This has to be one of the best and most informative videos on testing the cooling system. Thanks. Dealer here in Bellingham Jeep sabotage my Jeep a couple of weeks ago. Been fixing everything and been keeping a eye on my cooling system ever since which until then didn't have problems. They installed a exhaust system and sabotaged that too. Including the parking cable which was burnt.
Thanks for the video. It was kinda obvious with the lack of flow and the warm n cold hoses, but you went through the steps n helped troubleshoot the problem and resolution. Most people who don't work on their own rigs should appreciate learning something. The video was good overall. Keep up the good work. Your time is appreciated.
@@joyofwrenching I really appreciate it, my 13 is having this exact problem after I replaced a leaking radiator. I will have to check out the thermostat for sure. I already suspected it because it used to run a lot cooler. Thank you again, great video, solid presentation, no fruu fruu stuff. All good.
I thought right away, thermostat, when your bottom hose was cold, but I very much enjoyed your troubleshooting process. I have a 2017 that went through 4 autozone thermostats while waiting for an OEM to arrive. I am going to buy that vacuum refill system because of you, lol. My recommendation is, unless you cant get your hands on an OEM thermostat right away, do not use the Duralast brand, they do not work. Thank you for the video, I always enjoy learning new things.
@@christopherboyd5822 that stinks. Keep hearing others say they have best luck with mopar parts, but some still have issues even with the dealer supplied parts
My 2018 Jeep Wrangler JK Unlimited Sport 3.6 had the "exact, to the tee, same issue. I wanted to thank you for putting the time in to do the diagnostic and testing.. And for posting your findings on UA-cam. Thabk you so much. 🙏
As soon as you said the lower rad hose was cold and spongey i knew it was thermostat 😂 i literally kept yelling thermostat every few mins. Its 2 bolts and you're done! The worst part of a thermostat job on the 3.6 is refilling and burping the system
So I am having a similar problem. My 2015 wrangler has always ran steady around 220 degrees since I have owned it for 6 years now. I have a trail dash 2 and my temp is staying around 230 on average and will hit 240-245 and then drop back down. I replaced the thermostat with a mopar OEM from the dealership and it’s still doing it. I also burped it really good and feel confident I got all the air out. No leaks at all. I also bled the purge valve. Could the new thermostat possibly be faulty or is there any other issue it could be? Thanks!
@@msburrage74 yes, could still have a bad thermostat, also be sure to change both the thermostat and it's plastic housing as they sometimes interfere with its action. Also check for trash in the fins of radiator and any obstructions to the front grill area
@@msburrage74I have gotten so many faulty thermostats for these things. And I will tell you they absolutely hate anything other than OEM. I have installed 3 from Napa. Every single one the temps start climbing on the interstate and the fan runs harder. It’s the craziest thing. You normally shouldn’t even hear the fan on these things. But with the wrong thermostat the fan gets loud. OEM only! And even at that the guy at my dealer said 1 in 50 comes back bad.
My 2015 JKU Sahara is doing the same exact thing right now. I have to drive no more than 40 to 45 miles per hour to avoid the temperature gauge from peaking out. I had a new thermostat installed last summer because there was an engine code for a faulty thermostat sensor. The new thermostat fixed the engine code. And now 9 months later the thermostat is obviously trash again. I'm 100% certain after watching your video that I'll be changing the thermostat, this weekend.
We had had 3 thermostats in the past 2 yrs and today it overheated such that hubby had to bring it back home and leave it. We told dealer 2 months ago it was starting to go again, as fan runs and runs after parking it, and it hadn't coded so they would do nothing. So today they can come tow it and fix it and any other things it has caused as this is the dealerships failure.
Thanks for this video, extremely helpful. I just bought a 16 Wrangler sport and it does this but only when the RPM get to 3k or towing. Just changed the T-stat and it got better but still runs warm. I will be checking for air now.
Besides the hoses, the thermostat would have been the next thing, 99% of the time it’s the thermostat. I change my own, most times Jeeps prefer Mopar engine parts. I trust only certain mechanics to work on my cars, stopped using dealer’s years ago because of over pricing on parts. I’ve never seen or heard of the toy you used to get the bubbles, not even in the military. You can use your body to nudge the car back and let rock forward, it’s what I do to top off the radiator… real old school.
The OEM thermostat is NOW being made by Mahle. Part Number TI 236 95. Mahle has boxed and delivered Motorad thermostats for a while, but since about Spring 2024, they deliver their own. Mahle supplies thermostats for Mopar. The aforementioned Part Number TI 236 95 actually has a Chrysler part number and Chrysler Logo grounded off. I have that Mahle part and I have the original Mopar part too that came out of my Jeep.
I have done two coolant replacement on my Jeep already. Last one just a few days ago. It takes some run-time for the ALL air to come out. In my experience it can take more than one days worth of driving. I usually bleed out the most, run the engine and then let it cool down. That way coolant is being vacuumed to the radiator from the coolant recovery tank. I repeat this a few times, run the engine to 225F and then shut off. The next day I drive normally and that is where I think the remaining air will get out.
@@ndtguru you can google thermostat housing for 2015 wrangler sport 3.6 ...theres a plastic screw on top with a philips head screw that u let the air out of it when u Loosen it
Great video buddy! The spring on that thermostat was indeed upside down! But that might not be the only problem for all these aftermarket parts going bad. I have a 2012 Ruby and it has the exact same issue. I have replaced mine with an aftermarket and the problem came back in about three weeks. I have done further research and I feel the problem may be two-fold! Number one: We are all replacing our OEM with plastic housed aftermarket units because Mopar has been on Gallactic backorder for about a year! Number two: Ninety-nine% of the aftermarket are plastic. There are some companies that are making aluminum housed units. I think in addition to some being assembled with the spring upside down, the plastic used in the aftermarket is not able to withstand the temp dynamics for very long. This may cause the housing to distort and cause binding due to the spring plate stilts being out of alignment. I have just purchased an aluminum unit from a company thru Amazon called MILIPARTS. I'll be swapping it soon! I'll update with my initial results! Jimmy
That sounds familiar. When I got this new aluminum part, I was surprised at how much better it was made. It is so much beefier than the one I had put in. Also, upon inspection of that one I had in there, I saw the spring in it was ... you guessed it... upside down!! I had purchased it from Auto Zone. The MILIPARTS unit has resolved the problem!! Before I found the MILIPARTS unit, I had bought another plastic one from NAPA Auto parts but had not installed it yet. When I found the aluminum one, I decided to wait for it. Out of curiosity I checked the NAPA unit and sure enough, it had the spring upside down also!! I think a lot of parts stores get their parts from the same vendors and just put their name on the box. I hope this helps, Jimmy
@@TheTaytoni hey buddy where you able to fix the issue? I having the same issue and I already changed the thermostat, water pump, temperature cooling sensor, radiator cap and my JK is still overheating mostly in up hills
Exactly what I was trying to accomplish today i too have a 2014 rubi with the SAME EXACT PROBLEM took out the fan and the grill cleaned out my radiator flushed. My heater core and the whole system got c*** out of the heater core. Of course, common issue but still likes to get hot. Just as yours did. Thanks for shedding light on this. Ordered a OEM wish I would have seen the video before going 3 gallons of antifreeze to flush the system.And refill lol but thanks for the VERY HELPFUL Video
Excellent video! Exactly what's going on with a friend's Wrangler that has a recent replacement thermostat purchased from O'Riellys. I'm now really suspicious that this relatively new thermostat is junk. Waiting for a supposedly genuine MAHLE TI 236 95 to arrive from Amazon.
Man, I have been in circles for about five months now. Had a jeep wrangler 2012 with intermittent overheating issues. Ended up doing a double head job because it did have head gasket problems. After doing the head job had a cylinder misfire wound up being burnt valves so I did another double head job and replaced with new cylinder heads. Even after that my temperature would always fluctuate. Went on one off Roading adventure and it ran somewhere between half and 3/4 and sometimes just at 3/4 the entire time. this thing consistently ran 230 or 240 on the highway and even in minor city driving. It overheated too many times, and my oil pump crapped on me and I blew the engine. Something to do with tolerance in the bearings because of block warpage blah blah blah. Anyways, months later I’ve got a brand new engine in it and I mean brand spanking new. Since day one I’ve had a fluctuating coolant hand problem. Between half and 3/4 even today on the way home it fluctuated mind you I have replaced the thermostat multiple times but I’ve got the same thermostat in there now that I had on the last engine. I’ve gotten so fed up that I’m taking out my factory radiator fan and putting in one from a 2008 JK and my own 195° temperature switch screwed into the head so the fan can come on sooner. I just got fed up. But I may just try another thermostat for laughs and giggles and see what happens now that I’ve watched your video.
dang, you've had your share of trouble with that one. I hope you have seen the worst of it and get to just enjoy your rig for a while. I hear of many people having to replace that darn thermostat multiple times before getting one that actually works.
