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Cooling issues

AliasJerk

Addicted CEG'er
Joined
Oct 13, 2003
Messages
8,525
nothing serious.. My temperature gauge is on the fritz and I dont really know what to blame? I dont know if its the ECT sensor, if the Thermostat is messed up or what.

Basically, if I sit at a stop light with the car idling the temperature gauge goes right up to middle where it should be. but as soon as I set off the temperature gauge goes right to the top of "Cold" Im assuming its the themostat stuck open letting too much coolant through, but anyways. When the ECT sensor fails what normally happens?
 
yup, when mine went out the gauge just stopped moving. you can always replace the sensor and see what happens. they are cheap and its easy to do.
 
Can somebody help me find that thread about how hot are contours running (temperature) ?
I searched, but I find nada, and I remember there was one.

I got this thing now when temperature gauge points now at A or L when driving and it has never happened to me before :confused::confused::confused:, it usually runs on R or M.

It started today when I got to work. Fan by itself only starts when the gauge is on L. The fan works when the A/C is on.

98 'tour, ATX, zetec
 
ect sensor is in the t-stat housing, if yu are going to replace it you may as well replace the t-stat and gasket/ring. you will be right there and depending on your mileage it's probably due anyways!
 
the thing is you dont have to remove the housing to get to it. you can get it with the right size socket (dont remember off hand but its big) and a rachet easily. plus you can get one from a junkyard for virtually nothing (maybe even nothing).
 
opps, i referred to the sensor as the ect sensor, it is in that housing as well but the gauge sensor is below the t-stat in the housing, and it is correct you do not need to remove the housing to replace the sensor. as info there were two different sensors listed in that year, cars made before may 3rd 1999 take a SW-5157 and if produced after it is SW-5491. those are motorcraft numbers.
 
i just replaced my temp sender and stat but i seem to have the oppisite problem right now. It use to be at AL all the time and i had it checked and it was running normal. Now it's at RM but now my rad fan is not working and now starts to sore back to AL
 
When the ECT sensor is bad, how does it affect the temperature gauge? The answer: it doesn't.

Let me elaborate, and set this straight. There are two seperate components built into the thermostat housing. One is the ECT sensor, which tells the computer the coolant temperature and has absolutely nothing to do with the gauge, and the other is the Temperature Sending Unit, which controls the analog gauge.

If the ECT Sensor were bad, you would likely get a P0125 (Coolant Temp too Low) code. However, as you described it, you have no code.

Forget about the ECT sensor. Replace BOTH the SENDING UNIT and the thermostat. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the upper radiator hose when the car is warmed up, and report back to us. If the car is determined to be running at an appropriate temperature at that time, we can assume the gauge is bad, in which case the instrument cluster will require replacement.

Hope this helps.
 
i just replaced my temp sender and stat but i seem to have the oppisite problem right now. It use to be at AL all the time and i had it checked and it was running normal. Now it's at RM but now my rad fan is not working and now starts to sore back to AL

faulty units?:shrug::shrug::shrug:
Different year maybe. But still A-L is still in the Normal range. Contours are notorious for running hot, and the weather is as it is here at this time of year.
At one point I had my high fan starting at L only.
 
198-210 Fahrenheit is normal for any car including the zetecs. the zetec engine DOES NOT RUN HOT. the gauge is just calibrated differently so that its normaly near the "A".
 
i specified a range that the temp should be in thats normal for ANY car. my zetec personally runs between the "A" and the "L". it stays right at 198* Fahrenheit. it might get up to 210* if i sit in traffic. those temps ARE NOT hot for a car. if you want a number in celsius thats at most 100*
 
198-210 Fahrenheit is normal for any car including the zetecs. the zetec engine DOES NOT RUN HOT. the gauge is just calibrated differently so that its normaly near the "A".

Right and wrong.

The pre98 Zetecs had calibration issues. The post 98s this was fixed on.

although im not sure about the 98 itself. As you guys had the gauge cluster with "NORMAL" written on it.

I would say if its acting differently, go pick up a 175 degree thermostat :)
 
well he has a 98 so it could go either way. IF his normally ran lower and now its running higher on the gauge then yes its an issue. however if it always ran higher and he just never noticed it then it is not.

my 97 just says "normal" :shrug:
 
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