90 dodge caravan still over heating

Ok I have replaced the water pump the raditator, the raditator cap, the thermostat and pressure checked my cooling system and it is smoking like it's over heating what the hell could be wrong?

 

If your electric fan does not come on...that will do it.

 

I Know my fan works

 

What about fan belt and hoses?

Loose belt can slip which will affect the water pump, weak hoses can collaspe restricting flow. Are you sure the thermostat didn't get installed backwards?

 

the belt is fine because my water pump is tha pain in the ass that is chain driven the hoses aren't in bad shape and I'm almost 100% positve the thermostat was put in correct, but ie my bfs cousin screwed that up then I'll be kicking his ass

 

You may consider doing a compression check. A blown head gasket will make an engine overheat. Also you may notice water in the oil (turns it a milky white color) or maybe a drop in the coolant level.

 

my car has been running just fine my oil is fine too and my engine isn't over heating it's just acting like it is

 

If it isn't actually over heating what are the symptoms?

Is the temp gauge accurate? what reading?

Is there steam coming off or out of the radiator? block? Split water/coolant may take a little bit to burn off.

 

I just have the temp light which does workand hasn't been coming on and steam coming from the radiator, and it will boil out of the overflow some of the time, not always

 

Ya, the idiot lights don't come on until after it's over heated.

I don't have anymore ideas other than to double check everything already mentioned.

 

I would go to a higher pressure radiator cap, or try a different new one (sometimes new parts don't work, believe it or not)......if the temperature light doesn't come on, then there's a pressure problem thats causing the cap to open and letting water out the overflow. The other possibility is the thermostat is in backwards.

 

the thermostat is what everyone is pretty much pointing to since everything else is new and if thats what the problem is I'm going to tell my bf never to let his damn cousin touch my van again

 

You can have a blown head gasket where water does NOT get in the oil, necessarily! The exhaust could be going into the coolant instead. Garages have a test gauge that only takes seconds to confirm if exhaust gases are winding up under your radiator cap! Mine did that and I had water trying to come out of my radiator cap and also would climb in the coolant reservoir. Think about it once: Hot engine gases directly infiltrating the water system.

 

I'm with Dave & Rob; if not already checked you need to investigate for a blown head gasket - this is a 17 year old vehicle and a head gasket would certainly be a suspect.

Not out of the realm of possibilities is a tranny problem since the tranny cooler is in the raditor. Any excessive heat from the tranny can run your coolant temp up. Will the symptoms appear if you just start up and let it sit idling in the driveway for a while or is it driving related?

 

It will do it sitting in the driveway before it even gets to a warmed up temp I'm trying the theromstat today can't hurt because when I look back and think about it was doing that still after we changed it and now still after we changed the major parts of the cooling system

 

well just had to say it was the head gasket I blew it this morning thankfully I made it home

 

Luckily you made it home. I wasn't so lucky with my 85 Dodge mini-Ram van. It first had the symptoms of just putting excessive pressure into the cooling system. And with the radiator cap off the coolant would all bubble over. And the coolant was climbing up in the overflow resevoir. But THEN...at a later date...my engine would not crank over at all outside the convenience store I stopped at 23 miles from home. I heard this real loud click sound when I went to start it. I knew. Hydrolock. I removed the spark plugs and looked inside and I had one cylinder full of coolant. I could have started a fish farm in there. Without the plugs in, when I cranked the engine, coolant come flying out all over the engine...but it turned over fine...just as I suspected. Had to have it towed home by my local mechanic/towman. I called up a friend of mine who sold me his old hippy band van for $50. One of my better investments. The thing still works great. It's like a tank. And I have good heat too. REAL good heat. But...at 8-10 mpg, it mostly stays in the driveway.

 

I do have to say I love dodges I had a acclaim before this same thing happened, blew the head, but got it fixed and it ran great, until some jackass kid rearended me and totaled my car, I still miss that thing but the minivan has been good to me so I'll be good to it right back

 

I hate being right all the time!!!! Sorry to hear it was the head gasket, but it's not a difficult fix if that's the only damage you did.