@@joyofwrenching yeah man it’s one of them double edge sword things. I really want it to just be a bad thermostat because I don’t know what else to do after spending probably well over $8000 but at the same time if it is a thermostat I’ve already replaced it multiple times lol I’m stuck with it now. I hope I get to enjoy it soon to.
Same thing happened to me and this helped me a lot. I kept thinking I had an air problem as well, because the thermostat in this case was just replaced (by me) two weeks ago. Thanks!!!
The first I did was change the radiator cap to a pressurized cap. The next thing I did was change my thermostat. The part costs $24 and you need minimal tools and can change in less then an hour. I didn't have to go to step 3 which would have been replace the water pump. If you are still overheating after replacing all of this the next thing would be the radiator. I went from the cheapest to the most expensive.
My 2014 was bouncing between 215-245 at all speeds. With it at 215 or so I slowly opened the radiator cap just enough to bleed of the pressure, then removed cap and added about a quart to top it off. Now it stays at 202-212 degrees at any speed. Setting still the fans kick on at about 220 and cools it back down to 202-205. Note- this was after I opened the thermostat bleed valve until liquid came out. Apparently still had a little bit of airlock.
Old-school repair if the top hose is hot and the bottom hose is cool and the vehicle is overheating the thermostat is not opening or not opening all the way. Easy old school check
this helped. i just replaced my thermostat a few months ago so i didnt think it was that. thought i put air in the system when i accidently put washer fluid in the coolant reservoir. 2 yellow lids the same size with black writing haha, thankfully it was only the reservoir and dumped it back in the jug. so i watch this video and look up my receipt for the thermostat and what do ya know...MOTORAD. guess thats what i get for spending $20 for the part.
I didn't see you talk about hoses doing a vacuum lock up, I will not own any vehicle that has (top or bottom) squeezable hoses… they end up in the trash, that’s all there good for. I learned that over 40 years ago when I was a young kid when I got stranded on an interstate in the middle of nowhere.
I have 2014 with the exact same issue. But also no cabin hot air. Took it to a shop and they said head gasket. I replaced the thermostat with a cheapo from auto zone and replaced the pump. Hope an oem thermostat is the answer.
me too, make sure they do a block test before condemning head gasket, as it's rare, and the loss of cabin heat makes a restriction in the heater core suspect, so do a heater core flush.
Supposedly the Mopar ones are available again but three months back I finally gave up and purchased one from O'Reilly's after the dealer told me that was where they were purchasing them to do customer cars and they were offering the same warranty as if it was a OEM part. Now three months later I have the opposite problem that I had before, at least with the original it was stuck open and the Jeep was drivable even though it was throwing a code for not warming up within the expected cycle. The heater was also not as hot during the winter but it was still warm enough. i finally had to purchase an aftermarket because the Jeep needed to be inspected and now 3 months later its not drivable because the aftermarket thermostat is stuck closed instead of open. Not sure if it was the motorad part or not, will check when I get it off but if I can't get an OEM I will look for the Mahle one as I have heard its decent. Dorman was supposed to be releasing an aluminum housing version but as far as I can tell it has not made it to market yet. In my case the housings are both fine, its the thermostat inside failing.
I had the same issue. Failed open. Replaced with a motorad brand one. It just failed closed. Bought a different brand, can’t remember the name but it seems to function well so far
Not wasting time watching. Saw in comments it was thermostat. That is correct. The 3.6 will only like OEM or Mahle brand that I have found in my multiple experiences with this issue as an independent tech. Motorad, Napa etc did not work. OEM was on national back order. Found Mahle ones to work fine. I think we used another aftermarket brand that worked. Can’t recall that one.
My 15 JKUR first needed a thermostat after overheating on highway too. Then my fan stopped working and I had to replace the fan, shroud and electrical, then it was normal again. Now I have an aluminum radiator and a DVS vented hood. Good to go
Yikes! My 2015 just started doing this today after discovering I had no coolant in it. Eeeeek! Hope this is issue. My baby has 108k miles currently. Thanks for sharing
On my vehicle (other than my Jeep), which vehicle I own close to 30 years now, I have had issues with 2x factory thermostats. I pre-emptively replace the coolant and thermostat every 3 years. So I went through a lot of replacements already, with the related bleeding, which is very easy on my vehicle. Long story short, I know there wasn't air in the system for sure. Still one time, I had similar issues after coolant flush and thermostat replacement. I returned the factory thermostat, they gave me another one. Same problem. Finally I put back my old thermostat and it was all good. It must have been a bad batch.
I have a different car but with the same problem if not identical problem based on the simulations you've done, I might actually need to to replace my thermostat because of this. Thank you
I hope you get to the bottom of that soon and this helps, just be sure to check the radiator for obstructions first, could be blocking airflow and fooling you.
That same thermostat I have replaced twice on my 2014 Rubicon, it was purchased at autozone in a pinch, and did the same thing both times going out. The first time, it went out, only took 2 days, so I returned it and got another. that one lasted 4 months until I had to replace it yesterday. Loved that your video popped up in my feed today.
@toekneecast yeah thank you, I ended getting the OEM, was just in a pinch having to do a road side fix on it before lol, but yeah definitely love OEM things over autozone any day haha
My Jeep is doing the exact same thing. Anything over 3000 RPM and it over heats. I already replaced the Thermostat housing and Head Gaskets and its its still doing this.
We have a 2016 Dodge GC l just started taking the heads off today, same exact problem, l replaced the Thermostat and water pump and still the same thing. I even took the thermostat out same problem.
I have an 07 jk. Last time I took a 4x4 trip my jeep was running warmer then usual on the highway. Once I got there everything was fine. On the trip back everything was fine. Not to long after I got a code that basically said it was running cool. Now the therm was only a few months old so I changed the sensor and cleared the code. About 2 weeks go by and the code came up again. Took out the therm and sure enough, it was stuck open.
Mines doing the same thing. New radiator, oil cooler, thermostat for $1900 at the dealership in December of 22 and March of 23 doing it again, dealership put a new thermostat again, was fine for a month, and doing it again now.
May i ask you, did you have that Oil Cooler before on your car, or it was installed as additional aid to the radiator? As far as I understand the Oil Cooler is an additional small radiator which is located in front of the main radiator. We also have problem w/overheating in our 2003 Chevy Cavalier, so are interested in all the details related to overheating.
I’m on my 6th thermostat on a 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 2door 10th anniversary edition, we’ve changed three of the thermostat’s since January, bad parts I guess two of the bad thermostat’s where aftermarket (one of them started to crack on the backside ), the one I have in it now is a 180 degree Ripp Supper Charger brand, in a Mopar thermostat housing on 7/21/2024. Always inspect the thermostat before installing. It appears to be working.
Burping air out is not enough onthese engines. The coolant system needs to be drained and vacuum filled with tool called an airlift. Only way to keep the air pockets out.
Yep, mine is doing the same thing right now. I did some preventative maintenance and replace the thermostat with a 180°F racing thermostate along with a new Moar water pump, new silicone hoses and a new Mishimoto all aluminum radiator. It was doing great until yesterday and started doing this exact same crap when I was trying to tow my Harley at around 60 MPH. Not sure what to go after now. Guess I will try replacing the new thermostat with a Mopar one I bought a while back in case the racing one set of a CEL for too low of a temp.
@@alexisransom4725 Yes Ma'am. It was the thermostat. Put in a new Mopar one and it is staying right around 204 to about 210 now even when towing my Harley in it's enclosed 5x8' trailer with the AC on in about 90°F weather.
I had this on a customer's 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trail Hawk with the 5.7L V8 hemi and it ended up being a Blown head gasket on the combustion side of the head gasket causing the over heat to not happen at low speeds or idle but on 50mph or higher speeds the guage climb and it was causing the pressure to spike so high it was blowing the outlet tube of the heater core hose to blow off the quick connect fitting in the engine bay.. Replaced head gaskets luckily no coolant in the engine just combustion side of the gasket blew out around cylinder 3.. got it fixed yesterday had it for over 1 week and 4 days
@@joyofwrenching no problem at all hope it helps was a Very Puzzling diag new water pump, Thermostat, radiator, radiator cap and it was spiking only during 45mph and up on the psi to over 52 psi so figured it would help others Always Nice to share experiences with other techs
yeah, drain the system first, but if you still have some in there, it won't be a problem, it just sucks whatever air is trapped in there out on top of the coolant in there.
@@joyofwrenching Yeah, I couldn’t get a good vacuum on it because I had the damn system full of coolant. I thought I was doing something wrong. Come to find out I was. I didn’t fully understand what the freak I was doing. Thank you for the speedy reply.
a lot of the times, its a faulty new thermostat. Always go OEM, i had to replace 2 duralast thermostats on my jk in less then a year. for the 3ed I went OEM and that solved my issue.
