Can you help me with my 2000 Dodge Durango?

MJsLady · #1 11/14/10, 08:48 AM

Last year the radiator blew up. In grand fashion all over the windshield, on my way to work.

We got a new radiator installed.

This year the transmission went out. We have had it replaced, not rebuilt, but new everything. We got it back, drove it home fine, drove it to work, had it towed back to the shop.

They test drove it and it acted up worse than it had on me, I got it up to 40 and it bumped just like the day it broke the first time. It was fine on the way to town.

They redid it and said they found a plugged hose or tube that they had not unplugged.

They test drove it again on the computer and it still got over 200* It should never hit above 135 they say.

They claim that the part of the radiator that is to cool the transmission is bad. They say it is probably what caused the tran to break in the first place. That they pulled burnt parts out of it.

We talked to another shop and they say it could be as simple as having put in the wrong weight of tran oil. That we need AT4. The receipt says ATF was used.

I have had it towed to an all purpose garage for an independent diagnostic. I LOVE my truck I just want to drive it soon!

Both the radiator place and the tran shop came with excellent references from people we know and trust. Is there anything else than can cause the overheating? The engine was also diagnosed on the computer and is in perfect shape.

It is a 4wd but is locked into 2wd. Since I do not do any hauling I never use the 4wd, we use Dh's silverado for that.
Any ideas?

fixer1958 · #2 11/14/10, 09:14 AM

Sounds like it needs an external tranny cooler.
They should have put one on to begin with after the trans change.
There is a filter of sorts inline on some dodge trucks.
You need to cut it out of the cooler line and go with a remote cooler.
Goes in front of the radiator. No big deal to do.

MJsLady · #3 11/14/10, 09:49 AM

fixer, yes there is an external cooler. It was checked we were told it is fine.

Beeman · #4 11/14/10, 10:22 AM

I really don't understand what you're asking.

My opinion, you need a good mechanic.

MJsLady · #5 11/14/10, 11:10 AM

I am looking for ideas as to what could cause it to over heat repeatedly once the radiator and transmission have both been replaced with new components. Why would the new parts continue the over heating.
We have dropped it off to a 3rd party shop, that did not do either replacement to see what they can tell us. Also a place with a great reputation locally. All 3 places have been suggested and researched as places that can be trusted.

Beeman · #6 11/14/10, 01:34 PM

Okay, let's start at the beginning. I've been working on vehicles for almost 40 years, have owned my own shop been a dealer tech and everything in between. I have never seen a radiator blow up. The radiator pressure cap is designed to release pressure at 15lbs usually. It would take something catastrophically wrong somewhere to blow up a radiator.
A burnt up or broken trans is generally rebuildable, a new unused trans is a pretty rare replacement. A quality rebuilt unit from a company like Jasper carries a 3 year 100k mi. warranty and requires the installation of a new remote cooler. Trans rebuild/replacement always requires the cleaning and flushing of all coolers and lines for warranty to be valid. Some vehicles use a remote factory cooler that you can't flush all of the contaminants out good enough so a replacement would be required. This would be included with a quality reman trans.

oneokie · #7 11/14/10, 01:59 PM

Have the new garage check the metal lines from the trans to the cooler. One or both of them could be damaged. And if there are any flexible hoses in the cooling lines, they could be deteriorated on the inside.

fixer1958 · #8 11/14/10, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJsLady

fixer, yes there is an external cooler. It was checked we were told it is fine.

I dunno then. I'm assuming the tranny is overheating and not the engine.
Unless the cooler lines are kinked or collapsed,

MJsLady · #9 11/14/10, 05:44 PM

Right, the engine stays cool.

Bee, all I know was my truck went from warm to HOT and I had water all over my hood in a matter of seconds...

I seriously hope this 3rd place sees what has been missed and can tell us what it is. We have a 1 year warranty on the trans and a 2 year on the radiator so either or problem should be covered.

Beeman · #10 11/14/10, 07:19 PM

http://www.iatn.net/shopfinder/

Here's a place to research for a high quality shop.

oneokie · #11 11/14/10, 07:44 PM

When the radiator was replaced, did they put in a new thermostat?

Quote:

all I know was my truck went from warm to HOT and I had water all over my hood in a matter of seconds...

That indicates a stuck thermostat.

**clovis** · #12 11/14/10, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oneokie

When the radiator was replaced, did they put in a new thermostat?

That indicates a stuck thermostat.

That was the same thing I wondered when I first read the post.

MJsLady · #13 11/15/10, 08:30 AM

Hmm if that is all why is it just the tranny overheating and not the engine?

Hopefully I will get some answers today...

