I have a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab with approximately 22,000 miles on it. It keeps overheating. I've replaced the thermostat and water pump, but it didn't make a difference. I've checked the fan and it's okay. It overheats at slow AND at highway 65+ mph speeds. It overheated so much the other day that the warning "check gauges" light came on. I'm at my wits end. My shop said the Dodge dealer called him the other day because they had a ram 1500 that kept overheating, even after replacing the water pump, etc. I've checked all the hoses and they appear to be functioning properly. When the shop put a heat gun on the radiator it only registered 150 degrees, while the motor was registering 250 degrees. Also the radiator has been flushed and new coolant and water was added, but that didn't made a difference either. Has anyone resolved the problem with their dodge ram overheating? Please HELP!!!!

 

Wow, dunno, 60000+ and nothing here. Wrong coolant maybe? Maybe the rad is partially plugged, but with only 22000 miles it shouldn't be.

 

wow 22k is pretty low .. i have no idea, sounds like radiator but obviously not, i've heard one instance of a truck overheating cause the intake was clogged and the engine couldn't get air, check the entire hose and make sure nothing is in there, ya never know .. thats my best guess at that

 

bad sending unit?? thermostat??

 

This would depend on what "overheating" means in your post; radiator boiling over or temperature gauge indicated. If the radiator is boiling over after all you have done then I would look at the radiator as being blocked or hoses-they are the only things leftOUTSIDE of the engine, if it's not boiling over but the gauge is indicating hi temp I would look at the coolant temp sending unit & wire (front of the intake manifold brass fitting with wite on mine). I chased a trans temp problem in my ram after some mods and purchased a key chain infared sensor at Pep boys for $20. It helped me realize that my aftermarket trans temp sending unit wire was bad. I just pointed the infared sensor at the trans cooler, trans hard lines and then trans pan to see that the sender/gauge was lying to me. The only problem with the infared sensor is that if you don't know what the baseline temps should have been then you are left to using common sense.

 

i had a 2004 ram before the one i have now, and the front cover was dies wrong, and there wasnt enough flow to cool the motor, needless to say i wasnt happy, but did get a new motor out of it cause it took them so long to figure it out.

 

flush the engine....just cause you flush the radiator dont mean there might not be a restriction in the block its self...also, check the ECT sensor....could have a bad sensor as well

 

take the thermostat out an see what happens,look at it carefully an make sure you didn't put it in backwards

 

Put a Radiator Pressure cap on the motor pressure system with a pump and see if it holdspressureor start the motor up wacth the gauge if it gain lot of pressure fast you mite have a blow head Gasket Cracked head or block can also cause this is the coolant oily or greasy how is you'r motor oil look like, I think you can rent testing tools from auto part stores.

Startthe motor with the Raditor cap off let it heat up watch and see if the coolant starts to flow or stand still if it stands still start looking at you thermostat see if it in upside down if this is not it pull the raditor hose off and the thermostat out put a garden hose down it turn it on see if the motor is plugged up some where.

Did you Burp the motor when you replaced the water pump.

If this not the fix you most likely have a pluged up radiator core, or like other have said bad sending units or bad gauges giving you false readings.

Is the motor boiling over or is it smelling like it running hot.

Have you Greased the bumper bearing or adjusted the exhaust nut settings two turns to the right on the 2nd friday of the week.then back to the left one turn on monday..

 

I have put alot of money into my Ram trying to figure out why it keeps over heating, replaced the water pump, the thermostat, and replaced a sensor. It seems to overheat when I run the heater. Could that be the problem?