This is a straightforward cooling system job on the LD Charger, but the two engine families are quite different. On the 3.6L Pentastar the thermostat is molded into a plastic housing low on the front passenger side of the block, so you drop the belly pan and work from underneath. On the 5.7L and 6.4L HEMI the thermostat lives in the water outlet up top under the upper radiator hose, which is much easier to reach but still tight against the front accessory drive.
The mistakes people make are all at the end, not the beginning. First, buying a "thermostat" for a Pentastar when the serviceable part is the entire housing. Second, pouring the wrong coolant in: 2011-2012 cars are orange HOAT, 2013 and later are purple OAT, and mixing them turns to sludge. Third, skipping a proper bleed with a spill-free funnel, which leaves an air pocket that gives you no heat and a temperature gauge that swings.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2 ton minimum Lift the front of the car to reach the lower hose and belly pan. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 2 ton pair, jack pads behind front wheels Support the car while you work under the front end. | Safety | shop |
| Drain pan 8+ quart capacity Catches the roughly 1-1.5 gallons of coolant that comes out. | Required | shop |
| Socket set 3/8 in drive, 8 / 10 / 13 mm 6-point Belly pan fasteners, air box, thermostat housing and water outlet bolts. | Required | shop |
| Torx bit sockets T20, T25, T30, 3/8 in drive Many LD belly pan screws are T25/T30 and some thermostat housing bolts are T30 Torx-head. | Required | shop |
| Ratchet and extensions 3/8 in drive, 3 in and 6 in extensions, swivel/wobble Reaching the housing bolts past the belt and crank pulley area on the Pentastar. | Required | shop |
| Hose clamp pliers Spring-band clamp pliers, cable-type preferred The factory radiator hose clamps are constant-tension spring bands that are very hard to move with regular pliers. | Required | shop |
| Hose removal tool / pick set Right-angle picks or hose release tool Breaks the hose loose from the housing neck without tearing it. | Recommended | shop |
| Flat blade screwdriver Medium, and a trim panel tool Radiator drain cock, push-pin retainers and air intake clips. | Recommended | shop |
| Plastic gasket scraper Nylon or plastic blade Cleans the aluminum sealing surface without gouging it. | Required | shop |
| Shop rags / brake clean Lint-free Wipe the mating face clean and dry before installing the new seal. | Consumables | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 40-200 in-lb range The small M6/M8 bolts thread into aluminum and strip easily if guessed at. | Required | shop |
| Spill-free funnel kit Universal coolant funnel with radiator/bottle adapters Fills and self-bleeds the system; the LD has no bleeder screw on most builds. | Required | shop |
| OBD2 scan tool Live data capable, reads ECT Watch coolant temperature during bleed and clear a P0128 stored code afterward. | Recommended | shop |
| Thermostat / housing assembly 3.6L: complete housing with integrated thermostat. 5.7L/6.4L: thermostat with gasket/O-ring The service part for the Pentastar is the whole housing; the HEMI thermostat drops into the water outlet. | Parts | shop |
| Coolant 2013-2023: Mopar OAT MS-90032 / MS-12106 (purple). 2011-2012: Mopar HOAT MS-9769 (orange). ~2 gal premix Refill; mixing OAT and HOAT gels the system. | Consumables | shop |
| Distilled water 1 gallon For mixing concentrate or topping off. | Consumables | shop |
| Replacement hose clamps Worm-gear or new spring clamps, sized to hose Old spring clamps often lose tension after being spread. | Consumables | shop |
| Safety glasses and nitrile gloves Hot coolant is caustic to skin and toxic to pets. | Safety | shop |
3.6L Pentastar: thermostat is integrated into a plastic housing on the lower front of the block, two M6 bolts (8 mm hex head or T30 Torx depending on build year), accessed from below. 5.7L and 6.4L HEMI: thermostat drops into the water outlet at the front of the engine under the upper radiator hose, two bolts usually 10 mm or 13 mm hex head, accessed from above. The 6.4L SRT uses a different-temperature thermostat than the 5.7L, so order by VIN.
| 3.6L Pentastar thermostat housing bolts (M6) | 106 in-lb (12 Nm) - verify in the service manual |
| 5.7L / 6.4L HEMI water outlet / thermostat housing bolts | verify in the service manual |
| Belly pan / splash shield fasteners | Snug only, approx 50-60 in-lb |
| Radiator drain cock | Hand tight only - plastic |
Bolt head types vary by production year and supplier on this generation, so have both 8/10 mm sockets and a T30 Torx on hand, and confirm the exact torque values in a FSM or AllData before final tightening.
No. The Pentastar thermostat is integrated into a plastic housing and is sold only as a complete housing assembly with a new O-ring. Attempting to pry the old element out will crack the housing and cause a leak.
It is in the water outlet housing at the front of the engine, directly under where the upper radiator hose attaches, above the water pump. Two bolts hold the outlet on and the thermostat lifts straight out of the recess.
2011-2012 cars use Mopar orange HOAT (MS-9769). 2013 and later use Mopar purple OAT (MS-90032 / MS-12106). Do not mix the two, and check the cap and bottle color if the car has history you do not know.
There is no bleeder screw on most builds. Fit a spill-free funnel to the coolant bottle, run the engine with the heater on full hot, rev to about 2000 rpm in bursts until the bubbling stops and the cooling fans cycle once, then remove the funnel and set the level at the COLD FILL mark when cool.