Not warming up

[RyanH360]

Okay so here's the deal, my truck is not getting warm at all. I've checked all my fluids and put some more anit-freeze in it because it was a little low, but not that much. For whatever reason, my truck just won't warm up. I let it sit in the mornings for about ten minutes before I leave for school, I can drive all the way to school which is about thirty minutes and the temp guage will still read 130. Why would my truck not be getting warm?

[ucimaplaya2]

your thermostat is probably stuck open. try replacing it.

[RyanH360]

your thermostat is probably stuck open. try replacing it.

Yeah, maybe I should go back to stock thermostat. I have the 180 in there and I don't think there is really any reason to. I'll try that and see if it works. If not I guess I'll be back in here to try and find more answers.

[ucimaplaya2]

i have 180 and it works great. did yours ever work right since you put it in?


this reminds me of a funny story. i know someone who went to go put a 180 in, and wasn't paying attention to what he was doing and didnt put the thermostat in. he was wondering for 2 hours why it wouldn't warm up. then i pointed out that there were two thermostats on the table now.

[RyanH360]

That is a funny story. :jester: I didn't forget to put it in though. I've never had any problems with it not warming up before. It just seems like since winter hit about November, my truck just doesn't want to warm up. If it does warm up it usually takes like an hour which is rediculous. I'm going to go buy a new thermostat and put it on hopefully this weekend. I'm always so strapped with time that I don't get to pay much attention to my truck. I hate changing the thermostat on our trucks anyway cause I can never get my hand down between the a/c compressor and the altenator so I have to end up taking the altenator off just to get to the damn thermostat anyhow. It's a pain in the ass.

[00 SLT T/A]

I have and have had a similar problem with my 2000 Durango. The truck barely gets warm in cold weather. Back during the summer while at idle in traffic the truck would get over 210 degrees. I too changed the thermostat and it is a 180 degree stat.

Took it to the dealer thinking maybe it is the fan cluch. They say it is not. And while driving it on the street they did not have the problem.

I read in another thread that someone having the same problem discovered the propeller on the back of the water pump had come apart.

After allowing my truck to get to where the stat is open I have very poor circulation. I am taking it back to the dealer to have the pump replaced. Only because I have a service contract and they have more time than I do right now.

Could be the problem with yours. Give it a look with the cap off and at operating temp to see if the water is circulating.

Good luck.

[ScatDak]

I know on my 99 I had the same problem. But what I noticed was the Fan had 9 blades and I remembered my 92 had a 5 blade viscous style fan. I removed the 9 blade fan and replaced it with the 5 blade fan. I tell you what that 5 bladed fan moves twice the amount of air as compared to the stock fan that was on it. Now It sits right at 180 even in traffic.

[Daktari]

If you had bad circulation or something wrong with the water pump the engine would get hot, not stay cold. And are you sure the sending unit / sensor is not bad? Maybe the wire to the sensor broke or something or got disconnected. If you didn't use liquid nitrogen as a coolant it would probably warm up faster.

[RyanH360]

Where is this sensor located? Maybe I'll check that and see. I think it may just be the termostat. I just don't have the time to mess with it right now. It's not hurting anything, it just sucks driving around with no heat and freezing my ass off.

[Daktari]

I really haven't the slightest idea where the sencor is located= probably on the block somewhere. On my old truck - 72" chevy - I could do my own repairs. Now I am lost lol

[SteedstER]

It's on top of the intake...

[Daktari]

Er, why would it be on top of the intake? doesn't seem like the intake would get hot, or as hot, as the engine does. But who knows with these new trucks? They got sensors all over the place. Surprised they don't have one in the seats to tell when you've farted.

[ucimaplaya2]

Er, why would it be on top of the intake? doesn't seem like the intake would get hot, or as hot, as the engine does. But who knows with these new trucks? They got sensors all over the place. Surprised they don't have one in the seats to tell when you've farted.
because the coolant runs through the top/front of the intake manifold. the sensor is towards the passenger side cylinder head and pretty much under/behind the alternator. but i would change the tstat first.

[RyanH360]

I haven't done anything as of yet because one, it's not that big a deal and two...because I'm lazy and haven't had any time to actually change the damned thermostat in the first place. Heat isn't that much of a problem becaue it doesn't get that cold around here but sometimes it would be nice for in the mornings. Thanks for the info anyhow guys. I will be checking that sensor just in case changing the thermostat doesn't work.

[00 SLT T/A]

I haven't done anything as of yet because one, it's not that big a deal and two...because I'm lazy and haven't had any time to actually change the damned thermostat in the first place. Heat isn't that much of a problem becaue it doesn't get that cold around here but sometimes it would be nice for in the mornings. Thanks for the info anyhow guys. I will be checking that sensor just in case changing the thermostat doesn't work.
My 2000 goes in the shop tomorrow, once I get it back and know what causes this problem in my truck I will forward the info to you.

He did however confirm previous info that the blades on the water pump have been an issue, the reason it doesn't over heat in the winter and does in the summer is due to the blades deteriorating and causing poor circulation.

Beats the hell out of me. Just glad I have a service contract and now someone else can figure it out at their expenses. I'm only out $100 bucks.