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2005 Chrysler Town and country. 100k miles 3.8 Engine.
Water Temp guage is pegged on cold when car is in motion and goes to the 2nd dash on the gauge when idle. No Heat from the heater at all. It has a check engine light which I am gonna take to O’reilly’s tomorrow to get the code. There is coolant in it. I am suspecting my thermostat to be stuck open thus not allowing the engine to fully heat up.
Also since the car just recently broke a 100k what things should I get serviced before they become a problem? I am trying to keep this car as long as I can. Also as I am not really physically able to do most of these services. (I have a bad back and no tools) Should I take it to a dealership for the service or just go with my normal person who i have?
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I’d say it’s the thermostat as well. As to who you take it to? Whoever you trust the most and does good work.
I’d say thermostat as well. Should be able to change it out yourself as thermostats generally require just a few bolts to remove the housing and some draining/refilling of the coolant. Sometimes its extremely cramped, but nothing a good ‘S’ wrench can’t work around. Keep us updated!
[quote=”Ryanflex2003″ post=163210]I’d say thermostat as well. Should be able to change it out yourself as thermostats generally require just a few bolts to remove the housing and some draining/refilling of the coolant. Sometimes its extremely cramped, but nothing a good ‘S’ wrench can’t work around. Keep us updated![/quote]
The problem I have is 1. I have none of the tools required. I only have a set of nut drivers and screwdrivers from my days as a tech for working on PC’s. I also don’t really know anyone that would let me use there tools (I have family who do have them but that part of my family is one of those , “Whats in it for me types and love to start drama over nothing types too”). I also cannot stand no more then 5 minutes at most on my back before my legs go numb.
You wouldn’t be laying on your back. But there is lots of bending and wierd positions. I have a bad back as well due to an injury. You won’t need many tools. Cheap sockets, wrenches and angles needle nose for those spring clamps.
It definitely sounds like your thermostat is failed or failed. A failed thermostat will set a check engine light. Let’s talk thermostats:
It turns out that your thermostat is VERY easy to change:
And finally, the nice thing about tools is you can use them again. From quickly watching the video, you really don’t need much. A basic 1/4 or 3/8 drive set and a pair of pliers would be enough. Just remember, the fasteners are metric. Add a fancy coolant funnel at your discretion.
So, a jug of coolant, about $40 worth of tools, a thermostat and you’re replacing it yourself for less than the cost of 1 hour of labour.
Just get your vehicle serviced wherever you feel the most comfortable dealing with the people. They know you and your car better than someone else. 100,000 is usually fluids and maybe plugs and wires depending on the engine. It should say in the owners manual. There really isn’t anything to really “service” on modern cars. If they work, they work. Until they don’t.
There’s 2 coolant temperature sensors, one in the block and one in the radiator. I’m not sure of the parameters for setting the code, but it does happen as the 2 sensors are used to monitor temperature variations and yada, yada.
The engine would heat up after a short drive if the thermostat was stuck open. Does the top radiator hose get hot? Eric has a video on diagnosing cooling system problems. Having absolutely no heat from the heater is a bigger worry as the heater core could be plugged up. That would be caused by a lot of corrosion in the cooling system. Has the coolant ever been changed? The system might need to be flushed out and inspected.
The engine won’t heat up much at all since the coolant will be flowing and getting cooled as well. The thermostat is closed until the engine reaches the units stated range of temperature. Then opens to allow coolant to flow and be cooled. No engine heat and no cabin heat, points to a stuck open thermostat.
Changing a thermostat is one of those (theoretically) simple jobs that can quickly turn into a nightmare for an inexperienced novice, especially if you’re dealing with steel bolts that thread into an aluminum casting.
In my opinion, you’d be saving yourself a lot of potential grief by having a licensed mechanic do the job for you. Yes, you’ll be paying more than you would by doing the job yourself, but if things go to hell at a high rate of knots, it’s the mechanic’s problem to deal with, not yours.
if you choose to do this job, the thermostat replacement on these vans is pretty easy, its located under the ignition coil with 2 bolts holding it on….. i believe the bolts are 12mm if i remember correctly
be sure to bleed the air out of the system correctly with both the front and rear heat turned on
i would check the water pump for leaks and lower metal rad hose extension for rust as these are both common failures on these engines
Good to hear you were successful in replacing the thermostat . 🙂
To answer your other question . Rubber hoses and belts have a useful life . At 100,000 miles , you may be reaching that point . Visually inspect all of them . If you are planning on keeping the car as long as you can , start replacing rubber , as best you can .
BUT , I recommend you do some research to determine if the engine uses a timing belt or a timing chain . If it is a belt , find out what is the service interval on the belt and associated parts . If it has a belt & it breaks , there is a definite chance a piston can hit a valve and it gets pretty bad pretty quickly .
If it uses a timing chain , I would leave it be , unless there are indications of a problem .
Next thing , as someone mentioned , fluids . Always change engine oil & filter at the ” proper ” interval . Coolant , power steering fluid , brake fluid , transmission fluid ( especially an automatic ) , air filter and anything else I forgot .
Check the condition of the tires and air pressure . Brakes are an ongoing item that need repair from time to time , depending on driving habits .
As long as tires are wearing evenly , alignment is usually OK . If the ride is OK and not ” bouncy ” , shocks / struts should be OK . Of course , any bad noises need to be investigated .
Think about how old the battery is and if the battery cable clamps are OK or corroded . Extreme heat or cold are hard on batteries . So your climate and which season it is ( or is coming up ) will influence if the battery is more prone to fail in the near future .
And the A/C and or heater . Are they working OK ? Can live without them , but I prefer they work .
Then there is rust . I do not live in the rust belt . But it is a big problem for some .
Best of luck with your car and with your back .
God bless
Wyr
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