It's possible that the wrong coolant was put into the engine at some point in time. The ole HOAT vs OAT situation. If the wrong coolant has filled into the engine, it could have clogged the heater core. Just a thought?
I have drained and changed the thermostat myself 3 times and burped the system I have a gargle in the cab from the heater core area as well I think this problem is coming back
my 2016 JKU went in last week went to the dealership for a similar issue... they threw a brand new thermostat on it but still doing it... was told by another dealer to use an OEM one not the autozone one and it fixed it
I am currently going through the same issue as soon as the mopar thermostat got replaced, it has not been fixed. I tried another mopar part and it didnt work, then i bought an autozone one and here we are looking at your video, i ordered an aluminum part and taking my chances while i can get a better one- im frustrated as a girl that can't fix her own rig i must have a mechanic fix it and pay labor fees.
At 34:28 you can see the purge on the thermostat housing that your holding , the old one has the plastic screw looking round plug, looks like a Philip head screw, be very careful it breaks very easily if u tighten it to much.. always have spares on hand they sell them by themselves ..
Thanks so much. I'm planning on getting a used JK.. and this video was very helpful. One of the issues with JK's is overheating, and now I know what to look for when test driving a JK to see if it's overheating or not. In regards to the diagnostic computer tool you we're using to get the cool temp whie driving, what tool was that. I need to get something similar.
Glad you found this helpful. As for a used jk, check for oil leaks from the oil cooler. There are many other vids on that. Most any scan tool that can see live data on a car will work for your needs. Just get a cheap one off Amazon and start playing with it on your cars to learn.
If nothing works to keep the temp gauge at the middle mark, my issue was a blown head gasket . It kept putting air in my system and drove me nuts because the jeep ran perfectly and no indication of a blown head gasket
My 2015 JKU (64,ooo miles) just started doing this. Exactly the same mannerisms as well (only at highway speeds) or if I get on the throttle to pass traffic. Thank you for the video 🤘😁
I've got a 2013 JKU.I bought it in 2019 with 102k on the odd. I've been having overheating issues for a considerable amount of time. In 2021 the radiator was replaced because it sprung a leak. Old Mechanic replaced it with a new radiator which a year later ended up being replaced again as it sprung a leak too. Both were plastic radiators. I personally have done the coolant flush twice, burped it endlessly and I personally replaced the thermostat (as a way of trouble shooting) and it is STILL overheating and again blew a leak into the 3rd Radiator. Curious things about it...the reservoir tank although I've filled it, never stays filled for long and I haven't had a functioning heater in the cabin for as long as I've owned it .I was told recently that these models have a heater core problem where it get clogged. Therefore creates too much pressure which is why it's ringing leaks through my plastic radiators. Have you heard anything about the Heater Core's getting clogged up to the point of creating such pressure that it busts up radiators? Also, my water pump works fine as well as my hoses. And YES I'll be installing an aluminum radiator next but first make sure I;m not overheating because of the heater core backup.
Wow that stinks! I haven't heard about the heater cores clogging and causing what you've experienced but maybe some of our friends reading this can give some opinions?
I had this. Heater didn't work. One issue that's been going around is sand from the engine casting at the factory isn't quite cleaned out before they put it all together. I did a thorough flush of the entire system, including blowing pressurized air backwards through the heater core and got quite a bit of debris out. At the same time, I replaced the thermostat and it ran great for a couple months or so. I came back for answers to this video looking for the overheating at highway speeds issue which is plaguing me now. I guess it could be the thermostat this time again, so we'll see.
Wow@@johnkaldeway, good to know about the sand issue! Hadn't heard that before, and yes, check that thermostat again, they keep failing, and oddly in the stuck closed position.
@@joyofwrenching replaced my working thermostat because of the scanner code recommendation. the new thermostat got stuck closed and the jeep overheated 2 months later. 😮
Radiator Caps do go bad. If they can’t hold the pressure. Antifreeze goes into the overflow bottle, and it fills up. Then it can overheat. When you fill up the radiator the best that you can, then finish up with the filling of the coolant bottle. The system purges itself with the coolant bottle Check your catalytic converter if the engine overheats only at Highway speeds.
If your catalytic converter is getting stopped up. The engine can’t vacate the exhaust. The operator pushes more on the throttle to compensate for the stopped up catalytic converter that is blocking the exhaust gas from exiting the exhaust. As a result. There isn’t enough exhaust gas exciting the engine against the struggling engine trying to run
Another good thing to do, most thermostat would tell you the temperature. Then just checking the temperature of the hoses or radiator with heat gun to see if it match. Don't match you know something wrong.
@19 sec mark. My knowledge says collapsing lower radiator hose. H2O pump creates more suction at hey speed causing hose to suck in restricting water flow.
I just had my system flushed and thermostat replaced...... It was good for 2 weeks. Then started the same exact symptoms that you have. Brought it in again put a new thermostat in it and it's been fine.... Service bulletin on the jeeps. They do not have Mopar thermostats available. And you're not to use an after market one.... According to jeep two years you haven't been able to get a g thermostat.... Makes a lot of sense right?
2017 JK overheating for months. Dealership & warranty co have replaced the thermostat 5 times, water pump once, radiator once before approving tear down to find blown head gasket that revealed warped head. Received back after couple months at dealership. Still running hot with sloshing water sound in dash and slight rough idle at stop. Now thinking may not have bleed system completely. These engines should have a class action lawsuit against them.
Did you use a aftermarket thermostat like Napa . This will happen went through 5 of them . Same problem. Only use a dealer thermostat and water pump plus radiator. Then it will work right. Mine would sit at 3/4 on the freeway an going up hills. It was the crap Napa thermostat
Im having the same exact issue... Took it to the dealer, they messed it up even more. Then they told me I needed a new heads. I fought it, they replaced it at their cost. I just got my JEEP JK back after 6+ months of fighting with them. Guess what... It's still overheating when driving. I did see that there were issues with defective thermostats. Mine was "replaced" but it might be the same issue. A defective thermostat. Cross your fingers....
Dang, I sure hope you get yours figured out soon, it's been too long! I hate that so many have had this issue and gotten jerked around by shops of all kinds.
(2016 2 door) I'm on my 4th OEM thermostat after multiple flushes and chemical flushes. It works for about 3-12 months then fails again. I am curious if the ABS thermostat housing could be part of the culprit for the T-Stat failing so often.
Ok so I had the same issue as this guy and it was my thermostat. The weird thing was I replaced thermostat a couple months back while doing the radiator. Don't buy a motorad thermostat. Mine crapped out after two months
I have a 5.3 2015 Silverado and I’ve replace the coolent temp sensor my water pump my thermostat my radiator was leaking just put jb weld and it doesn’t leak and it overheats only on high speeds.
Youre awesome, great video! Very interesting about the thrrmostat. The stealership gave them a bad t-stat or didnt even replace. Thats so crazy that the about the computer and how it didnt throw a thermostat code too!!
I've done all of your tests and changed thermostat 2 times, problem keeps coming back. One time took a month, second time a week after burping the system and changing the thermostat. any ideas
Hi there, my JK has the same issue. I already changed the thermostat, water pump, radiator cap. Even the radiator was flushed and new coolant was added and I still have the same issue. Any recommendations? P.D cooling temperature sensor was also changed, thanks!
it seems to have no power loss or higher gas comsuption, 'dirty' cooliant or odd exhaust gas color, just the overheating on the high way (with dealership replacement recipe)
Hey Bud I have the same problem on a 18jkunlimited, I changed the thermostat 2x, coolant temp sensor,radiator,water pump, fan,Flushed it and still overheating. Idk what else to do. I I’m doing the Tipm next. Any help would be appreciated. God bless
make sure there's nothing blocking flow into the radiator like a big winch and bag on the bumper, if getting good flow, then all the things you replaced cover most everything it could be. very rarely, the heater core could get clogged, but you can bypass that and see if that helps
I purchased a “Mopar” thermostat from a local dealer, and when I opened the Mopar bag, there was a MotoRad thermostat in the bag. Not sure if that’s who makes them or if they are just bagging aftermarket because the actual Mopar units are on a major back order. Mine was doing the same thing, It fixed my issue for about 4 months, now it’s starting to act up again. Edit to add. I see your TX flag now. Wonder if it was the same dealer… Conroe TX
I'm in Tulsa now, but you can take the Texan out of Texas just not the Texas out of the Texan! I'm not sure if Motorad makes the housing or not...good question.
MotoRad is a cheap aftermarket part. I couldn't find an oem one fast enough so I bought the MotoRad one from AutoZone. My car temp gauge kept dancing around and would climb to almost the danger level... especially on the freeway or going uphill. Replaced it with the right Mopar unit and purged the air out of the system (use a no spill funnel and run the vehicle). So far so good 👍
@@AnglinTexas It's true, most dealers show that but if you call enough of them you may get lucky. I'm from L.A., so I called 8 dealers before finding one about an hour away (due to traffic). Careful buying online, I bought one through McKinney Dodge in TX since they showed in stock but they ended up canceling my order because their system wasn't correct. My advice, unless you have to pass smog (like I did) or your original thermostat failed in a closed position and your car is overheating instantly, just wait until you can find a MOPAR thermostat and do the job once.
