*, when I shut the truck off, then turn the ignition back on without turning the engine on, the water temp gauge will creep up all the way to the top of safe.



Does anybody know why this happens?





Thanks,

Merrick

 

[Extreme1]

Heat soak is the term. It's fairly normal for it to creep but I would change the thermostat, rinse out the block and pull the radiator and dump the snot out of the bottom of it.



Of course, it could be a bad sensor too. You might want to take a couple resistance readings (engine cold and warmed up) and compare them to what the FSM says.

 

[rbattelle]

I agree with Extreme1. I used to have a mechanical water temp gauge on an old truck, so it would read temp all the time even with the truck off. After shutdown the water temperature would shoot up to 200-220. Once you stop the water pump circulating coolant and vehicle speed isn't running through the radiator, the coolant in the block soaks up a lot of residual heat from the iron block.



Ryan

 

[MCummings]

Thanks guys. My truck does it too but only bu a few degrees. If it's at 180 when I shut it down it'll creep to about 210. . However the heat soak in teh durango is a little extreme to me, but this is one of my first gassers. I think with 168k though, it probably has alot of deposits. I'll flush the radiator and do a t-stat on it and let yall know how it comes out.



Thanks for the help.



Merrick

 

[rbattelle]

I find that gassers do it WAY more than my diesel. I've always attributed it to the larger coolant capacity on the diesel.



Ryan