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TIA for any advice.
A couple of weeks ago my heater core went bad and we had it bypassed. The mechanic said our radiator probably had a leak and was all corroded inside. Many things do leak out of the car judging from the assortment of puddles in the driveway.
A few days ago I was driving up a mountain when the car started running hotter and hotter. By the time we got to the top it was steaming and in the red zone. When it was time to leave we filled it with water and ran it for a few minutes and it seemed okay, but as soon as we started driving again it went red.
There was nowhere to pull over and once we got to paved road although it was still hot it was running okay. We were trying to make it 11 miles down the road to the gas station to buy coolant. But then the engine started clacking. At first it would stop if I drove slower, but then it was clacking continuously. The oil had been showing a little to the low side, but then abruptly the line fell to zero and we lost all power.
We had to pay $80 to tow the thing back to civilization. The mechanic wants $600 to replace the oil pump before he even begins to evaluate what else might be wrong. We don't have any money.
So my questions are: Does this scenario ring any bells? Is replacing the oil pump the thing to do? Is that a reasonable price (in Knoxville, Tennessee) to do such a thing? If we have to replace the engine, how much should we expect that to cost? Is any of this even worth it, given the age of our car and its mileage?
Thanks.
- Check to see if the fan clutch and electric fan are coming on when they are suppose to, if one or both of them are not functioning, replace. (Mandatory)
- Remove the radiator and have it pressure checked at a radiator shop. If it is clogged, replace it, the hoses and cap. (Radiator - mandatory, Hoses, if in good shape and free of gunk - optional, Radiator cap - this is close to mandatory, but at least it needs to be clean and free of gunk).
- Before installing the radiator flush the rest of the system as thoroughly as possible.
- If you have not changed the belt in a while, change it (If belt looks good - optional)
- Install a new radiator cap (same as above).
- Install new coolant (Mandatory)
If you find your timing chain cover deteriorating, then the timing chain cover will need to be replaced which should include a new water pump and thermostat (mandatory). The radiator will likely be clogged and should be replaced (mandatory) along with the radiator hoses, belt and radiator cap (same as above).
I hope this helps, if you have any other questions or find out anything you need help with, let me know.
PLEASE HELP!!!
Heads resurfaced
Valves done
Changed the thermostat - twice
Changed the water pump
Changed the radiator cap
Changed the Heater core
Flushed the system...
and I'm still having problems...
PLEASE HELP!!!!!!
Thanks,
Thanks
Billy
Can anyone tell me about an "Auxiliary" pump located somewhere back by the firewall on passenger side? I read a blog where a man replaced everything I have replaced on mine, (radiator, hoses, filler neck, water pump) I also flushed the system very well and I finally had to remove my thermostat on the side of the road one day. I'm going out to replace the fan clutch now and will post my results. If that doesn't do the trick, I hope to find out more on the "Auxiliary Pump".
When the man replaced his, all his troubles were gone. My auto manual does not mention this, nor can I find it on any auto parts websites.
My durango bogs out, you go to start it, and it starts but then acts like their is no gas and will stall...most times you can pump the gas pedal, which causes it to cough and choke, it basically sounds like it is hitting and missing untill eventually, you pump it out enough times and it stops bogging.....I then need t hold my foot steady on the gas, holding it at approx. 1000 rpm until i can release the gas and it stays running. After this happens it is good to go. Whether related or not, it also will sometimes idle rough, it starts out idling fine, then will start to slow down and almost stall out, sound very rough. The last thing is that we recently tried to tow a 3500 lb trailer up a mountain, we got almost3 km and overheated, pedal was all the way to the floor, and couldn't get it to go above 2000rpm...felt like we were gonna start going backwards, next thing we knew the transmission overheating light came on, then check engine, then plain overheating....we had to pull over and wait almost an hour before filling with water, going back home and getting a friend to tow our new trailer for is... mechanic figures could possibly be a clogged muffler(unrelated to original unsolveable issue) and suggested unhooking muffler after the new (replaced 3 months ago) catalytic converter, and rehooking up trailer and trying again...so far we have had the injectors cleaned, a new water pump, new computer module as that was the first diagnosis$$$, sensors were checked, hoses checked....oh just about everything...any ideas??? I am more concerned with the bogging then the overheating as this is a major issue for us! Any ideas anyone>> Similar issues?
I don't know what year Durango you have, but on my 2000 there's a combination of a mechanical clutch fan driven off the serpentine belt and auxiliary electric fans also. If any of them are not working properly you can have overheat problems like you describe. The electric fans run all the time when the a/c is on by the way.
Also, this has already probably been checked, but make sure there's no buildup of debris blocking the radiator anywhere in the front, like between the radiator and condensor or the power steering fluid cooler near the bottom of the radiator (that's where it is on the first generation). I bought mine used and was surprised how much junk was built up in that area. I blew it out with a garden hose and high pressure nozzle, and was surprised how much junk ended up on the driveway under it.
I'd look towards the fans first though, especially the clutch fan if it has one. When it's idling and getting hot, the clutch fan should be running full on, actually "roaring" as some say, and the electric auxiliary fan or fans should be on.