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2016 Challenger HC Overheated 250 miles

4286 Views 15 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  MABBRYFL30, 
shadowsk
I posted the below text in another thread but figured I would start my own after reading about several other HC's overheating. Mine is A8 trans with 250 miles.The other threads I read said it was cooling fan problems but I could hear my cooling fan running the whole time. So is there any other guesses as to what it could be? What are the chances that something internally went bad during the overheating?


"Hi, I just got home from towing mine to the dealership for overheating. It had been at the detail shop for 3 days getting detailed and a full clear bra put on. Leaving the detail shop I noticed the temps rise above normal and the cooling fan came on. Temps rose from normal 205 to 220 or so. I attributed it to maybe the 80 temps we had today. I drove it a couple miles before entering the freeway where it was stop and go for about 5 miles. During that period temps rose to 230 and came back down to 220. Cooling fan on the whole time. Then after a couple miles of stop and go the temps hit 250 and the small check engine overheating light came on for about 15 seconds and then the temps dipped back down to 240 and the light went off. I had an exit about a mile away and was getting off when I heard some banging. Actually felt it through the firewall and brake pedal. The temps hit 260 and the entire center display turned red with a large engine overheating warning. By this time I was at exit and when i came to stop sign to get off it started running erratically. I coasted into a gas station about 100 yards away. I let it idle hoping the temps would come down but after 10-15 secs they were hitting 265-270 so I shut it down. I heard terrible boiling noise. Looked under the hood and there was zero coolant in the reservoir and a stream of it where I had parked directly below the reservoir. I called roadside assistance and had it towed to the dealership. Unfortunately the service dept had already closed but they allowed me to park it inside as it crunk up fine after I got it off the tow truck. The salesman that sold me the car said it sounded like a loose hose had finally busted or come loose. The coolant temp and oil temps rose to 270 or so. I really hope nothing internally is messed up. Do you guys have any clue as to what happened or possibly anything I should ask or tell the service department tomorrow when I call in? Thanks."
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carcass
I'm sorry man,
Happened to mine, but it was the cooling fan connector getting water in it.
'
My car went to 249 on the digital gauge and stayed there,
Did your digital screen gauge actually show 270??
I've read a couple threads about overheating and they said the gauge held at 249
I was thinking this 249 had the gauge pegged?
Sounds like dealer time,
I suggest documenting with photos of gauges and copies of all work orders and s self written time and dated log I fear the dealer trying to screw me if my motor goes bad.
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shadowsk
carcass said:
I'm sorry man,
Happened to mine, but it was the cooling fan connector getting water in it.
'
My car went to 249 on the digital gauge and stayed there,
Did your digital screen gauge actually show 270??
I've read a couple threads about overheating and they said the gauge held at 249
I was thinking this 249 had the gauge pegged?
Sounds like dealer time,
I suggest documenting with photos of gauges and copies of all work orders and s self written time and dated log I fear the dealer trying to screw me if my motor goes bad.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tips. I worry about the dealership being trustworthy as well. I keep my performance page set the the guage cluster that shows the coolant, oil, trans, etc temps. Yes I saw the guage hit 270F on both the coolant and oil. this was right before I shut it down. I could hear the cooling fan still running after the engine shut off. But the day before I took it to the detail shop I did notice my cooling fan coming on at redlights which it had not previously done before. Until then coolant and oil temps stayed around 210. So I think the problem was starting 3 days ago before I took it to detail shop. The banging noise I heard before I pulled over could have been the hoses busting I don't know. The coolant reservoir was bone dry like I said and a stream of coolant was running down the pavement directly below it. I'm praying for just a busted hose.

Was your cooling fan not running causing your engine to overheat?
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carcass
Sure did!
And I don't rust that fan now, the dealer dried it out put dielectric grease in the fan wiring connection.
My car burnt a half quart of oil the day it overheated as well.
Check that oil and make sure your dealer changes it.
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shadowsk
carcass said:
Sure did!
And I don't rust that fan now, the dealer dried it out put dielectric grease in the fan wiring connection.
My car burnt a half quart of oil the day it overheated as well.
Check that oil and make sure your dealer changes it.
Click to expand...
Good idea on checking and changing the oil. Thanks again.

