Thanks very much, good video! I just diagnosed a "temperature too low" code with Torque OBDII. Impossible to reset Check Engine because of this. I'll try a new thermostat, thanks for the detailed explanation!
The only absolute knowledge I have is that my 2013 Dodge Caravan 3.6 Pentastar had the exact same thermostat housing as this 2013 Chrysler 200. I suppose you might find a parts store online like Autozone or NAPA that you could look at both 2011 Caravan and 2013 Chrysler200/DodgeAvenger and see if the part number is exactly the same for the housing on both cars. In fact, in checking just now I have 2013 Chrysler 200 3.6 uses "water housing" part number "902-3036" on Autozone and the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.6 FlexFuel engine also says "water housing" as "902-3036" part number. So, yes, it appears it will fit perfectly. Looking at RIPP Mod's website for their thermostat it pretty much covers all 3.6 Pentastars for a number of years, whether it was a RWD platform and the thermostat housing was pointed forward or not. The thing is, with using for a Taxi if you're over-heating etc. I'm not sure that lowering the thermostat open temp is going to do a whole lot--at least in hot weather. It may help if you're really borderline, but if your engine is dumping enough heat sitting in heavy traffic idling and stop&go as a taxi to cause overheating this 180 thermostat will open sooner and will stay cooler for a little longer. But once the car has warmed up it's going to continue to be dumping the same amount of heat into the radiator as it is now and may still over heat. You'd probably want a way to lower the temperature that the fans turn on to really help. If it was me and you are actually dealing with an overheat issue on a taxi (and you're quite sure it's not got a head gasket leak or needs flush, etc., etc.) then I would probably consider buying a cheap "push" direction electric fan from ebay or summitracing.com or something and wire it to a switch in the cab. Mount the fan directly to the front of the radiator and you can turn it on whenever you feel like it. Or you can wire it to ignition and have it always on, etc. You'd be adding flow through the radiator that way, and that may be more of what you're actually needing. As examples here's some ways you can increase actual cooling on your fan--these are universal pieces: www.autozone.com/heating-and-cooling/fan-speed-control-module/proform-push-in-probe-sensor-adjustable-150-240-degree-range-electric-controller-fan/750998_0_0 www.autozone.com/heating-and-cooling/engine-cooling-fan-electric?filterByKeyWord=push+radiator+fan&fromString=search&isIgnoreVehicle=false (These are a little pricey, but I have seen add-on fans from ebay, JCWhitney and SummitRacing etc., for as cheap as $15 sometimes. You could go to any swap meet and pickup an electric fan too if you're good at figuring out ways to mount directly to the radiator and wiring it in is usually not too tough--only two wires if you don't use a switch.) Anyway--I don't know why you're considering the 180 degree over a stock thermostat, so those are just some ideas for you. Your overheat may in fact be because the stock thermostat isn't opening--and just a stock thermostat from Autozone may solve your issues--they're a lot cheaper if you want to try that.
I think mostly because there's really only one distributor that I know of: RIPP Mods. None of the counter stores, like Autozone, NAPA, etc carry anything but stock. Most of these cars would never truly need it and not much of 3.6 owners are going to be looking to lower temps like us old school racers. Main reason RIPP Mods carries it is of course to lower temps with boost to keep pinging down. I felt I wanted it because with my HemiFever tunes for e85 pushing the limits on timing advance I was noticing a bit of performance degradation on even mildly warmer ambient temperatures. For the Caravans I experimented with re-writing a PCM with an Avenger/200 file with a contact from DiabloSport but I think the PCM was bad. I couldn't get it to work in my 2013 caravan or even my 2013 200 even before and after he wrote files on it for me. So your best choice for running a flexfuel Caravan 3.6 with a good e85-intended tune is with OverKill Tuning from Canada. My HemiFever tune on DiabloSport can flex from 91 octane to e85 and running e85 I've now just broken into 14.9's at 4200 feet equating to a high 13.8 at sea level. In other words off my stock 15.6's (14.6-14.8's depending on weather for sea level adjustment) you DEFINITELY notice a difference with a tune and a few efforts to get cold air in. In a video I will make next month I will demonstrate the air intact I made for our Caravan before we traded it in last year and it was pretty wicked sounding. Scared kids at the Junior High when we'd manually leave in first and throttle around a bit dropping kids off. Was a lot of fun actually.
have you had problems with check engine light coming on after the thermostat switch? I did this to my wrangler and light popped on twice so far in 1 month
+Thomas Bates I was told by a few people (Gooch, from IL in 200 Forums particularly) that Wranglers have had that problem. I have not seen it at all. Not once. I set my fans very low, all speeds, all conditions to be about 180degree turn on. So on a very cool day at freeway speeds I can be running along in upper 160's and still haven't tripped it. I don't know what the difference is, but I'm about to put one in my 3.6 Grand Caravan as well. (Considering either Syked ECU Pro Tuning or OverKill for GC HPTuning, but will probably put it in stock car for the summer and see what happens.) We are toying with idea that I will take all my Eaton M90 or my collection of turbo pieces I've collected for the Chrysler 200 and try it first on the minivan. I think it would be funnier at the 1/4 mile strip here and a hoot on the road, and there's a lot more room for me to work with an Eaton supercharger with an extended input shaft. (I'm already at sea level 13.9's with the Chrysler 200 on E85 tune so for a daily commuter much more is just for thrills.) Will report in next few months what the thermostat does for me on the Grand Caravan.
Just had my thermostat housing crack, thanks for the nice run down on how to replace it.
Thanks very much, good video!
I just diagnosed a "temperature too low" code with Torque OBDII. Impossible to reset Check Engine because of this. I'll try a new thermostat, thanks for the detailed explanation!
i need to order this for my 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan Does it fit inside the thermostat housing ? my Carvan has a Pentestae 3.6.