@@GWrench9 that’s how I ended up with a MotoRad in a Mopar bag at Mopar price. “Yeah we have a few in stock” “it’s genuine Mopar” hour drive, but my wife was there in the town anyway so she swung by and picked it up. I’m north of Houston so I’d imagine the demand is high around my area.
Is a bad water pump. It caveating and not actually moving any water. Mine did it for almost six months. Several thermostats later I finally found a mechanic who told me the issue. Hasn’t come back since
Yes, that can happen too. Usually, these jk's aren't that old and the pump hasnt rusted away internally like the old days, but they do fail, so good to add to the list for when the thermostat just isn't the culprit.
Hi from Ontario Canada, 2013 jeep wrangler jk, some what the same issue, but mine didnt have any heat in the cabin on the drivers side or middle, but lots of heat on passengers side and this has been going on forever, so we flushed the system, filled up with new fluids, started overheating at highway speeds, so burped the system again and changed the thermostat, yes we also put the front end up higher on stands, now seems to be running good but heating issue still the same..anyone else have a solution , or same issue with cabin heat not working on the drivers side , im open to suggestions..great video by the way. ✌✌✌✌
The heat working inside the cabin tells us the heater core is good, but that you only have heat on one side points to a bad actuator under the dash that directs the flow of air to one side or the other. Look up vids on changing the actuators for the JK, and I'll bet you'll be back in heat in no time!
Hey bud im from Ontario as well! Decided to do a radiator flush on my 2016 JK because my check engine light went on for the thermostat sensor. So I changed the thermostat sensor and thermostat itself. While I was at it, I did a coolant flush and also back-flushed the heater core. I wasn't getting any heat on the drivers side, but after the flush it was perfect, but a couple days later my heatercore burst and had to replace the heater-core. Everything works fine except now my engine overheats at idle and then cools back down after the fan kicks on at 107 degre cel. Could it be a head gasket issue. I hope not😢
There are many reasons why overheating happens, i have a 2005 jeep wrangler unlimited Rubicon 4.0 with all my upgrades my weight is 5800 pounds when mfg states dry weight 3800 and maxs weight is 4600 im about 1200 over gross my build has a 6inch full traction long arm , 35x12.50x18 Mickey Thompson tires, atlas transfer case , hanson off road bumper with dual baskets on bumber , galvin wilderness roof rack , arb bull bumper , with winch . Rock hard roll cage package, smitty built drawer for cargo area , rooftop tent , arb awning , solar panel on hood , and spintec supercharger this is why i am heavy , my jeep overheats when ac is on at times i get up to 240 on temperature, i do have high flow new water pump a 190 thermostat and new radiator my harmonic balancer is original no slipping snd fan clutch , i live in texas but now sure if i could make Colorado in summer time like this im looking forward to black beak pass
I do believe my weight has a lot to do with it only when ac on so far my temperature can reach critical temperature I do live in texas we have been over 100 past month
Can you elaborate why it didnt overheat at idle if thermostat was stiking closed ..or could it be that the bypass valve was faulty .dont really know whats the purpose of bypass valve or simtoms but hipe u can explain
I'm no expert of course, but I think it has to do with just enough flow at idle through the bypass to keep the engine cool, but when the engine is really generating heat at higher rpms, the thermostat is too closed to allow sufficient flow to cool it down
I had the EXACT same problem in my 13 JK. I couldn't go over 65 mph without overheating. New thermostat, performance radiator, hoses, and water pump did not solve the problem. Put a 180 degree thermostat in last night and burped the system again last night, and it fixed the problem. I don't know for how long though because now I have no heater, so I'm thinking the heater core needs replaced too.
The issue I found on this one was the dealer replaced the actual thermostat but put it in the old housing and the thermostat would stick closed in the housing causing the overheating. I plan to always replace both at the same time from here out, which is easy as they typically come as a set unless you try to cheap out like the dealer did and just do the metal thermostat insert
I replaced both and my issue never changed. Mine never gets to 3/4 on the gauge but goes past half and the fan is always super loud. Not sure if I got a bad thermostat or there is a fan issue.
Mine just started doing this but with heat blasting it will bring heat from going into the danger zone. Now time to figure out coolant. Call for OAT orange, which it looks oarange but put a paper towel in and it comes out pink.
I have the same issue and that same POS THERMOSTAT!!!!!! My Mopar replacement will be here Friday. Thanks for this video, great job…
You're welcome, and I hope the new thermostat gets yours all fixed up!
@@joyofwrenching I hope so too. Im also gonna swap the coolant temperature sensor on the back of the block back to Mopar as well.
This has to be one of the best and most informative videos on testing the cooling system. Thanks. Dealer here in Bellingham Jeep sabotage my Jeep a couple of weeks ago. Been fixing everything and been keeping a eye on my cooling system ever since which until then didn't have problems. They installed a exhaust system and sabotaged that too. Including the parking cable which was burnt.
Thanks so much for the kind words, and I hope you have no more issues. Dealerships tend to not be better than a good independent shop in my opinion
Thanks for the video. It was kinda obvious with the lack of flow and the warm n cold hoses, but you went through the steps n helped troubleshoot the problem and resolution. Most people who don't work on their own rigs should appreciate learning something. The video was good overall. Keep up the good work. Your time is appreciated.
Thanks a lot. It was all about learning and showing folks all the things they hear about as the possible causes
@@joyofwrenching I really appreciate it, my 13 is having this exact problem after I replaced a leaking radiator. I will have to check out the thermostat for sure. I already suspected it because it used to run a lot cooler. Thank you again, great video, solid presentation, no fruu fruu stuff. All good.
I thought right away, thermostat, when your bottom hose was cold, but I very much enjoyed your troubleshooting process. I have a 2017 that went through 4 autozone thermostats while waiting for an OEM to arrive. I am going to buy that vacuum refill system because of you, lol. My recommendation is, unless you cant get your hands on an OEM thermostat right away, do not use the Duralast brand, they do not work. Thank you for the video, I always enjoy learning new things.
Thanks, and I'm glad you enjoyed the process too! I hear a lot of people say the aftermarket thermostats have failed on them.
@@joyofwrenching i've installed 2 Thermostats Duralast` keep having same problem come back
@@christopherboyd5822 that stinks. Keep hearing others say they have best luck with mopar parts, but some still have issues even with the dealer supplied parts
My 2018 Jeep Wrangler JK Unlimited Sport 3.6 had the "exact, to the tee, same issue. I wanted to thank you for putting the time in to do the diagnostic and testing.. And for posting your findings on UA-cam. Thabk you so much. 🙏
You're so welcome my friend, and I hope your project is fixed easily!
Mine has just started doing it, this past week, exactly like this too.
@@Things2Delete crazy how common this issue seems to be
My 18 jk does the same thing also
So what's the fix?
As soon as you said the lower rad hose was cold and spongey i knew it was thermostat 😂 i literally kept yelling thermostat every few mins. Its 2 bolts and you're done! The worst part of a thermostat job on the 3.6 is refilling and burping the system
Yep, almost always the thermostat on these. I figured I'd prove it by going through all the hoops people talk about first
So I am having a similar problem. My 2015 wrangler has always ran steady around 220 degrees since I have owned it for 6 years now. I have a trail dash 2 and my temp is staying around 230 on average and will hit 240-245 and then drop back down. I replaced the thermostat with a mopar OEM from the dealership and it’s still doing it. I also burped it really good and feel confident I got all the air out. No leaks at all. I also bled the purge valve. Could the new thermostat possibly be faulty or is there any other issue it could be? Thanks!
@@msburrage74 yes, could still have a bad thermostat, also be sure to change both the thermostat and it's plastic housing as they sometimes interfere with its action. Also check for trash in the fins of radiator and any obstructions to the front grill area
@@msburrage74I have gotten so many faulty thermostats for these things. And I will tell you they absolutely hate anything other than OEM. I have installed 3 from Napa. Every single one the temps start climbing on the interstate and the fan runs harder. It’s the craziest thing. You normally shouldn’t even hear the fan on these things. But with the wrong thermostat the fan gets loud. OEM only! And even at that the guy at my dealer said 1 in 50 comes back bad.
Can you burp it without that system he has rigged up?
My 2015 JKU Sahara is doing the same exact thing right now. I have to drive no more than 40 to 45 miles per hour to avoid the temperature gauge from peaking out. I had a new thermostat installed last summer because there was an engine code for a faulty thermostat sensor. The new thermostat fixed the engine code. And now 9 months later the thermostat is obviously trash again. I'm 100% certain after watching your video that I'll be changing the thermostat, this weekend.
I've heard of too many failed thermostats way sooner than they should like yours. Hope you get back on the highway soon!
