With a body on frame vehicle, crumple zones aren't as big a deal asunibody rides.

 

I was thinking about removing vent and making slits functional. then drilling 1 inch holes (maybe 6-10 total) to allow the heat to escape. I dropped almost $500 bucks at the dealer because I was over heating, and they found sand and debris in between my radiator and condenser. I still run hot (maybe 3/4) in heavy traffic on hot days. Never had this issue with any vehicle i've driven. When traffic lets up, and i get to speed, it drops to half again or just above. I've accepted that the truck just runs hot, so i was looking for ways to improve the condition, and let the heat dissipate especially when in traffic, or wheeling at low speeds.

 

It may be a long shot, but before you do anything else I would go to a radiator shop instead of the dealer. They deal with that daily. I would almost bet that there is some air in the system that needs to be purged. I've had a couple of cars that were fixed that way.

 

how much does it cost to get that done at a radiator shop?

 

I would go with a triple core radiator. Cheapest solution and is guaranteed to work. The problem is finding one that fits the H3. In all my 4x4 vehicles that had winches installed, that is how I solved it. They all overheated from the winch not letting in enough air. I have contemplated making the hood vent functional, but only by cutting out holes like Josh suggested. That wouldn't compromise the hoods integrity. That doesn't always work if the hot air doesn't flow in that direction. Usually you have to have the vents as far back on the hood as possible, for that exact reason. It might require you to install a small electro-fan that forces the hot air out. This would also avoid the dirt getting in that Tinked was concerned about. You would have to see if there was enough space for the fan. Until somebody tries it, we won't know. Changing the thermostat valve alone doesn't always solve the problem. It only delays it from heating up. I did that in one of my Jeeps, and eventually had to remove it. On cold days it didn't let the engine heat up to it's normal operating temp, causing it to run rough. Two things that always work if you don't want to spend a cent, but can be very uncomfortable are: turn off the AC, and turn on the heater. The heater is just another radiator inside the cabin. It increases the hot water flow and heat exchange. It's a trick I learned from the Aussies when your out in the middle of nowhere , and the car overheats, but you can't stop and wait for roadside assistance. Always gets you home.

 

Check this post out
http://www.coloradofans.com/forums/v...c.php?p=781929