My older truck, 2002 Dodge Ram 1500, overheated and the radiator busted at the seam. So got a new radiator put in and a thermostat and PCV valve, started home and it overheated in like 2 miles, so parked it and left it for several hours then came back and tried to make it home. Within a half mile the muffler was glowing red and it shot flames out the tail pipe. So what could be the cause of this, I have heard that it could be a head gasket, a catalytic converter, or a waterpump. What do you think it is? It has 130,000 miles on it.
2007-12-31 16:15:57 · 6 answers · asked by bballfan117 3 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Dodge
We did park it as soon as we saw the exhaust glowing, had it towed to cousins shop this morning.
2007-12-31 16:26:47 · update #1
when you said the catalytic converter was red on it that sort of gives it away ,it sounds like it has went out ,and that will make it over heat as well as hold back exhaust which will also make it run bad,and build up a lot of pressure,and it may have done some internal damage to the engine also,it usually will cause one to blow head gaskets when they get that hot,right now you need to have it checked,take it to a shop and have them do a full diagnoses on it,good luck ,and happy new year.
2007-12-31 16:27:20 · answer #1 · answered by dodge man 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I had a problem on my car that did the same thing i started working on it i found out the timining was off and the cat was plugged, and also my throttle body injection was cracked so it was just dumping fuel into engine causing it to over heat and the exhaust was glowing red.
2007-12-31 18:46:09 · answer #2 · answered by Fred M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like a plugged catalytic converter, but they use a double wall exhaust pipe on some dodges, have the exhaust checked for both problems, but it probably is a converter with that many miles. you can go with a universal converter that doesn't get plugged up . You save money and gain more exhaust flow.
2007-12-31 16:28:44 · answer #3 · answered by redd headd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It may be a head gasket but since there where flames coming out of the tail pipe your catalylic converter is probaly cloged up
2007-12-31 16:25:16 · answer #4 · answered by Michael H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds like mutiple problems. could be a timing issue. blown head gasket. hole in a piston or yes maybe a plugged up catalytic converter. All would cause your truck to run extremely hot and the latter making the exhaust glow. check your oil to see if there is water in it. or wait until it cools down enough to open the radiator cap and look in. Make sure the radiator is full and then start the truck. If you see little bubbles then you have a blown head. the excessive pressure into the coollant will blow the radiator. get it to a shop and quit driving it that is if you haven't already destroyed the engine
2007-12-31 16:23:48 · answer #5 · answered by r w 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like the catalytic converter is plugged, by your description of the glowing red exhaust.....
2007-12-31 16:21:06 · answer #6 · answered by nate 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