We had had 3 thermostats in the past 2 yrs and today it overheated such that hubby had to bring it back home and leave it. We told dealer 2 months ago it was starting to go again, as fan runs and runs after parking it, and it hadn't coded so they would do nothing. So today they can come tow it and fix it and any other things it has caused as this is the dealerships failure.
Thanks for this video, extremely helpful. I just bought a 16 Wrangler sport and it does this but only when the RPM get to 3k or towing. Just changed the T-stat and it got better but still runs warm. I will be checking for air now.
Glad you found it helpful, and I hope you find the issue quickly and it's no big deal to fix. Keep the joy of wrenching!
Besides the hoses, the thermostat would have been the next thing, 99% of the time it’s the thermostat. I change my own, most times Jeeps prefer Mopar engine parts. I trust only certain mechanics to work on my cars, stopped using dealer’s years ago because of over pricing on parts. I’ve never seen or heard of the toy you used to get the bubbles, not even in the military. You can use your body to nudge the car back and let rock forward, it’s what I do to top off the radiator… real old school.
The OEM thermostat is NOW being made by Mahle. Part Number TI 236 95. Mahle has boxed and delivered Motorad thermostats for a while, but since about Spring 2024, they deliver their own. Mahle supplies thermostats for Mopar. The aforementioned Part Number TI 236 95 actually has a Chrysler part number and Chrysler Logo grounded off. I have that Mahle part and I have the original Mopar part too that came out of my Jeep.
Good info, thanks for sharing!
Just had the thermostat replaced yesterday 2014 Jeep Wrangler. Problem was very similar. Good video !
Thanks, and I hope your issue does not return!
I have done two coolant replacement on my Jeep already. Last one just a few days ago. It takes some run-time for the ALL air to come out. In my experience it can take more than one days worth of driving. I usually bleed out the most, run the engine and then let it cool down. That way coolant is being vacuumed to the radiator from the coolant recovery tank. I repeat this a few times, run the engine to 225F and then shut off. The next day I drive normally and that is where I think the remaining air will get out.
@@mrtopcat2 thanks for the tips and sharing your experience
There's a purge valve on the thermostat housing to get the air out of the system
can you post a pic please? Never seen one.
@@ndtguru idk how to post a pic here
@@ndtguru nm sorry cant figure out how to send a pic
@@ndtguru you can google thermostat housing for 2015 wrangler sport 3.6 ...theres a plastic screw on top with a philips head screw that u let the air out of it when u Loosen it
Your video helped me to fix my jeep! I had the same issue and it was fixed when I installed a mopar oem thermostat! Thank you!
Yay! Glad to hear it, and that's what this is all about! Have a great day my friend.
Great video buddy! The spring on that thermostat was indeed upside down! But that might not be the only problem for all these aftermarket parts going bad. I have a 2012 Ruby and it has the exact same issue. I have replaced mine with an aftermarket and the problem came back in about three weeks. I have done further research and I feel the problem may be two-fold! Number one: We are all replacing our OEM with plastic housed aftermarket units because Mopar has been on Gallactic backorder for about a year! Number two: Ninety-nine% of the aftermarket are plastic. There are some companies that are making aluminum housed units. I think in addition to some being assembled with the spring upside down, the plastic used in the aftermarket is not able to withstand the temp dynamics for very long. This may cause the housing to distort and cause binding due to the spring plate stilts being out of alignment. I have just purchased an aluminum unit from a company thru Amazon called MILIPARTS. I'll be swapping it soon! I'll update with my initial results!
Jimmy
Thanks for the deeper insight!
let me know how that thermostat works?
my jeep overheats to 240F on hills or heavy driving
That sounds familiar. When I got this new aluminum part, I was surprised at how much better it was made. It is so much beefier than the one I had put in. Also, upon inspection of that one I had in there, I saw the spring in it was ... you guessed it... upside down!! I had purchased it from Auto Zone. The MILIPARTS unit has resolved the problem!! Before I found the MILIPARTS unit, I had bought another plastic one from NAPA Auto parts but had not installed it yet. When I found the aluminum one, I decided to wait for it. Out of curiosity I checked the NAPA unit and sure enough, it had the spring upside down also!! I think a lot of parts stores get their parts from the same vendors and just put their name on the box.
I hope this helps,
Jimmy
@@TheTaytoni hey buddy where you able to fix the issue? I having the same issue and I already changed the thermostat, water pump, temperature cooling sensor, radiator cap and my JK is still overheating mostly in up hills
Exactly what I was trying to accomplish today i too have a 2014 rubi with the SAME EXACT PROBLEM took out the fan and the grill cleaned out my radiator flushed. My heater core and the whole system got c*** out of the heater core. Of course, common issue but still likes to get hot. Just as yours did. Thanks for shedding light on this. Ordered a OEM wish I would have seen the video before going 3 gallons of antifreeze to flush the system.And refill lol but thanks for the VERY HELPFUL Video
@@chrislorenz4468 thanks and I hope you get yours fixed for good soon!
Excellent video! Exactly what's going on with a friend's Wrangler that has a recent replacement thermostat purchased from O'Riellys. I'm now really suspicious that this relatively new thermostat is junk. Waiting for a supposedly genuine MAHLE TI 236 95 to arrive from Amazon.
glad you found this helpful my friend and hope you get this issue worked out quickly
Just had a similar problem on my 2013 JK, threw a new Mopar thermostat at it, and we're all good.
where did you find a Mopar thermostat? I've been looking for one for about 6months
Man, I have been in circles for about five months now. Had a jeep wrangler 2012 with intermittent overheating issues. Ended up doing a double head job because it did have head gasket problems. After doing the head job had a cylinder misfire wound up being burnt valves so I did another double head job and replaced with new cylinder heads. Even after that my temperature would always fluctuate. Went on one off Roading adventure and it ran somewhere between half and 3/4 and sometimes just at 3/4 the entire time. this thing consistently ran 230 or 240 on the highway and even in minor city driving. It overheated too many times, and my oil pump crapped on me and I blew the engine. Something to do with tolerance in the bearings because of block warpage blah blah blah. Anyways, months later I’ve got a brand new engine in it and I mean brand spanking new. Since day one I’ve had a fluctuating coolant hand problem. Between half and 3/4 even today on the way home it fluctuated mind you I have replaced the thermostat multiple times but I’ve got the same thermostat in there now that I had on the last engine. I’ve gotten so fed up that I’m taking out my factory radiator fan and putting in one from a 2008 JK and my own 195° temperature switch screwed into the head so the fan can come on sooner. I just got fed up. But I may just try another thermostat for laughs and giggles and see what happens now that I’ve watched your video.
dang, you've had your share of trouble with that one. I hope you have seen the worst of it and get to just enjoy your rig for a while. I hear of many people having to replace that darn thermostat multiple times before getting one that actually works.
@@joyofwrenching yeah man it’s one of them double edge sword things. I really want it to just be a bad thermostat because I don’t know what else to do after spending probably well over $8000 but at the same time if it is a thermostat I’ve already replaced it multiple times lol I’m stuck with it now. I hope I get to enjoy it soon to.
Same thing happened to me and this helped me a lot. I kept thinking I had an air problem as well, because the thermostat in this case was just replaced (by me) two weeks ago. Thanks!!!
The first I did was change the radiator cap to a pressurized cap. The next thing I did was change my thermostat. The part costs $24 and you need minimal tools and can change in less then an hour. I didn't have to go to step 3 which would have been replace the water pump. If you are still overheating after replacing all of this the next thing would be the radiator. I went from the cheapest to the most expensive.
Same issue, used an aftermarket thermostat. Customer back 2 days later.
I hate it when that happens! Once something leaves my place I cringe when I get a call soon thereafter.
My 2014 was bouncing between 215-245 at all speeds. With it at 215 or so I slowly opened the radiator cap just enough to bleed of the pressure, then removed cap and added about a quart to top it off. Now it stays at 202-212 degrees at any speed. Setting still the fans kick on at about 220 and cools it back down to 202-205.
Note- this was after I opened the thermostat bleed valve until liquid came out. Apparently still had a little bit of airlock.
seems tough to get all the air out sometimes. Thanks for sharing your experience, and be careful opening those radiator caps!
Old-school repair if the top hose is hot and the bottom hose is cool and the vehicle is overheating the thermostat is not opening or not opening all the way. Easy old school check
Good to remember those old school tips as they often save a ton of time! Thanks
this helped. i just replaced my thermostat a few months ago so i didnt think it was that. thought i put air in the system when i accidently put washer fluid in the coolant reservoir. 2 yellow lids the same size with black writing haha, thankfully it was only the reservoir and dumped it back in the jug. so i watch this video and look up my receipt for the thermostat and what do ya know...MOTORAD. guess thats what i get for spending $20 for the part.
Hope you get it all fixed up this time for good!
