You could have a bad water pump causing no coolant flow, inoperable radiator fans, a coolant leak,............
It is located on the lower part of the engine and requires a special tool, $50, to remove the hose clamps unless they have been changed already from the OEM clamps. You will need a lift to accomplish the job and several hours. Good luck. It is on the engine at the upper radiator hose. When reinstalling the thermostat make sure the spring is towards the engine. I didn't find it there According to Advanced Auto Parts the Thermostat is located on the lower radiator hose at the engine on a 1998 2.7L Intrepid. Thanks, Kit
The radiator may be plugged. Take it to a radiator shop.
This may mean there is a weak hose OR some sort of blockage in the radiator or cooling system.
water pump. thermostat.
Start by replacing the radiator cap, it is more dangerous than the thermostat because it loses pressure.
Could be thermostat is not opening or collar on radiator is defective and needs to e resoldered sounds like a blown head gasket.
I have already replaced the radfiator,cap,thermostat and confirmed water pump works. cools fine w/o radiator cap ,pressure builds and temp. rises when cap in place.
The thermostat is located right on the front of the engine block. It is not a normal thermostat like you see in most vehicles. It is actually the flange that the lower radiator hose slips on to. Drain your engine coolant, remove the clamp on the lower radiator hose going to to the motor. remove the two 10mm bolts from the radiator hose flange to the motor, and the entire assembly will come out. when you purchase a new thermostat, it will come already mounted in a new housing. Replace the gasket, place the new thermostat in the motor, and reinstall the bolts.
Check the wiring for a short it has to be getting power from somewhere. Check swiches as well and remember that even new parts can be bad. you will need a multimeter for this task. I had the same problem with my intrepid. it was gone after i changed the thermostat, use a Mopar thermostat, these cars are designed for 196 degrees.
May have an answer already, but be sure that the radiator is full of coolant.
Ingeneral, the fan will run only if the temperature of the radiator is above the normal range. If the fan is running, then the radiator must be over temp unless the radiator fan thermostat or it's relay is defective. If the radiator truly is over temp then you have a larger over-heating problem You state the thermostat was replaced. if you replaced the fan thermostat then either the radiator really is over temp and it is doing what it should, or there is a problem with the thermostat-fan relay or switch. If you replaced the engine thermostat that controls the flow of coolent between the engine and the radiator, then that probably wasn't your problem and you should look elsewhere for an overheating cause. I would start by determining if the engine actually is overheating or not. If it is, I would look for coolent system problems like the engine thermostat (if you didn't replace it already), water pump, leaks, scale build up in the radiator, or blockages in the system. If the engine isn't overheating then I would consentrate on the fan, fan thermostat and relays.
There is no actual "radiator cap" due to the fact you have DexCool and an overflow with a pressure vent cap on it already. That is where you fill it up anyway....