How do you replace the thermostat on a 2001 Chrysler Town and Country?

Answer 1

I just did it. It is very easy. First buy a thermostat, a thermostat gasket, and some blue sealant (RTV) from any auto parts store. The book says to drain the antifreeze, but I did not and just spilled a few ounces when I unconnected the coolant hose. On the driver side of the engine, there is a radiator hose that connects to the engine just under the wires for the spark plugs. There are two bolts. Remove the bolts and pull off the hose. Some coolant will leak. Remove the old thermostat and gasket. Note how the thermostat is oriented so you can replace the same way. Put the gasket and thermostat back using some of the sealant and then re install the bolts and be sure to torque them down to 21 ft/lbs. It is not a bad idea to check the quality of your coolant at this time. Use an Antifreeze Hydrometer which is an inexpensive tester from your local auto parts store. Maintenance schedule calls for replacing your Antifreeze every 60 months. So if you havent done it in the last 5 years its not a bad investment in time and materials. Remove the radiator cap and start up the engine. You have to wait for it to become hot for the thermostat to open up and circulate the coolant. Add additional coolant to the radiator. After it is circulating, replace the radiator cap and see if the temperature gauge is rising as expected. Check for leaks again. Total cost is around 15-20 dollars. Feel good that you saved a few hundred bucks and only takes about 10-15 minutes. Have fun.