The only absolute knowledge I have is that my 2013 Dodge Caravan 3.6 Pentastar had the exact same thermostat housing as this 2013 Chrysler 200. I suppose you might find a parts store online like Autozone or NAPA that you could look at both 2011 Caravan and 2013 Chrysler200/DodgeAvenger and see if the part number is exactly the same for the housing on both cars. In fact, in checking just now I have 2013 Chrysler 200 3.6 uses "water housing" part number "902-3036" on Autozone and the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.6 FlexFuel engine also says "water housing" as "902-3036" part number. So, yes, it appears it will fit perfectly. Looking at RIPP Mod's website for their thermostat it pretty much covers all 3.6 Pentastars for a number of years, whether it was a RWD platform and the thermostat housing was pointed forward or not.
The thing is, with using for a Taxi if you're over-heating etc. I'm not sure that lowering the thermostat open temp is going to do a whole lot--at least in hot weather. It may help if you're really borderline, but if your engine is dumping enough heat sitting in heavy traffic idling and stop&go as a taxi to cause overheating this 180 thermostat will open sooner and will stay cooler for a little longer. But once the car has warmed up it's going to continue to be dumping the same amount of heat into the radiator as it is now and may still over heat. You'd probably want a way to lower the temperature that the fans turn on to really help.
If it was me and you are actually dealing with an overheat issue on a taxi (and you're quite sure it's not got a head gasket leak or needs flush, etc., etc.) then I would probably consider buying a cheap "push" direction electric fan from ebay or summitracing.com or something and wire it to a switch in the cab. Mount the fan directly to the front of the radiator and you can turn it on whenever you feel like it. Or you can wire it to ignition and have it always on, etc. You'd be adding flow through the radiator that way, and that may be more of what you're actually needing.
As examples here's some ways you can increase actual cooling on your fan--these are universal pieces:
www.autozone.com/heating-and-cooling/fan-speed-control-module/proform-push-in-probe-sensor-adjustable-150-240-degree-range-electric-controller-fan/750998_0_0
www.autozone.com/heating-and-cooling/engine-cooling-fan-electric?filterByKeyWord=push+radiator+fan&fromString=search&isIgnoreVehicle=false
(These are a little pricey, but I have seen add-on fans from ebay, JCWhitney and SummitRacing etc., for as cheap as $15 sometimes. You could go to any swap meet and pickup an electric fan too if you're good at figuring out ways to mount directly to the radiator and wiring it in is usually not too tough--only two wires if you don't use a switch.)
Anyway--I don't know why you're considering the 180 degree over a stock thermostat, so those are just some ideas for you. Your overheat may in fact be because the stock thermostat isn't opening--and just a stock thermostat from Autozone may solve your issues--they're a lot cheaper if you want to try that.
Was thinking of trying this on my 2011 dodge grand caravan 3.6 but, why does this tstat cost so much?
I think mostly because there's really only one distributor that I know of: RIPP Mods. None of the counter stores, like Autozone, NAPA, etc carry anything but stock. Most of these cars would never truly need it and not much of 3.6 owners are going to be looking to lower temps like us old school racers. Main reason RIPP Mods carries it is of course to lower temps with boost to keep pinging down. I felt I wanted it because with my HemiFever tunes for e85 pushing the limits on timing advance I was noticing a bit of performance degradation on even mildly warmer ambient temperatures. For the Caravans I experimented with re-writing a PCM with an Avenger/200 file with a contact from DiabloSport but I think the PCM was bad. I couldn't get it to work in my 2013 caravan or even my 2013 200 even before and after he wrote files on it for me. So your best choice for running a flexfuel Caravan 3.6 with a good e85-intended tune is with OverKill Tuning from Canada. My HemiFever tune on DiabloSport can flex from 91 octane to e85 and running e85 I've now just broken into 14.9's at 4200 feet equating to a high 13.8 at sea level. In other words off my stock 15.6's (14.6-14.8's depending on weather for sea level adjustment) you DEFINITELY notice a difference with a tune and a few efforts to get cold air in. In a video I will make next month I will demonstrate the air intact I made for our Caravan before we traded it in last year and it was pretty wicked sounding. Scared kids at the Junior High when we'd manually leave in first and throttle around a bit dropping kids off. Was a lot of fun actually.
have you had problems with check engine light coming on after the thermostat switch? I did this to my wrangler and light popped on twice so far in 1 month
+Thomas Bates I was told by a few people (Gooch, from IL in 200 Forums particularly) that Wranglers have had that problem. I have not seen it at all. Not once. I set my fans very low, all speeds, all conditions to be about 180degree turn on. So on a very cool day at freeway speeds I can be running along in upper 160's and still haven't tripped it. I don't know what the difference is, but I'm about to put one in my 3.6 Grand Caravan as well. (Considering either Syked ECU Pro Tuning or OverKill for GC HPTuning, but will probably put it in stock car for the summer and see what happens.) We are toying with idea that I will take all my Eaton M90 or my collection of turbo pieces I've collected for the Chrysler 200 and try it first on the minivan. I think it would be funnier at the 1/4 mile strip here and a hoot on the road, and there's a lot more room for me to work with an Eaton supercharger with an extended input shaft. (I'm already at sea level 13.9's with the Chrysler 200 on E85 tune so for a daily commuter much more is just for thrills.) Will report in next few months what the thermostat does for me on the Grand Caravan.
Oops. Wife just traded Grand Caravan in last night for a 2016 Grand Cherokee. I may try the thermostat in that but it will be a while.
your power steering fluid looked bluish,what type ps fluid your system running on?
Stock, which was darker than I am kind of accustomed to as well, but not blue. It is time to flush and fill though.