Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance Running Hot

All,

I have a 1995 Contour GL with 165k miles. Recently, I noticed that the temp gauge was going into the red on the temp gauge. I tested my ECT sensor and found that it was faulty and was causing my fan not to come on. So, after replacing the sensor, I found that the fan comes on and the engine runs a little cooler but the needle still almost touches the red zone.

Anyways, I have flushed the coolant recently and installed a new thermostat.

The car still has the original water pump and was wondering if replacing the pump might keep the temp down? Any other ideas?

Bill

Usually any time spent in the read zone will cause the head gasket to go and possibly the head to warp. If the fan was not turning on then the damage could have already been done. I would check for a blown head gasket. Check the exhaust to see if there is any smoke coming out of it. Pull the dipstick and see if it has just straight oil in it. Look in the coolant bottle and see if there is any oil mixed with the antifreeze. Have a compression check done on the cylinders. I would also have a system pressure test done - this will let you know if there is a leak in the system. A faulty water pump would leak or grind. Have you done anything with the thermostat?