So your car is running right now?
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yurdaddy
Nobody has had more cooling issues than my last cat. After changing the radiator, fan ,thermostat , all clamps and taking the heads off and putting in longer head bolts they could never really find out why it kept overheating every time I put a load on it. I think I stopped counting after it overheated 5 times. Srt went as far as putting a black box in the car to try record 2 minutes before it overheated and 2 minutes after it overheated. They finally lemon lawed the car and gave me a new one. Took 6 months. I hope nobody has to go thru what I went thru to get it fixed correctly.
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shadowsk
yurdaddy said:
Nobody has had more cooling issues than my last cat. After changing the radiator, fan ,thermostat , all clamps and taking the heads off and putting in longer head bolts they could never really find out why it kept overheating every time I put a load on it. I think I stopped counting after it overheated 5 times. Srt went as far as putting a black box in the car to try record 2 minutes before it overheated and 2 minutes after it overheated. They finally lemon lawed the car and gave me a new one. Took 6 months. I hope nobody has to go thru what I went thru to get it fixed correctly.
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Holy crap, that is awful...At what mileage did yours start overheating?
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yurdaddy
Not long after I hit my break in period.
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shadowsk
yurdaddy said:
Not long after I hit my break in period.
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Would a compression test be a reasonable request? My father was a mechanic/gearhead years ago and said when a car overheats like that it could affect the head gaskets and lose compression?
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Roddo
I would be really upset! Have them inspect the engine thoroughly. I would even go so far as to let them show you inside the cylinders and look at the walls for any signs of galling with a borescope. Also when a engine overheats it can damage the soft babbit material on the main and rod bearings. Make sure you have documentation of the car overheating to the point of running rough etc.. Damage of spun bearings can happen latter down the road. Seen it happen on other engines after overheating issues.
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shadowsk
Roddo said:
I would be really upset! Have them inspect the engine thoroughly. I would even go so far as to let them show you inside the cylinders and look at the walls for any signs of galling with a borescope. Also when a engine overheats it can damage the soft babbit material on the main and rod bearings. Make sure you have documentation of the car overheating to the point of running rough etc.. Damage of spun bearings can happen latter down the road. Seen it happen on other engines after overheating issues.
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Well I just got off the phone with the service tech that worked on my car and he said they thought it was a stuck thermostat. There was no busted hoses or leaks. They are putting it back together and test driving it then calling me back. He said they were aware of the TSB's but thought it was just a stuck thermostat.
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usmc341
If that's the case you are lucky no hoses blew. Lots of pressure in there
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shadowsk
Here is my update. They installed a new thermostat and did a coolant leak test. They called me to come pick it up and I asked to speak to the tech. He said he drove it 25 miles or so and then let it idle for 30 mins and the highest temp he saw was 206F. So I drove it around the city around dealership for 15 mins and saw the same temps. 203F driving and would go to 206F at first idle then go back to 203F. So I hit the freeway home which is about 25 miles. Cruising along at 70-75 I saw temps between 201-203. I continued to drive and my home city for 15 more minutes then hit the freeway again trying to find some open road. Finally found a clear stretch and got into it to about 110 and temps never moved off 203. Finally got home after an hour of non stop driving and temps gradually rose to 213 idling in driveway then started declining back to 203 where I let it idle for another 5 minutes. Temps seem great and it ran just fine. So hopefully the thermostat was the extent of my problem. I did ask the tech about changing the oil and he thought it was fine but I will probably do it anyway at 500 miles (340 now) and send it off for analysis. So I am happy camper right now. I couldn't sleep last night as I was worried sick. I'd like to thank everyone that responded with help i really appreciate it. I will update this thread with my oil analysis once I hit 500 and get it back. Thanks again guys.
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M
Wow, so glad it wasn't more serious than a thermostat. Someone suggested an oil change after the overheating occurred, that makes a lot of sense. Hope you don't experience any more issues and that your 'Cat is fixed.
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gabe
carcass said:
Sure did!
And I don't rust that fan now, the dealer dried it out put dielectric grease in the fan wiring connection.
My car burnt a half quart of oil the day it overheated as well.
Check that oil and make sure your dealer changes it.
Click to expand...
Almost every time I wash my hellcat the supercharger coolant pump goes crazy. It goes on and off for several hours. It can't be because the car is hot I just pull it out the garage to wash. I try not to spray water under the driver side fender. That is were the pump is located.
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MABBRYFL30
shadowsk said:
Here is my update. They installed a new thermostat and did a coolant leak test. They called me to come pick it up and I asked to speak to the tech. He said he drove it 25 miles or so and then let it idle for 30 mins and the highest temp he saw was 206F. So I drove it around the city around dealership for 15 mins and saw the same temps. 203F driving and would go to 206F at first idle then go back to 203F. So I hit the freeway home which is about 25 miles. Cruising along at 70-75 I saw temps between 201-203. I continued to drive and my home city for 15 more minutes then hit the freeway again trying to find some open road. Finally found a clear stretch and got into it to about 110 and temps never moved off 203. Finally got home after an hour of non stop driving and temps gradually rose to 213 idling in driveway then started declining back to 203 where I let it idle for another 5 minutes. Temps seem great and it ran just fine. So hopefully the thermostat was the extent of my problem. I did ask the tech about changing the oil and he thought it was fine but I will probably do it anyway at 500 miles (340 now) and send it off for analysis. So I am happy camper right now. I couldn't sleep last night as I was worried sick. I'd like to thank everyone that responded with help i really appreciate it. I will update this thread with my oil analysis once I hit 500 and get it back. Thanks again guys.
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That is good news and something I will keep in my notes, I keep a file of things like this for my customers. I hope it works out for you and enjoy your car my friend!!!!
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