# No Heat, But Plenty Coolant **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** dodge, grandcaravan\ **Created:** [February 4, 2024, 4:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312 "2024-02-04T04:51:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![haileeymarieee\_181108](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@haileeymarieee\_181108](https://community.cartalk.com/u/haileeymarieee_181108)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 4:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/1 "2024-02-04T04:51:23Z")
My 2010 Dodge Grandcaravan 3.3L recently stopped blowing out hot/warm air while driving. It comes and goes, but in short patched. There’s plenty of coolant, actually looks like more than original and seems some has came out from the overflow spout. Nothing foggy on windows, no weird smells. The van normally sits at the halfway mark on temperature, but was going as high as 3/4 way. When I showed down, the temp was dropping. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 2:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/2 "2024-02-04T14:41:57Z")
Have your van checked for a bad head gasket. There are test strips that can be dipped into the coolant overflow bottle that can detect that. Or when the engine is cold, remove the coolant reservoir cap, start the engine and let it warm up. If you see bubbles coming up in the reservoir, that’s a pretty good indication of a blown head gasket. ---
**Author:** ![haileeymarieee\_181108](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@haileeymarieee\_181108](https://community.cartalk.com/u/haileeymarieee_181108)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 3:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/3 "2024-02-04T15:24:12Z")
How warm? I saw a YT video that stated to do it cold and check for bubbles. I did, however, I did not see any bubbles. The reservoir looked more clear than the green antifreeze about 10k miles ago that the dealer replaced. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 4:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/4 "2024-02-04T16:31:35Z")
That’s why I gave you an alternate test. A compression test is also useful to detect a head gasket. A cold engine may not leak, a hot one will given your symptoms And there is no need to go to the dealer for a van this old if you have a good local independent shop. And any shop should and will test to confirm your diagnosis. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/5 "2024-02-04T18:28:01Z")
Yep, mustangman took the words out of my mouth. Whenever you see elevated temp in combination with no heat, think head gasket. I spent a winter in Minnesota with a head gasket problem on my diesel. No heat in traffic until I’d get up to highway speed and enough force to overcome the air bubble. It eventually became a refrigerator or something. ---
**Author:** ![haileeymarieee\_181108](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@haileeymarieee\_181108](https://community.cartalk.com/u/haileeymarieee_181108)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/6 "2024-02-04T18:40:15Z")
I guess I will have to get a test done. The engine is hot/warm, but still no bubbles. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 7:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/7 "2024-02-04T19:13:20Z")
> [@haileeymarieee\_181108](#): > > I saw a YT video that stated to do it cold and check for bubbles. I did, however, I did not see any bubbles. Did you see coolant in the radiator? With no heat and coolant overflowing from the reservoir, I would expect the coolant level to be very low in the engine cooling system. If there is a head gasket leak, it is unlikely that you would see bubbles in the coolant during warm-up, the cylinder gases would be trapped behind the thermostat. ---
**Author:** ![haileeymarieee\_181108](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@haileeymarieee\_181108](https://community.cartalk.com/u/haileeymarieee_181108)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/8 "2024-02-04T19:17:52Z")
I did not look in the radiator itself. It works up to a point then stops for a few minutes then repeats. The thermostats was replaced within the last 12 months. This seems to have happen within a day or two after getting spark plugs, wires, and the spark plug ignition coil replaced. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 7:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/9 "2024-02-04T19:24:14Z")
> [@haileeymarieee\_181108](#): > > I did not look in the radiator itself. You won’t see air in the cooling system if you don’t look. > [@haileeymarieee\_181108](#): > > This seems to have happen within a day or two after getting spark plugs Inspect the heater hoses for leaks or a kink in a hose, these can be difficult to see behind the intake manifold. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 7:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/10 "2024-02-04T19:54:19Z")
You need to check the coolant level in the radiator. _Make sure that the van is completely cool before removing the cap!_ ---
**Author:** ![ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/christhetirewhisperer/32/34798_2.png) [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ChrisTheTireWhisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 8:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/11 "2024-02-04T20:27:49Z")
Thermostat installed backwards? Was a common mistake 40-50 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/12 "2024-02-04T20:57:36Z")
> [@haileeymarieee\_181108](#): > > I guess I will have to get a test done If you are a DIYer, you could test for the presence of combustion gases in the coolant with something like this: > **[Combustion Leak Detector Fluid](https://www.harborfreight.com/combustion-leak-detector-fluid-56154.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=19166626963&campaignid=19166626963&utm_content=143651875145&adsetid=143651875145&product=56154&store=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAiP2tBhBXEiwACslfnhR3RBY9VmAw3Q6Z0_sueSWq49JLhGliN_mSnWQl8YFFS82qaDGwYBoCpIYQAvD_BwE)** > > Amazing deals on this Combustion Leak Detector Fluid at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 9:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/13 "2024-02-04T21:42:53Z")
Several other common possibilities should be considered before focusing on a potential head gasket problem - Cooling system pressure cap gasket is leaking, and not allowing the cooling system pressure to maintain the correct operating temperature. - There’s a similar coolant system leak, but from some other spot, like the water pump. - Air pockets forming in cooling system - HVAC system’s warm-air routing doors are not moving into their correct position. - HVAC’s blower not working - Hot coolant is never reaching heater; e.g. pinched hoses, as mentioned above. ---
**Author:** ![weekend-warrior](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/weekend-warrior/32/26122_2.png) [@weekend-warrior](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weekend-warrior)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 9:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-heat-but-plenty-coolant/194312/14 "2024-02-04T21:57:50Z")
Another place to check for a leak is shown in the video below. It is a very common problem on Caravans from 2008 to 2018 I think. it can start of as a slow leak that you may miss. the new kit for the y-pipe is now made from aluminum. [Dodge Grand Caravan Coolant Leak - Simple Fix - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lThUSoyghDE)