[Walt01Ram2500]

2001 Ram 2500 5.9L

This spring my radiator blew out and I had to have it replaced going through Canada. It was warm enough out then I didn't notice my heater not putting out normal heat but recently now that it's getting cold out and I'm using my heater I hear a gurgling sound coming from under the dash and the heater doesn't warm up the cab very well any more. I've looked around online and every other problem I've seem other people have with it gurgling is a leaking heater core but I don't have any fluid leaking onto the floor and I don't smell that sweet coolant smell. Any ideas?

Also in the last week my climate control selection to put it to either defrost or front vent or foot vent had been acting up and now is stuck on defrost.

 

[LittleRed]

I would definitely check your anti-freeze level. Maybe they didn't get all the air out of your system. I take the cap off the radiator when the trucks cold obviously don't take the cap off if its hot. Fill it with the truck running and wait until it gets to normal temp if its full the anti-freeze wont go down at the fill neck. I assume you can still turn your dial to floor ? or a/c etc? its just staying on defrost. Theres a vent door closest to your dial that controls where the heat goes. A vaccum motor controls that door. Just a thought that motor or Actuator could be bad and now it wont turn the door.

 

[Walt01Ram2500]

Hey thanks for the reply. I've burped the radiator and made sure it full on fluid now. Haven't heard a gurgle lately but still doesn't blow hot air. Blows kinda warm air but definitely should be blowing way hotter air. Im guessing the heater core is clogged and needs to be replaced. And I found a broken vacuum line that I fixed and now the the blower changes to all the settings like defrost, floor, face and what not.

 

[slimpartywagon]

you could have the wrong thermostat in as well.

 

[Lazarus Truck]

My heater made that noise. I had a leaking head gasket because of an overheating. Would stop when I burped it, but would come back. The fluid was going into the oil, so no tailpipe smoke. Any milky stuff on the dipstick, oil cap?

 

[CrazyCanuck]

Try having the heater core backflushed, shouldn't need replacing unless it leaks. Had a similar gurgling sound on another vehicle. Flushed the core, gurgle is gone and it throws way more heat.

 

[Lazarus Truck]

Oh, forgot. One simple thing, check the radiator cap. Mine was bad and popped-off at 13 psi. This affected heat, and filled the reseviour. I also seemed to affect the ability of the rad to draw fluid back-in as the engine cooled after shut-off. Rented the AZ tester. New one tested to the factory 16 psi, and many issues solved.

 

[dbuzz77]

check the heater hoses coming out of the firewall. if 1 is hot and 1 is lukewarm you have a bubble or blockage. you can take off the colder 1 until coolant runs free and this will tell you if the core is blocked also.

 

[the persuader]

All the 2nd gen Dodge Rams I've been in have made the gurgling noise when cold. My old one did and it would burn you out.

 

[GTyankee]

all of the Dodge Rams climate controls had a few problems
check out the 3 youtube videos that were made by
HEATERTREATER Dodge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAclL84Qq8E


other videos about it
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=heater+treater+dodge+ram&sm=1