First let me start off by saying that I replaced the Radiator, Water Pump, Hoses, Thermostat, and Fan on the truck one year ago. Recently I moved some furniture for a friend about 150 miles round-trip in 104 degree heat after changing my oil that morning. Normally my truck runs at the N of Normal on the temperature gauge but during this trip it was running steadily at the L. When I returned home my coolant reservoir tank overflowed and spilled coolant in the driveway. This worried me because it's the same thing that happened when I had to replace everything last time. It has been running fine the past few days but now when I park it after driving even for a few minutes the upper radiator hose contract a ton and when I release the pressure cap it pops back to normal which was also a symptom of the last problem. Am I on the verge of catastrophic failure? Would a flush and thermo. change fix it? I'm a full time student and work full time too so I don't have a ton of spare time or money and can't afford to be without a vehicle for very long so I'd like to head this off before it kills me or the truck. Thanks for any help guys.

 

I'm guessing there might be a clog in your cooling system if all the other replacements haven't fixed your problem. A flush would be a good idea to help un-lodge whatever is in there blocking a pathway.

There is a small chance I am right and a bigger chance I am wrong. I'm still mostly a reader than an answerer

 

Welcome to the site!

Suspect the thermostat since this seemed to come on all at once after running for a year after the major changes.

Also suspect air in your system causing the collapse of the hose. The lower hose typically has reinforcement against collapsing since it is on the suction side of the water pump.

Suspect either a problem with the radiator cap or a blockage in the line to the overflow tank preventing the return of coolant to the system during cool down.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

Deff test the thermostat. I just learned how to from ppl on here and it had saved me so far. Anyone on hare will tell you just because the thermostat is brand new dose not mean its good. Also how long is your normal commute every day?i ask because its possible your thermostat could be in backwards. I did just that and it ran fine around town for months until I actually drove my truck on the highway a good distance and it overheated.

 

And welcome to the site by the way!

 

Stop buying the cheap thermostats.