I didn't see you talk about hoses doing a vacuum lock up, I will not own any vehicle that has (top or bottom) squeezable hoses… they end up in the trash, that’s all there good for. I learned that over 40 years ago when I was a young kid when I got stranded on an interstate in the middle of nowhere.
I have 2014 with the exact same issue. But also no cabin hot air. Took it to a shop and they said head gasket.
I replaced the thermostat with a cheapo from auto zone and replaced the pump.
Hope an oem thermostat is the answer.
me too, make sure they do a block test before condemning head gasket, as it's rare, and the loss of cabin heat makes a restriction in the heater core suspect, so do a heater core flush.
Supposedly the Mopar ones are available again but three months back I finally gave up and purchased one from O'Reilly's after the dealer told me that was where they were purchasing them to do customer cars and they were offering the same warranty as if it was a OEM part. Now three months later I have the opposite problem that I had before, at least with the original it was stuck open and the Jeep was drivable even though it was throwing a code for not warming up within the expected cycle. The heater was also not as hot during the winter but it was still warm enough. i finally had to purchase an aftermarket because the Jeep needed to be inspected and now 3 months later its not drivable because the aftermarket thermostat is stuck closed instead of open. Not sure if it was the motorad part or not, will check when I get it off but if I can't get an OEM I will look for the Mahle one as I have heard its decent. Dorman was supposed to be releasing an aluminum housing version but as far as I can tell it has not made it to market yet. In my case the housings are both fine, its the thermostat inside failing.
I had the same issue. Failed open. Replaced with a motorad brand one. It just failed closed. Bought a different brand, can’t remember the name but it seems to function well so far
Not wasting time watching. Saw in comments it was thermostat. That is correct. The 3.6 will only like OEM or Mahle brand that I have found in my multiple experiences with this issue as an independent tech. Motorad, Napa etc did not work. OEM was on national back order. Found Mahle ones to work fine. I think we used another aftermarket brand that worked. Can’t recall that one.
its the thermostat cheap ones make these run at 230 or higher. i put a 180 in and its perfectdead center.
That's one way to handle it
I fixed mine by changing the radiator cap. I purchased a pressure cap and no more issues. I sent $9 on Amazon
Good tip, thanks!
@@joyofwrenching I started with the least expensive and was going to work my way up.
My 15 JKUR first needed a thermostat after overheating on highway too. Then my fan stopped working and I had to replace the fan, shroud and electrical, then it was normal again. Now I have an aluminum radiator and a DVS vented hood. Good to go
Hopefully your cooling system woes are behind you and you can just focus on fun stuff to add to the jeep
Yikes! My 2015 just started doing this today after discovering I had no coolant in it. Eeeeek! Hope this is issue. My baby has 108k miles currently. Thanks for sharing
your're welcome!@@azizabahati7037
On my vehicle (other than my Jeep), which vehicle I own close to 30 years now, I have had issues with 2x factory thermostats. I pre-emptively replace the coolant and thermostat every 3 years. So I went through a lot of replacements already, with the related bleeding, which is very easy on my vehicle. Long story short, I know there wasn't air in the system for sure. Still one time, I had similar issues after coolant flush and thermostat replacement. I returned the factory thermostat, they gave me another one. Same problem. Finally I put back my old thermostat and it was all good. It must have been a bad batch.
I have a different car but with the same problem if not identical problem based on the simulations you've done, I might actually need to to replace my thermostat because of this. Thank you
I hope you get to the bottom of that soon and this helps, just be sure to check the radiator for obstructions first, could be blocking airflow and fooling you.
That same thermostat I have replaced twice on my 2014 Rubicon, it was purchased at autozone in a pinch, and did the same thing both times going out. The first time, it went out, only took 2 days, so I returned it and got another. that one lasted 4 months until I had to replace it yesterday. Loved that your video popped up in my feed today.
So sad to hear that all too commonly these keep failing!
Stick with OEM for the thermostat, duralast ones dont work.
@toekneecast yeah thank you, I ended getting the OEM, was just in a pinch having to do a road side fix on it before lol, but yeah definitely love OEM things over autozone any day haha
My Jeep is doing the exact same thing. Anything over 3000 RPM and it over heats. I already replaced the Thermostat housing and Head Gaskets and its its still doing this.
Some report getting a couple bad thermostats before a good one. That's the most common issue leading to this problem
We have a 2016 Dodge GC l just started taking the heads off today, same exact problem, l replaced the Thermostat and water pump and still the same thing. I even took the thermostat out same problem.
I have an 07 jk. Last time I took a 4x4 trip my jeep was running warmer then usual on the highway. Once I got there everything was fine. On the trip back everything was fine. Not to long after I got a code that basically said it was running cool. Now the therm was only a few months old so I changed the sensor and cleared the code. About 2 weeks go by and the code came up again. Took out the therm and sure enough, it was stuck open.
I'm hearing a lot about these failing faster than one might expect. Sad we can't seem to get a good quality one
Mines doing the same thing. New radiator, oil cooler, thermostat for $1900 at the dealership in December of 22 and March of 23 doing it again, dealership put a new thermostat again, was fine for a month, and doing it again now.
Sorry man that stinks, just make sure they replace the thermostat AND housing it's in as mine was sticking in the old housing
May i ask you, did you have that Oil Cooler before on your car, or it was installed as additional aid to the radiator? As far as I understand the Oil Cooler is an additional small radiator which is located in front of the main radiator. We also have problem w/overheating in our 2003 Chevy Cavalier, so are interested in all the details related to overheating.
I’m on my 6th thermostat on a 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 2door 10th anniversary edition, we’ve changed three of the thermostat’s since January, bad parts I guess two of the bad thermostat’s where aftermarket (one of them started to crack on the backside ), the one I have in it now is a 180 degree Ripp Supper Charger brand, in a Mopar thermostat housing on 7/21/2024. Always inspect the thermostat before installing. It appears to be working.
Burping air out is not enough onthese engines. The coolant system needs to be drained and vacuum filled with tool called an airlift. Only way to keep the air pockets out.
Great video… I highly recommend watching it.
Appreciate you Paul!
I had the same issue from an aftermarket thermostat, my Jeep absolutely hated it I changed it a week later for Mopar Genuine Thermostat.
They were out of stock for so long, glad to hear you can get them again, and hope your issue is gone for good!
Yep, mine is doing the same thing right now. I did some preventative maintenance and replace the thermostat with a 180°F racing thermostate along with a new Moar water pump, new silicone hoses and a new Mishimoto all aluminum radiator. It was doing great until yesterday and started doing this exact same crap when I was trying to tow my Harley at around 60 MPH. Not sure what to go after now. Guess I will try replacing the new thermostat with a Mopar one I bought a while back in case the racing one set of a CEL for too low of a temp.
Did you ever figure out what was wrong with yours? Mines doing the same
@@alexisransom4725 Yes Ma'am. It was the thermostat. Put in a new Mopar one and it is staying right around 204 to about 210 now even when towing my Harley in it's enclosed 5x8' trailer with the AC on in about 90°F weather.
@@akonitony2 these thermostats seem to be hit and miss huh?
@@joyofwrenching Nope. Never had a problem with a Mopar one
@@akonitony2 Yea good luck getting one now, mine is doing the same bs, and mopar tstat is back ordered 6 months+ if not forever..
I had this on a customer's 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trail Hawk with the 5.7L V8 hemi and it ended up being a Blown head gasket on the combustion side of the head gasket causing the over heat to not happen at low speeds or idle but on 50mph or higher speeds the guage climb and it was causing the pressure to spike so high it was blowing the outlet tube of the heater core hose to blow off the quick connect fitting in the engine bay.. Replaced head gaskets luckily no coolant in the engine just combustion side of the gasket blew out around cylinder 3.. got it fixed yesterday had it for over 1 week and 4 days
Good to know, storing this away in case I see one with similar issue. Thanks for sharing
@@joyofwrenching no problem at all hope it helps was a Very Puzzling diag new water pump, Thermostat, radiator, radiator cap and it was spiking only during 45mph and up on the psi to over 52 psi so figured it would help others Always Nice to share experiences with other techs
@the joy of wrenching
Should I have manually drained my coolant before using this vacuum system?
yeah, drain the system first, but if you still have some in there, it won't be a problem, it just sucks whatever air is trapped in there out on top of the coolant in there.
@@joyofwrenching
Yeah, I couldn’t get a good vacuum on it because I had the damn system full of coolant. I thought I was doing something wrong. Come to find out I was. I didn’t fully understand what the freak I was doing. Thank you for the speedy reply.
a lot of the times, its a faulty new thermostat. Always go OEM, i had to replace 2 duralast thermostats on my jk in less then a year. for the 3ed I went OEM and that solved my issue.
glad to hear the mopar ones are back...for the longest time they were providing Motorad from the dealership, and they have been failing just as often.
@@joyofwrenching no shit? I had no clue. seems like its a pretty common issue across the board.
