It started with the temp. gauge freaking out all the time. Then finally it overheated. So we bypassed the heater core cause it was leaking. Then flushed the system and changed thermostat. Two weeks later overheats. Now it just goes from zero to red line, it does not bob around. So I check the system, here is the weird part, the engine is overheated yet the water pump hose is warm, the radiator is cold, and the overflow does nothing. Oh yeah and the top house to the thermostat is flamming hot.

After having it checked they say replace manifold gasket. I do this (by the way when it says 14ft lbs on upper intake listen. I broke the first intake.). It still does the same thing. So I do another thermostat, same thing. This time I checked T. stat in boiling water and it works. Now I replace the water pump just becasue it was cheap enough, and then I preasurised the coolant system. Same dang thing.

I dont think bypassing heater core has anything to do with it, but I could be wrong.

All I know is there are no signs of bad head gasket. The engine temp goes to red after a few miles, and yet all is cool except the upper radiator hose.:banghead: Please help me figure this out, please!

I do know that the whole coolant system should be hot when the engine overheats, and even with a bad head gasket the coolant would still circulate.

Have you had the cooling system flushed? It sounds like there is poor flow through the radiator if the upper hose is hot and the radiator is cool/cold. Dex-cool tends to form goo if air got into the system, could have plugged up the radiator.


My other question is you said it over heats in a few miles, how many is a few? If it is in 2-3 miles then you might want to check the sender/gauge it could be lyeing to you.

Sparky

I had similar problem after the mass exodux from Houston a couple of years ago (yes I was one of those fools on the highway/parking lot). I blew the head gasket just outside of Houston on the trip up to Dallas but kept driving it since I wasn't about to stop on the side of the road - had gas, kept traveling.

After I got to the folks house the van would start just fine but idle a little rough and just like yours the temp gauge would red-line just a few minutes later. The shop kept tinkering with the fuel injectors and the manifold but the problem wouldn't go away. They would call me to come pick it up and the temp gauge would red line before leaving the parking lot. They finally did a coolant check on the oil and sure enough, the head gasket(s) were blown and there was an air pocket in the coolant system. The coolant system is pressurized and any air pockets traveling through it would send the temp sensor through the roof when it hit.

Good luck on tracking this one down, these Venture vans are full of surprises.

hi i had the same problem. i did everything (t-stat,rad.flush,water pump,hoses,even fan motors) it was the head gaskets they were leaking compression and causing it to over heat in about 1-2 mi. the head were in very bad shape the previous owner ran it with only water.

you might as well change all the gaskets while ur at it. don't buy as a kit buy them seperate. the kit comes with some that u woun't use.hope this helps,elizar22