AboutRoland Finston Expertise I take questions about domestic Chrysler-product front wheel drive cars and minivans for the years 1982-2000 based upon my experience and shop manuals. I don't have detailed information (e.g. manuals) nor expertise for Jeeps, trucks, SUV's, import vehicles, or for years more recent than 2000 (except Sebring/Stratus I have '03).
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Experience I have been a do-it-yourself auto hobbyist for 5 decades, and most recently have been concentrating on the various Chrysler Corporation domestic front wheel drive cars and vans. I have shop manuals and wiring diagrams for many models for the years '83-'00, as well as rear wheel drive cars for the early 80's. I enjoy analyzing problems that other Chrysler enthusiasts are having and sharing my information.
Organizations belong to Group co-moderator of the Yahoo autos group The Chrysler LeBaron Club
Expert: Roland Finston Date: 7/22/2008 Subject: 96 chrysler lhs: running hot despite repairs
Question QUESTION: i have a 96 chrysler lhs and its been running hot i have changed the thermostat, housing, sensor in the housing,hoses,water pump,and the radator and its still running hot what else can it be and what can i do thank you charlene
ANSWER: Hi Charlene,
Can you describe the functioning of the cooling system: does the gauge go to full hot, does steam come out from under hood, are you loosing coolant, are the radiator fans coming on (first one, then both) as the gauge rises? Are you seeing any white smoke from the exhaust when you start the car after sitting overnight? Is it possible that you have a brake disc/shoe that is dragging (does the car roll back and forth easily on a flat surface/are any of the 4 wheels hot to the touch after a drive? I think you can see what I am aiming at in these questions as to what are the other possibilities. So use the "thank and rate" tab get back to me with any comments/answers using the comments area for your text message.
Roland
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QUESTION: well lets see....yes the guage goes to full hot yes i get steam from the under the hood(i think its from the back flow... cause it starts bubbling in the resivor)we loose coolant when it starts boiling away (i dont think there is a leak..havent seen one)yes the fans come on we even ran them to start up when the car starts...there is no white smoke,no water in the tail pipe and the oil looks normal
Answer Hi Charlene,
You might check that issue of a dragging brake by feeling all four wheels after driving on the highway without doing significant braking and just coast or slowly brake to a stop, then feel if any one is hotter than the others. Also be sure the tire pressures are set properly.
I would also look at the air flow through the radiator by placing light behind the radiator and looking through from the front side. It is possible the ac condenser or the transmission cooler fins are blocked with leaves/mud which of course also reduces the flow through your new radiator.
Another possibility is that you have air trapped in the cooling system. There is bleeder valve and nipple on the thermostat housing, to which you can attach a hose that allows fluid to drain out over the front of the car into a pan for collection and reuse (rather than dripping on the drive belts). Open the bleeder, then add 50/50 coolant to the overflow bottle, and when you get a steady out flow also squeeze on the upper radiator hose so any air in it will also be expelled out the tubing. Then close the bleeder and fill the bottle to the "max" level.
Have you changed the coolant bottle's pressure cap? That might be opening at too low a pressure from the design specification (17 psi). The system is designed to operate under pressure so as to run at a temperature far above boiling
Another possibility to consider is whether there might be a blockage in the engine cooling system proper which can/does occur, sometimes in one engine design more than another. You might inquire at a Chrysler dealer repair shop as to whether there is an experiential base for thinking the 3.3 or the 3.5L engine might be subject to that sort of issue (without saying which one you have) and see what is said.
Does the engine make a cracking sound like it is really hot? Perhaps you have a partial blockage of the exhaust system at the catalytic converter, or as mentioned above an internal blockage in the coolant channels of the engine itself.
That just about "exhausts" my bag of tricks...
Please let me know what you learn.
Roland
