hey guys, i had a questions for the mechanics. .. my friend has a 2001 dodge caravan and the heat doesnt work in it. the temp gauge shows tthat the van is not heating up at all.. not even after driving for a while. sometimes gauge will go up a quarter but when you turn the heat on it goes down almost immediately. the car blows out cold air. any ideas what could be problem and how to fix it? let me know if more details is needed, but im hoping tobe able to fix this myself if i could get some advice. thanks a million!

pretty sure it will be the heater control valve gone matey, not really sure mate as im from the uk and dont really know dodges at all.

but similar thing happend in an old ford of mine exept was blowing out hot air no matter how cold the dial was on,
chaned the control valve fixed it totally and was an easy fix only took 15 mins to change

Thermostat is stuck open!

Thermostat is stuck open!

winner winner chicken dinner.

This is a pretty common problem for Chrysler minivans.

if the thermostat is stuck it will take longer to heat up, but it will heat up.

perhaps you can check the following:


is the radiator full of antifreeze?
check for leaks (any wet spot around hoses, water pump or overflow container)
what is the level of antifreeze in the overflow container when engine is warm
collapsed radiator hoses (when engine is running)?
faulty radiator cap? (can cause the above symptom)
faulty radiator caps can release antifreeze too much and too soon (the overflow jug can't hold this entire amount so it leaks out of the overflow)
listen for the electric fan cycles as well, if a fan or fan relay is shot, the vehicle can overheat and dump it's antifreeze for pressure compensation


good luck...

whoohoo, what do I win? give me a tougher one!

if the thermostat is stuck it will take longer to heat up, but it will heat up.

perhaps you can check the following:


is the radiator full of antifreeze?
check for leaks (any wet spot around hoses, water pump or overflow container)
what is the level of antifreeze in the overflow container when engine is warm
collapsed radiator hoses (when engine is running)?
faulty radiator cap? (can cause the above symptom)
faulty radiator caps can release antifreeze too much and too soon (the overflow jug can't hold this entire amount so it leaks out of the overflow)
listen for the electric fan cycles as well, if a fan or fan relay is shot, the vehicle can overheat and dump it's antifreeze for pressure compensation


good luck...

true with that list you would not get heat, but you would also overheat. For the car engine to remain at normal operating temp but no heat makes me think electrical. Could be a relay.

true with that list you would not get heat, but you would also overheat. For the car engine to remain at normal operating temp but no heat makes me think electrical. Could be a relay.

yep, you would over heat, but, faulty temp sensor would not let fans come on, nor read correct temp on your gauges, winter weather tends to mask some overheating issues, unless you are stopped in traffic and or parked with the engine idling...

i drove my previous car through a winter with all the symptoms i listed above, my leak was on my radiator though, i knew when i was low on water because the heat would not work, the car wouldn't over heat unless i was parked or in traffic, i had no working electric fans in the winter, when the weather warmed up i hot wired the second fan (the one that kicks on with the a.c.), temp gauge would bounce from warm to cold sporadically as well...

nice... i'lll look into it this week and post back with an update and maybe pics if necessary... THANKS ALOT!!!

Tell me how you like working on them. It's pretty much a Routan.

mmmmm sounds like a thermostat to me, but then again it is a dodge:6shootr:

mmmmm sounds like a thermostat to me, but then again it is a dodge:6shootr:
i must say that even though its a dodge, that sucker has held up good. It has 140xxx miles and this is the only problem its had. of course with the proper maintence lol. This is going to be fun. I really am not a mechanic and lack alot of knowledge, but i'm hoping to look into this and fix it myself. I know she'd be happy lol

well its a 2001 so its a Mitsubishi I think.

what you mean?

The 2.6L 4 cylinder and the 3L V6 where sourced from Mitsubishi and I run from like 94-03 I think. The second part of that could be wrong, but I am 100% positive the 2.6 and 3.0L's where from Mitsubishi.

In 92 is when the 3.8 liter came about. Even now the 3.8v6 and 4.0 v6 are available.

oooooooooo