Slow warmup - 2000 Dodge Caravan

Oct 20, 2009 5 Replies
M

Looking for some advice...



We have a 2000 Dodge Caravan with a 3.0 litre engine. The van runs well but we have one small problem...



When the weather is cold, a few degrees above freezing or less, the engine can take a long time to warm up when being driven. I've been able to drive highway speeds for 15+ minutes and the temp gauge still does not come up to normal.



If I start the van and let it idle, it comes up to normal temperature much quicker.



Am I correct that this is just a faulty thermostat, or should I also be looking elsewhere?



Thanks!


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B

Sure sounds like t-stat stuck open.

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M

And make sure you top up the cooland in the RADIATOR, too, else it may never get hot liquid into the heater core.

Thermostats fail. often. I got maybe 2-3 years out of any in my Caravan(s). /mark

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B

And before you put the new one in, test it in a pan of water on the stove with an accurate thermometer - I have read of getting bad thermostats right out of the box - happens more often than you'd think. Ounce of prevention...

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M

And furthermore, make sure you don't cross-thread the bolts when you put them back in. The one time I took it to a shop instead of doing it myself..... Well, you can guess what happened.... sigh... /mark

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M

Thanks for all the advice folks!

One more question... would it be worth while to do a coolant system flush too?

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