My 2004 V6 Dodge dakota all of a sudden started over heating. I checked the coolant and it was a little low but not enough to be the cause. I’m wondering if it’s the thermostat. Does this car have a thermostat or is it some kind of digital censer?
I am by no means a mechanic but I am pretty handy so if I know what needs to happen I can usually do it. With that said,if it’s a censer, is this something I can change myself and how do I go about ding this? If it’s a thermostat, where is it? If its neither, what do I do?
Correct me if I’m wrong but 2004 was the first year for the 3.7 V6. The thermostat for the 3.7 is located on the engine side of the bottom radiator hose. The 3.9 has the thermostat housing on the top of the engine. Autozone has a repair guide for the 2004 Dakota, this is the section on thermostat replacement.
Before tearing into the engine to replace the thermostat, replace the radiator cap instead. If the cap is not holding the correct pressure the engine would overheat and some of the coolant might lost through the overflow tank. I replace the radiator cap at each coolant change of my vehicles (every 3 or 4 years or 35 to 40k miles). Much easier to do than replacing the thermostat.
Ed B.
ok ive replaced the thermostat and the cap and the truck is still over heating. whats the next thing to look at? water pump?