It's possible that the wrong coolant was put into the engine at some point in time. The ole HOAT vs OAT situation. If the wrong coolant has filled into the engine, it could have clogged the heater core. Just a thought?
good thing to keep in mind. Thanks!
I have drained and changed the thermostat myself 3 times and burped the system
I have a gargle in the cab from the heater core area as well
I think this problem is coming back
my 2016 JKU went in last week went to the dealership for a similar issue... they threw a brand new thermostat on it but still doing it... was told by another dealer to use an OEM one not the autozone one and it fixed it
Crazy how the right part matters in some cases
I am currently going through the same issue as soon as the mopar thermostat got replaced, it has not been fixed. I tried another mopar part and it didnt work, then i bought an autozone one and here we are looking at your video, i ordered an aluminum part and taking my chances while i can get a better one- im frustrated as a girl that can't fix her own rig i must have a mechanic fix it and pay labor fees.
so sorry you're having so many issues. I hope you're able to resolve it this time, and I'd like to hear what you end up finding out.
So it was the thermostat all along!😂 thanks for the tip! And the video! Oohhh and remember to use oem parts, not off brand crap!
yes, most of the time oem is best.
I love your video,lm having the same problem with mine,now l know what needs to be fix exactly, thanks for sharing,
Thanks! Glad you found it helpful and hope your project goes smoothly
I was saying thermostat out loud! 😂 I knew the min u felt one of the radiator hoses was cold
Those simple old school techniques and understanding how a system works are golden. Wish I were better with them myself.
At 34:28 you can see the purge on the thermostat housing that your holding , the old one has the plastic screw looking round plug, looks like a Philip head screw, be very careful it breaks very easily if u tighten it to much.. always have spares on hand they sell them by themselves ..
Good tip, thanks!
Thanks so much. I'm planning on getting a used JK.. and this video was very helpful. One of the issues with JK's is overheating, and now I know what to look for when test driving a JK to see if it's overheating or not. In regards to the diagnostic computer tool you we're using to get the cool temp whie driving, what tool was that. I need to get something similar.
Glad you found this helpful. As for a used jk, check for oil leaks from the oil cooler. There are many other vids on that. Most any scan tool that can see live data on a car will work for your needs. Just get a cheap one off Amazon and start playing with it on your cars to learn.
@@joyofwrenching Thanks so much !!
If nothing works to keep the temp gauge at the middle mark, my issue was a blown head gasket . It kept putting air in my system and drove me nuts because the jeep ran perfectly and no indication of a blown head gasket
Oof, hate that for you man, but glad you finally got it figured out!
My 2015 JKU (64,ooo miles) just started doing this. Exactly the same mannerisms as well (only at highway speeds) or if I get on the throttle to pass traffic.
Thank you for the video 🤘😁
you're very welcome!
more plastic parts .the first thig iwould check the thermostat . they can fail even if new
Definitely if it’s not a factory thermostat
I've got a 2013 JKU.I bought it in 2019 with 102k on the odd. I've been having overheating issues for a considerable amount of time. In 2021 the radiator was replaced because it sprung a leak. Old Mechanic replaced it with a new radiator which a year later ended up being replaced again as it sprung a leak too. Both were plastic radiators. I personally have done the coolant flush twice, burped it endlessly and I personally replaced the thermostat (as a way of trouble shooting) and it is STILL overheating and again blew a leak into the 3rd Radiator. Curious things about it...the reservoir tank although I've filled it, never stays filled for long and I haven't had a functioning heater in the cabin for as long as I've owned it .I was told recently that these models have a heater core problem where it get clogged. Therefore creates too much pressure which is why it's ringing leaks through my plastic radiators. Have you heard anything about the Heater Core's getting clogged up to the point of creating such pressure that it busts up radiators? Also, my water pump works fine as well as my hoses. And YES I'll be installing an aluminum radiator next but first make sure I;m not overheating because of the heater core backup.
Wow that stinks! I haven't heard about the heater cores clogging and causing what you've experienced but maybe some of our friends reading this can give some opinions?
I had this. Heater didn't work. One issue that's been going around is sand from the engine casting at the factory isn't quite cleaned out before they put it all together. I did a thorough flush of the entire system, including blowing pressurized air backwards through the heater core and got quite a bit of debris out. At the same time, I replaced the thermostat and it ran great for a couple months or so. I came back for answers to this video looking for the overheating at highway speeds issue which is plaguing me now. I guess it could be the thermostat this time again, so we'll see.
Wow@@johnkaldeway, good to know about the sand issue! Hadn't heard that before, and yes, check that thermostat again, they keep failing, and oddly in the stuck closed position.
Sounds like jeeps are pieces of shit
@@joyofwrenching replaced my working thermostat because of the scanner code recommendation. the new thermostat got stuck closed and the jeep overheated 2 months later. 😮
Radiator Caps do go bad. If they can’t hold the pressure. Antifreeze goes into the overflow bottle, and it fills up. Then it can overheat. When you fill up the radiator the best that you can, then finish up with the filling of the coolant bottle. The system purges itself with the coolant bottle
Check your catalytic converter if the engine overheats only at Highway speeds.
Why check the cat?
If your catalytic converter is getting stopped up. The engine can’t vacate the exhaust. The operator pushes more on the throttle to compensate for the stopped up catalytic converter that is blocking the exhaust gas from exiting the exhaust. As a result. There isn’t enough exhaust gas exciting the engine against the struggling engine trying to run
always the thermostat,when finished open bleed screw on thermostat to bleed air out of the system,I owned 3 jeeps ,always the problem
Another good thing to do, most thermostat would tell you the temperature. Then just checking the temperature of the hoses or radiator with heat gun to see if it match. Don't match you know something wrong.
@19 sec mark. My knowledge says collapsing lower radiator hose. H2O pump creates more suction at hey speed causing hose to suck in restricting water flow.
another good bit of knowledge for us to tuck away. Thanks for sharing.
I just had my system flushed and thermostat replaced...... It was good for 2 weeks. Then started the same exact symptoms that you have. Brought it in again put a new thermostat in it and it's been fine.... Service bulletin on the jeeps. They do not have Mopar thermostats available. And you're not to use an after market one.... According to jeep two years you haven't been able to get a g thermostat.... Makes a lot of sense right?
What a mess. Hope one day we can get parts again like we used to
I had the same problem on jgc 2000 4.7 ……changed thermostat…..but still overheating…..any other suggestions
2017 JK overheating for months. Dealership & warranty co have replaced the thermostat 5 times, water pump once, radiator once before approving tear down to find blown head gasket that revealed warped head. Received back after couple months at dealership. Still running hot with sloshing water sound in dash and slight rough idle at stop. Now thinking may not have bleed system completely. These engines should have a class action lawsuit against them.
wow, sorry you're having to go through all that. Hope you get satisfaction soon.
Have to change my thermostat 3 times in 3 months got an oem from mopar on the way now
sure hope that cures your issues!
Did you use a aftermarket thermostat like Napa . This will happen went through 5 of them . Same problem. Only use a dealer thermostat and water pump plus radiator. Then it will work right. Mine would sit at 3/4 on the freeway an going up hills. It was the crap Napa thermostat
Yes that seems to have been the main issue, but for so long there was no OEM thermostat available
Im having the same exact issue... Took it to the dealer, they messed it up even more. Then they told me I needed a new heads. I fought it, they replaced it at their cost. I just got my JEEP JK back after 6+ months of fighting with them. Guess what... It's still overheating when driving. I did see that there were issues with defective thermostats. Mine was "replaced" but it might be the same issue. A defective thermostat. Cross your fingers....
Dang, I sure hope you get yours figured out soon, it's been too long! I hate that so many have had this issue and gotten jerked around by shops of all kinds.
I have the same problem and replaced thermostat 2x and put a new radiator but it still overheats only accelerating/on highway????
Did you ever figure it out? I’m at a loss
Had this exact issue with mine. Same Motorad thermostat. It lasted less than a year.
Dang! Hate that, but hopefully you got a good one now
my issue was headgasket 2013 an radiator hose rubbing oulleys
(2016 2 door) I'm on my 4th OEM thermostat after multiple flushes and chemical flushes. It works for about 3-12 months then fails again. I am curious if the ABS thermostat housing could be part of the culprit for the T-Stat failing so often.
hmm, good thought, and perhaps, sorry you're having so much trouble with them, but apparently you are not alone!
I bought the milipart aluminum thermostat housing. I’m hoping this works.
Ok so I had the same issue as this guy and it was my thermostat. The weird thing was I replaced thermostat a couple months back while doing the radiator. Don't buy a motorad thermostat. Mine crapped out after two months
you're not alone in getting bad "new" thermostats!
Explorer. I owned a 89 ranger and it was a monumental improvements over the previous gen
I have a 5.3 2015 Silverado and I’ve replace the coolent temp sensor my water pump my thermostat my radiator was leaking just put jb weld and it doesn’t leak and it overheats only on high speeds.
