I have a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 with a 4.7L magnum engine. She has 10700 miles on her I have replaced the thermostat, flushed the coolant, bled the air vent, installed a new water pump and everything is topped off with coolant. Now being summer here on the gulf coast in Alabama, I find lately my temperature gauge likes to creep up about 2 needle widths past the center line (not much) when it is at idle or at a stop and it has been running for a while & AC on and its 90 degrees outside. Normally the needle stayed just below center when she was new. No engine codes or lights. Is this something I need to be worried about? How do I know if the fan clutch is going out or the radiator is clogged?
You can tell if the fan clutch is good by trying to spin it with the engine off. You should feel a fair bit of resistance. If it just spins like it's free wheeling, you need a new fan clutch.