DaraSue and 10907's excellent adventure

[Rich]

....Another good Samaritan stopped to give me a hand, and he noticed that the radiator intake line wasn't even hot. At this point I figured I better give up and take it to a real mechanic so my new buddy helped me find one (since I had no bars and no internet).

Just drove it onto the lift now so we'll see what happens...

Let us know. Good move on checking the rad hose temps.

Cold rad hose with engine running and hot means that hose is empty (low coolant level) or coolant's not flowing thru it (any number of causes including stuck-closed thermostat, bad water pump, missing belt [looks OK in pics], radiator internally blocked/clogged, kinked or collapsed coolant hose or pipe, low coolant level [lower than the water pump]).

Earlier reports are that the coolant level is OK, that you can see it in the header bottle.

There's not a lot that's special about a D's cooing system in general so a decent mechanic can likely sort it out. Let us know how it goes.

[DaraSue]

Apparently the thermostat was bad. Just road tested it and it stayed around 190, which isn't necessarily conclusive since it's been intermittent but it's a good sign. Gonna try to grab some lunch and wait for the rain to let up and then get back on the road.

[Rich]

Apparently the thermostat was bad. Just road tested it and it stayed around 190, which isn't necessarily conclusive since it's been intermittent but it's a good sign. Gonna try to grab some lunch and wait for the rain to let up and then get back on the road.

If they removed a stuck-closed thermostat then you are almost assured that your cooling problems are over for now.

It sure picked a bad time to pack it in. It's in the range of normal things that happen with old cars at some time or other.

Happy travels.

[David T]

If the line to the rad isn't getting hot you might have a bad thermostat (it sticks closed). If necessary to get home, remove the center section of the thermostat. You need to leave the plate because it holds the gasket in place. To remove the thermostat you will have to let the motor cool off.

[DMCMW Dave]

Apparently the thermostat was bad. Just road tested it and it stayed around 190, which isn't necessarily conclusive since it's been intermittent but it's a good sign. Gonna try to grab some lunch and wait for the rain to let up and then get back on the road.

Were you carrying a spare or did they just remove it? Suzy told me that you left there pretty well-equipped!

[DaraSue]

Were you carrying a spare or did they just remove it? Suzy told me that you left there pretty well-equipped!

They found an acceptable substitute somewhere! Of course, the one thing I didn't think to take an extra one of, lol.

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The source of all my troubles. After they changed it out, I don't think it went over 190 the whole way home, and there were some pretty steep hills to climb in western Wyoming and eastern UT. Yay! Now I can drive it to Vegas on my next 3-day weekend!

I had the coolest car at the repair shop...

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Home safe and sound!

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[Farrar]

Welcome home to DaraSue and your new car! Glad the problem was easily diagnosed and solved!

[Lwanmtr]

Awesome that you made it...and definately an adventure...lol.

That garage looks a lil small...hehe. I hope she'll spend more time outside than in?

One of the things I plan (when I finally get mine all good n ready) is a nice long trip (cause Im crazy that way).

[DaraSue]

Some higher-res pictures from the road...

Picture 1939.jpgPicture 1947.jpgPicture 1955.jpgPicture 1993.jpgPicture 1995.jpgPicture 2021.jpgPicture 1895.jpgPicture 1896.jpgPicture 1926.jpg

I'm so glad I got to do this! Even with all the freakout moments, it was still the trip of a lifetime and I couldn't be happier with my car. Thanks everyone for reading and commenting with your advice and support, and special thanks to the crews at DMC Midwest and Rock Springs Auto Repair for helping me get and stay on the road!

[David T]

Now that you are home and have things somewhat under control, you should consider getting a proper replacement thermostat. Also test the coolant to make sure you still have a 50/50 mixture. I should have earlier suggested you keep track of your mileage and gas consumption so you can check your MPG. That is a very important indicator of the general health and efficiency of the car. Also check the accuracy of the odometer and speedometer against the mileposts. A long trip is the ideal time to do it, the longer the measurement the more accurate the results.