So last night I was out on a night run doing some wheeling in a local area. Granted, it was pretty f*cking cold (about 0 degrees), but my engine had been running at 180, maybe a touch warmer all night long. Has a new, dealer installed thermostat less than six months old. So we're driving and nothing really has changed in what I'm doing, but all the sudden the heater starts blowing luke warm air. I look at the engine temp gauge and it had gone down to below 120.
I figured the thermostat might had stuck open, dispite being new. I pulled over and beat on the thermostat housing with the cap end of a 20oz soda bottle. Continued driving about 1/2 mile so see if it would warm up any, but I could watch the gauge go down as I drove. So I stopped again and taped a bag over my grill to block as much air flow as I could. This seemed to work, and my engine ran at normal, or almost normal temps the rest of the way home.
Can the 4.0 just not produce enough heat to warm itself in sub freezing temps, or was my thermostat just stuck open for a little while?
I figured the thermostat might had stuck open, dispite being new. I pulled over and beat on the thermostat housing with the cap end of a 20oz soda bottle. Continued driving about 1/2 mile so see if it would warm up any, but I could watch the gauge go down as I drove. So I stopped again and taped a bag over my grill to block as much air flow as I could. This seemed to work, and my engine ran at normal, or almost normal temps the rest of the way home.
Can the 4.0 just not produce enough heat to warm itself in sub freezing temps, or was my thermostat just stuck open for a little while?