Coolant Temperature rides when Idle.

[ScarsFromGod]

Hello I've had my truck for about a year now. It was used. Haven't had any issues with it until the last week when I noticed that the fans would get really loud when I was idling. When I'm driving the trucks temperature is roughly at 200°F but when it idles now it started to push 220-235°F. Any help would be appreciated. Also yes I do have coolant.
I have a 2021 Ram 1500 ETORQUE. 4x4 BigHorn. Don't have much knowledge will try to keep researching any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Scram1500]

Sounds normal, the fans are loud and don't kick on until 220F. When you aren't moving there is zero air flow through the radiator, this gen is electric fan only

 

[MotorcycleBoy]

.... When I'm driving the trucks temperature is roughly at 200°F but when it idles now it started to push 220-235°F. ... .

my e-torque ltd 2022 is like your. In winter (5 gradi C) it sign 95/98 C at idle I don't kwow but is reasonable that the temperature go over

 

[snj1013]

Your truck is doing exactly what is designed to do. When moving, the air moving across the raditor cools it. When at idle, the fan has to pull air across the radator.

 

[MotorcycleBoy]

.... When I'm driving the trucks temperature is roughly at 200°F but when it idles now it started to push 220-235°F. ...

my e-torque ltd 2022 is like your. In winter (5 gradi C) it sign 95/98 C at idle I don't kwow but is reasonable that the temperature go over

To complete my previous post, I did a test at idle (I had never looked before) already after a couple of minutes my Ltd also reaches 230F (with 40F degrees air temperature).
This happened to me after 20 minutes of traffic in the city before opening my garage.
The interesting thing is that the circular tool on the left of the instrument rose shortly after the vertical half mark!
So it seems not to be of concern, but what do the most experts say?

 

[HSKR R/T]

To complete my previous post, I did a test at idle (I had never looked before) already after a couple of minutes my Ltd also reaches 230F (with 40F degrees air temperature).
This happened to me after 20 minutes of traffic in the city before opening my garage.
The interesting thing is that the circular tool on the left of the instrument rose shortly after the vertical half mark!
So it seems not to be of concern, but what do the most experts say?

Just normal operating temps. I'm surprised your digital gauge moved at all. Mine sits in pretty much the same spot from 170 degrees through 210 degrees. Hasn't been hot enough recently to pay attention for higher idle temps.

 

[MotorcycleBoy]

thanks for the feedback we'll see next summer.....
I hope everything is ok

 

[MotorcycleBoy]

Sorry for the (NEW) question .... but I have a curiosity that I would like to clear up.

I saw that the RAM has two temperature gauges: a circular one on the left, and another in the center.
In my opinion these tools show very different results!

the central one says liquid "VERY hot" (105C = 221F) while the circular one on the left says "ALMOST hot" (see photo).

Maybe they are two sensors that are in different places? Otherwise I don't understand.... Thank you

 

[HSKR R/T]

Sorry for the (NEW) question .... but I have a curiosity that I would like to clear up.

I saw that the RAM has two temperature gauges: a circular one on the left, and another in the center.
In my opinion these tools show very different results!

the central one says liquid "VERY hot" (105C = 221F) while the circular one on the left says "ALMOST hot" (see photo).

Maybe they are two sensors that are in different places? Otherwise I don't understand.... Thank you

The physical guage on the left is just a feel good guage that is more of an on/off switch than accurate guage. On my truck, it will sit in the same spot from about 170 degrees F up to 220 degrees. The digital readout in center is accurate real time temperature.

Your reading of 105 C is still within normal operating range. The electric fans don't even turn on until like 223 F. And the factory thermostat is 203 F thermostat, so engine should never be under 200 during normal operation once warmed up.

 

[MotorcycleBoy]

.... The electric fans don't even turn on until like 223 F. .... engine should never be under 200 during normal operation once warmed up.

In fact... I noticed exactly this!
Thanks (again) for the clarification.
Of course, I've never had motors that always work at such high temperatures ... but I've read here that it's normal for these truck, so ok.

 

[snj1013]

Has anyone ever noticed that sometimes when the electric fan kicks on, it doesn't want to turn off until the truck is turned off. Sometimes it will turn off when the engine temp decreases, but yesterday it didn't. I got stuck behind an accident, coolant temp rose to 220+, the fan turned on, and even after 5 mins of moving at speed and the coolant temp back down to 200 degrees give or take, the fan didn't turn off.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Has anyone ever noticed that sometimes when the electric fan kicks on, it doesn't want to turn off until the truck is turned off. Sometimes it will turn off when the engine temp decreases, but yesterday it didn't. I got stuck behind an accident, coolant temp rose to 220+, the fan turned on, and even after 5 mins of moving at speed and the coolant temp back down to 200 degrees give or take, the fan didn't turn off.

Did you have you A/C or defrost on?

 

[snj1013]

Did you have you A/C or defrost on?

I think I might have (it was almost 80 yesterday here in Houston). Just wondering how the system is suppose to operate.

 

[snj1013]

Did you have you A/C or defrost on?

So yesterday the fan kicked on again, and I made a point to turn off the AC. That didn't make a difference. The fan kept on running even though the coolant temp got below 200 degrees. I'm wondering if there is another parameter the system is looking at to control the fan. I did notice the transmission temperature was at 190 degrees. The other thought is that there is a temperature switch controlling the system rather than the temperarure sending unit that is displayed in the instrument cluster.

 

[MotorcycleBoy]

Hi everyone,
I've read that some people are worried about a slight leak and/or odor when they turn off the truck. everything seems normal:

 

[kapinallinen2]

Hi everyone,
I've read that some people are worried about a slight leak and/or odor when they turn off the truck. everything seems normal:

That is different from what we are experiencing. The smell of antifreeze is unmistakable.

 

[MotorcycleBoy]

Ops .... damn my English!

 

[DEG]

Hi everyone,
I've read that some people are worried about a slight leak and/or odor when they turn off the truck. everything seems normal:

Nothing in this notice says a leak is normal. This notice is talking about moisture from external sources (condensation, rain, snow, etc) evaporating when the radiator gets hot. This does not look or smell like antifreeze.

Unless you have overfilled the overflow bottle, if you see or smell a coolant leak it is not normal and needs to be fixed.

 

[kapinallinen2]

Ops .... damn my English!

You are doing fine...

 

[HSKR R/T]

Nothing in this notice says a leak is normal. This notice is talking about moisture from external sources (condensation, rain, snow, etc) evaporating when the radiator gets hot. This does not look or smell like antifreeze.

Unless you have overfilled the overflow bottle, if you see or smell a coolant leak it is not normal and needs to be fixed.

Except coolant smell is "normal" on these trucks even with no leaks