Overheating while towing

[penstar4ever]

I have a 93 D250 3/4 ton (518 tranny)and it came with a dealer installed extra radiator under the bed on the drivers side in front of rear wheel,and mine never gets hot even when I tow up hills,it has a heat switch when tranny fluid get a certain temp and turns on,boy it is great.Check with the Dodge dealer and see what and if you can have one installed. Good luck:)

[86GLHT2]

never had a problem with my 02' overheating..........

[one hot diesel]

FYI Note. If you change your own coolant, make sure you Purge the air from the head, as air can get trapped creating a hot spot, cracking head,overheating, engine failure,ect...

[penstar4ever]

I would also recommend not using auto zone thermostat:):).

[Shelby VNT]

Just in case, the 5.9 Cummins can use one of two thremostats. The original Cummins replacement has a larger opening, which allows more coolant to flow through it. The replacements you buy at Autozone, Car Quest, ect, have a smaller opening. The original equipment Cummins thermostat is almost twice as large at the opening. Not that it will help you out, but it might be worth looking into. My stock thermostat started going bad on my 01 and I changed it out for a Car Quest piece. I have no over heating issues, and the smaller openinng really helps out a ton with engine temps in the winter. The temp is much more stable. Cummins speced the cooling systems out to be massive, for when the trucks are pulling at their max ratings. Under normal driving, the radiator is over kill, especially in the winter. Whenever my engine's original t-stat opened up, in the winter, the gauge would take a nose dive, and then take forever to get back up to 180-190. Not loaded, of course.

Regardless, it might be worth checking into if everything seems fine. Right off hand, I don't know if the Dodge replacement t-stats, available at the dealer, are the larger opening or not.

[Spark knock]

Have a 2004 5.9 overheats if I run it hard towing. If I drive it like I have an egg under pedal its o.k. But if I pass a car and punch it temp runs up quick and it takes about 2 miles to cool back down. Any suggestion:

[slick rock]

What kind of egt's are you getting? Is your tranny locking up? Both things will send your heat up, and you do have a egt gauge don't you? ...Get one, and keep the exhaust temp under 1300 for any length of time. Tranny?....well...it is what it is.

[Spark knock]

I have twin ats turbo set up get don't get over 1100 . I put a stage 2 ats trans in. Has about 1000 miles on it. But I did notice my trans. Temp was up to 210 when the engine ran hot . Trans. started acting up and went into limp mode. Pulled codes and had torque converter codes and 2703 clutch codes. Call ats and they are building me another trans. Could the tran. Cause engine temp to rise

[The Pope]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spark knock I have twin ats turbo set up get don't get over 1100 . I put a stage 2 ats trans in. Has about 1000 miles on it. But I did notice my trans. Temp was up to 210 when the engine ran hot . Trans. started acting up and went into limp mode. Pulled codes and had torque converter codes and 2703 clutch codes. Call ats and they are building me another trans. Could the tran. Cause engine temp to rise

when a trans slips it causes the engine to heat up, because the engine is also cooling the trans

[Spark knock]

I let my truck sit and run and could not get to heat up but if I put it in gear it only takes about 15 minutes and it runs hot. It pulls real hard when I put it in gear. The emergency brake would not hold. I had to scotch the tire. I got my new trans from ats and installed it last weekend and problem fixed. I think the 1st torque converter was to tight and was heating up after sitting in gear. Thanks for the advice though

[The Pope]

the first converter was loose and slipped creating heat. There not supposed to slip unless non lock up. And even then very little, it helped my truck yes and no to do the trans and converter. The engine, non WG older truck wasn't loading. So the trans got hot but not the engine other than a slight climb. Now with a performance custom converter and shift kit added the engine is loaded. Lot more boost and power and heats up from more fuel. With the trans locked up and not slipping the trans heat will drop down and the extra heat would come from the engine fueling.

if heat starts coming back I'd add a bigger trans cooler, but I would think that would have been part of a ATS trans though

[94GTC]

Spark Knock, you are pushing 450-550 h.p. , just a guess with a radiator designed to cool a 305 h.p. engine, and when towing heavy/fast it overheats?

One Hot Diesel: Are you adding more fuel? More fuel needs more air. If you are adding more fuel and making more power, one of the reasons the 3rd gen is able to make more power is they have a much larger radiator. Just because the truck has the power to do it, does not mean the cooling system will support it.

[The Pope]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94GTC Spark Knock, you are pushing 450-550 h.p. , just a guess with a radiator designed to cool a 305 h.p. engine, and when towing heavy/fast it overheats? One Hot Diesel: Are you adding more fuel? More fuel needs more air. If you are adding more fuel and making more power, one of the reasons the 3rd gen is able to make more power is they have a much larger radiator. Just because the truck has the power to do it, does not mean the cooling system will support it.

nope, not with a diesel. Yes with a gas engine, because they work differently as a gas engine is a straight BTU engine.

With my truck in near stock shape with a 360 gas engine size rad in the 93. I pulled the cabin cruiser boat out to the lake, 95 degrees outside with the AC on. Running 70-75 up hills. My stat stuck and it dropped the temps below the cold line on the gauge. So the engine ran nearly at ambient out side temp. Same thing happened when I went to go get 87 GLHS 306 from Seattle. I ran the truck 85 MPH near 100 degree's with the AC on and it dropped down so low on near flat ground the engine didn't want to run. I had to stop and put card board in the rad.

So excessive EGTs and trans slipping will heat things up. With the right exhaust, turbo, intercooler and trans mods 500 WHP will tow nice and cool. A gas engine? Not likely as all HP is BTU's. Can't just add more air to cool it off lol.

The trans though will heat it all up like I said, so the trans should have come with a bigger cooler. My truck stock comes with an extra over sized cooler attached to the bed.

[94GTC]

I was a heavy truck mechanic from 1982 to 2003 and have driven a diesel truck from 1995 and that has not been my experience. If you are making alot more power than the cooling system was designed for, it can't remove the heat, coolant. I had this issue with my 93 when pulling hard and fast, with extra fuel and air. The original question, was, I think about egt, and he does not state if he is or is not adding extra fuel, but if he is, he may need a larger turbo/ more air for the extra fuel. The cooling system on the 99 is already taxed so added power levels will make the coolant temp rise when towing hard. More air WILL keep egt in check, but not coolant.

[Spark knock]

I am running 200 hp tip and ats twin turbos with a smarty ssr .the truck would not run hot except when I went threw a town or in traffic. I though it was when I ran it hard but I ran it pretty hard and then went in to a town and a lot of stop lights. That's when it startedp heating up. When I got out of town and started on open road it cooled down and was o.k. But in town my trans. Temp got up to 250. I got a new trans from ats with torque converter. So far no problems. The torque converter before when I put it in gear it pulled so hard the emergency brake should not hold it I had to block the tires. New one doesn't pull hard at all at idle