We replaced the radiator because what ever happened, stuck thermostat of not, cracked it and it could not be fixed.

oneokie · #14 11/15/10, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJsLady

Hmm if that is all why is it just the tranny overheating and not the engine?

Only thing that comes to mind is that the trans fluid is not circulating through the cooler. Many things could cause that.

MJsLady · #15 11/15/10, 07:15 PM

Well the 3rd party shop says it is definitely a problem inside the tranny.
Though they are not sure just what it is...

Beeman · #16 11/16/10, 08:12 AM

Again, sounds strange to me. You said this was a brand new trans not a reman one, which is also odd as a dealer would be the only place a new one would be available and at a big price. You also said they pulled burnt parts out of the orig trans. Why would they disassemble the orig trans? When it went bad right after they fixed it did they replace the trans again, which would be the case with a new trans, or did they "rebuild" the one they put in?

You will now find out how good the warranty is.

MJsLady · #17 11/16/10, 08:14 AM

Yep, 3rd party is going to do more digging to give me the cause so we can go back and say this is the issue fix it right.

Perhaps it is reman, rebuilt with new parts? I am not sure I was told new, so I thought the whole thing was new, but my DH has been dealing with most of it.
He may have understood better than I.

All I know is I need my truck back!

Jim Bunton · #18 11/16/10, 09:51 AM

I know Dodge had a problem with the trans in the caravan line in the 90's because I got burnt. At the time they had spent several years trying various fixes and shortly after renamed the trans. The main problem was it was very particular about the fluid. A change would trash the tranny in a matter of days. Do a search on A604 transmission problems and see if it sounds familiar.

Jim

foxtrapper · #19 11/16/10, 10:47 AM

Rather hard to follow the story, because of the way it changes or bits are added to the story as it goes. That's not a dig at you, just the way it is, especially when dealing with a problem like this.

The initial radiator bit. That sounds like the radiator split. They do that, especially the plastic end capped units, which yours has. Quite catastrophic. A 2000 model year is about on track for it to go. The shop would have replaced it, not repaired it. This radiator would also have an internal cooler for the transmission, most likely (a few times they do not).

It's rare, but sometimes that transmission cooling line inside the radiator will leak, letting water into the transmission, and transmission fluid into the radiator. It will destroy a transmission in pretty short order.

Next up is the transmission failure and the details about it. Don't know where the job was performed, but unless it was at a dealership, access to "new" transmissions is nil, and it would be a "new" rebuilt transmission. Though there are some aspects of the story that make it sound like the shop actually rebuilt the transmission you already had. Specifically, that bit about not clearing a plugged line.

Then there is the bit about temperature. No automatic runs at 135 degrees. They all run up near 200. With a cooler in the radiator they cannot run any cooler than the water temperature of the engine, about 200 degrees. A shop telling you they are supposed to be super cool makes me very suspicious of the shop.

Then there is the bit about pulling junk out of the new radiator line, and saying that was probably the problem to begin with. First, they didn't pull junk out of that line, because you can't snake it. That line wasn't there in the radiator with the initial overheating either. It is true though that if the transmission failed catastrophically, junk can go up the lines, and the shop should have known this, and told you to replace the new radiator if it needed it because of this. Debris in the line can certainly flow right back into the new or rebuilt transmission, promptly doing it in.

But then you say that the new transmission "bumped", whatever that means. And that this is what the truck was brought in for to begin with. So now it sounds like there was some other sort of transmission problem, and that it wasn't fixed. Mopar has a good history of transmission problems, mostly due to external sensors and controllers. Which it sounds like were not replaced on yours (and may not come with a rebuilt transmission).

Now you have the truck at yet another place. Well, hopefully this third shop has some skill, and can properly diagnose and correct your troubles.

**alleyyooper** · #20 11/16/10, 01:08 PM

Rather hard to follow the story, because of the way it changes or bits are added to the story as it goes.

YUP AGREE!!!!!!!!.

I really liked the part of the radiator blowing up all over the wind sheild. I see the hood flying thru thru the air and bits of plastiac & alum with fluid all over the windsheild.

Wow real movie stuff.

2000 Dodge Durangos come standard with a remote trans fluid cooler if it has the tow package and maybe even those with out the tow package can't say on that as Kares has the package and trans cooler.

No mention of a Dodge dealer so would bet the reinstalled (?) new trans was either a rebuilt, a salvage yard trans, or the orginal rebuilt.

flushing lines and the remote cooler should have been the first thing did before installing the lines from the trans back up.

Possiable the use Of the wrong fluid the Drango calls for ATF 4. Ran into a shop where they were so stupid they bought $20.00 a quart manual trans fulid from the dealer rather than the $9.00 a quart stuff from the auto parts store, and the shop owner wants to know why we no longer allow them to work on our stuff.

Al