Replacement radiator doesn't fit 2004 Caravan, different models?
5

Asked by Robin Jul 22, 2020 at 02:22 PM about the 2005 Dodge Caravan C/V Cargo FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I purchased a replacement radiator for a what I thought was a 2004 Caravan
3.3L.  It wouldn't fit.  The old radiator has different mounts for the a/c
condenser.  I have 2 other Caravans that are year 2003.  They have the
same radiator as the replacement I bought.

So I did a search on the VIN number and it shows it as a 2005.  The
manufactured date shows as 02/04 which I thought would mean year 2004.  
Anyway I did a search for a radiator for a 2005 Caravan and it's identical to
the replacement I already have.  They all do not have the mounts protruding
from the radiator for the condenser to press onto.

I found one photo from a radiator on Rockauto that shows the correct
mounts, but all the others do not.  And all the vans I can find at the junk yard
do not have the mounts.

So how could this one Caravan have a different radiator when nothing is
different about it?  It was made in the USA.

2 Answers

F_O_R answered 4 years ago

Unfortunately the VIN guides are not always correct. I would try to match it up to the one you found at RockAuto.

Mark helpful
5

Robin answered 4 years ago

Thank you for the reply. I really needed to find one locally if possible as I don't have time to wait on shipping. And seeing as how all other photos show and the ones I've actually seen in person both at the junkyard and at the local parts store are all the same.... which is different than this particular radiator, I'm afraid to just trust a photo at Rockauto since the photos are a lot of time 'stock' photos and not of the actual item you'll receive. Every souce I can find shows the same radiator fits 2001-2004. And the manuf. date is 02/04 as mentioned. But I also find the same part number for a 2005 Caravan as well and photos for the radiators for 2001-2004 and 2005 all show that the a/c condensor bolts onto the radiator. This particular van I have now, the a/c condenser pushes onto some connectors, kind of like clips. Even Advance Auto didn't have an answer or know what to order because the ones they have and photos show a style different than what I have. I found a forum on another site where someone had the same exact issue in trying to find the correct radiator with push mounts for the a/c condenser but he did not reply again stating what he found. So I was hoping someone here may have ran into this and know what I should ask the parts store for. There are no local Dodge/Chysler dealers in my area.

Mark helpful

Your Answer:

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