Thanks, this video was very helpful.
You're very welcome my friend
Sounds like a SERIOUS design flaw. The cooling system should be IDIOT-PROOF.
they have had some real problems with thermostat quality for some time now.
Exact same problem and exact same motorad 82303 thermostat in my Jeep.
Youre awesome, great video! Very interesting about the thrrmostat. The stealership gave them a bad t-stat or didnt even replace. Thats so crazy that the about the computer and how it didnt throw a thermostat code too!!
So glad you enjoyed this and got some interesting points from it. I hope your thermostat issues are behind you!
I've done all of your tests and changed thermostat 2 times, problem keeps coming back. One time took a month, second time a week after burping the system and changing the thermostat. any ideas
Hi there, my JK has the same issue. I already changed the thermostat, water pump, radiator cap. Even the radiator was flushed and new coolant was added and I still have the same issue. Any recommendations?
P.D cooling temperature sensor was also changed, thanks!
if there's nothing blocking airflow through the radiator, chances are you got a bad new thermostat so swap it out again.
Had similar issues with Ram V6, takes awhile to bleed out !
What about testing the coolant for carbonmonoxide, or bad head gasket?
it seems to have no power loss or higher gas comsuption, 'dirty' cooliant or odd exhaust gas color, just the overheating on the high way (with dealership replacement recipe)
I have a 2014 ram 3.6 and it’s only overheating on the highway it’s crazy I’ve had all the common fixes done and still have the issue
Any update?
Hey Bud
I have the same problem on a 18jkunlimited, I changed the thermostat 2x, coolant temp sensor,radiator,water pump, fan,Flushed it and still overheating. Idk what else to do. I I’m doing the Tipm next. Any help would be appreciated. God bless
make sure there's nothing blocking flow into the radiator like a big winch and bag on the bumper, if getting good flow, then all the things you replaced cover most everything it could be. very rarely, the heater core could get clogged, but you can bypass that and see if that helps
If you have replaced the thermostat and the radiator is good. I’d pull the plugs and do a compression test. Check your catalytic converter
I purchased a “Mopar” thermostat from a local dealer, and when I opened the Mopar bag, there was a MotoRad thermostat in the bag. Not sure if that’s who makes them or if they are just bagging aftermarket because the actual Mopar units are on a major back order. Mine was doing the same thing, It fixed my issue for about 4 months, now it’s starting to act up again. Edit to add. I see your TX flag now. Wonder if it was the same dealer… Conroe TX
I'm in Tulsa now, but you can take the Texan out of Texas just not the Texas out of the Texan! I'm not sure if Motorad makes the housing or not...good question.
MotoRad is a cheap aftermarket part. I couldn't find an oem one fast enough so I bought the MotoRad one from AutoZone. My car temp gauge kept dancing around and would climb to almost the danger level... especially on the freeway or going uphill. Replaced it with the right Mopar unit and purged the air out of the system (use a no spill funnel and run the vehicle). So far so good 👍
@@GWrench9 Apparently the Mopar are still on back order right now. I’m going to try another aftermarket for now.
@@AnglinTexas It's true, most dealers show that but if you call enough of them you may get lucky. I'm from L.A., so I called 8 dealers before finding one about an hour away (due to traffic). Careful buying online, I bought one through McKinney Dodge in TX since they showed in stock but they ended up canceling my order because their system wasn't correct. My advice, unless you have to pass smog (like I did) or your original thermostat failed in a closed position and your car is overheating instantly, just wait until you can find a MOPAR thermostat and do the job once.
@@GWrench9 that’s how I ended up with a MotoRad in a Mopar bag at Mopar price. “Yeah we have a few in stock” “it’s genuine Mopar” hour drive, but my wife was there in the town anyway so she swung by and picked it up. I’m north of Houston so I’d imagine the demand is high around my area.
Is a bad water pump. It caveating and not actually moving any water. Mine did it for almost six months. Several thermostats later I finally found a mechanic who told me the issue. Hasn’t come back since
It’s cavitating , dang auto correct.
Yes, that can happen too. Usually, these jk's aren't that old and the pump hasnt rusted away internally like the old days, but they do fail, so good to add to the list for when the thermostat just isn't the culprit.
Hi from Ontario Canada, 2013 jeep wrangler jk, some what the same issue, but mine didnt have any heat in the cabin on the drivers side or middle, but lots of heat on passengers side and this has been going on forever, so we flushed the system, filled up with new fluids, started overheating at highway speeds, so burped the system again and changed the thermostat, yes we also put the front end up higher on stands, now seems to be running good but heating issue still the same..anyone else have a solution , or same issue with cabin heat not working on the drivers side , im open to suggestions..great video by the way. ✌✌✌✌
The heat working inside the cabin tells us the heater core is good, but that you only have heat on one side points to a bad actuator under the dash that directs the flow of air to one side or the other. Look up vids on changing the actuators for the JK, and I'll bet you'll be back in heat in no time!
Hey bud im from Ontario as well! Decided to do a radiator flush on my 2016 JK because my check engine light went on for the thermostat sensor. So I changed the thermostat sensor and thermostat itself. While I was at it, I did a coolant flush and also back-flushed the heater core. I wasn't getting any heat on the drivers side, but after the flush it was perfect, but a couple days later my heatercore burst and had to replace the heater-core. Everything works fine except now my engine overheats at idle and then cools back down after the fan kicks on at 107 degre cel. Could it be a head gasket issue. I hope not😢
@@joyofwrenching Interesting, Dang I'm learning a lot from you.
There are many reasons why overheating happens, i have a 2005 jeep wrangler unlimited Rubicon 4.0 with all my upgrades my weight is 5800 pounds when mfg states dry weight 3800 and maxs weight is 4600 im about 1200 over gross my build has a 6inch full traction long arm , 35x12.50x18 Mickey Thompson tires, atlas transfer case , hanson off road bumper with dual baskets on bumber , galvin wilderness roof rack , arb bull bumper , with winch . Rock hard roll cage package, smitty built drawer for cargo area , rooftop tent , arb awning , solar panel on hood , and spintec supercharger this is why i am heavy , my jeep overheats when ac is on at times i get up to 240 on temperature, i do have high flow new water pump a 190 thermostat and new radiator my harmonic balancer is original no slipping snd fan clutch , i live in texas but now sure if i could make Colorado in summer time like this im looking forward to black beak pass
sounds like one heck of a rig there. I wonder if there's a way to add volume to the cooling system on these jeeps to help?
I do believe my weight has a lot to do with it only when ac on so far my temperature can reach critical temperature I do live in texas we have been over 100 past month
Can you elaborate why it didnt overheat at idle if thermostat was stiking closed ..or could it be that the bypass valve was faulty .dont really know whats the purpose of bypass valve or simtoms but hipe u can explain
I'm no expert of course, but I think it has to do with just enough flow at idle through the bypass to keep the engine cool, but when the engine is really generating heat at higher rpms, the thermostat is too closed to allow sufficient flow to cool it down
I had the EXACT same problem in my 13 JK. I couldn't go over 65 mph without overheating. New thermostat, performance radiator, hoses, and water pump did not solve the problem. Put a 180 degree thermostat in last night and burped the system again last night, and it fixed the problem. I don't know for how long though because now I have no heater, so I'm thinking the heater core needs replaced too.
The issue I found on this one was the dealer replaced the actual thermostat but put it in the old housing and the thermostat would stick closed in the housing causing the overheating. I plan to always replace both at the same time from here out, which is easy as they typically come as a set unless you try to cheap out like the dealer did and just do the metal thermostat insert
I replaced both and my issue never changed. Mine never gets to 3/4 on the gauge but goes past half and the fan is always super loud. Not sure if I got a bad thermostat or there is a fan issue.
@@mcfero1 hmm does sound strange that the fan is on high even when it's not overheating...wonder if anyone on here has any ideas?
I have the same issue, I’ve replaced thermostat, radiator fan, and fan relay. And fan is still loud.
Mine just started doing this but with heat blasting it will bring heat from going into the danger zone. Now time to figure out coolant. Call for OAT orange, which it looks oarange but put a paper towel in and it comes out pink.
My wife's would on the highway too, guess what it was? Those silly grill inserts you can buy, it restricts enough air to cause that situation
yes, that'll do it. I've even heard of people having a big winch on their bumper causing a restriction to flow!
Thank you for showing a video mine is doing the same thing thank you again
You're welcome...pray this is an easy and lasting fix for yours!
my jeep wrangler runs 222 degrees, at 2,500 rpm, 70 milles per hour.
over that temperature goes up to 230.
Mine was 55+ mph especially on an incline.
You're awesome!
Thanks!
Thanks my friend, glad to be helpful
I got a 2015 jeep wrangler 3.6 pen star and iam having g the same issues so u think be the thermostat?
Yep, most of the time.
Nice work
Thanks my friend!