Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting help! contour running hot!

It honestly does not make a difference. Both 180 & 192 are considered stock so flip a coin or something...

Whoa, take a step back. If the fan is not coming on, that does not indicate a thermostat problem. Thermostat just lets water through the radiator.

SOunds to me like the low-speed fan is not working. The high speed fan is the one that usually comes on near the top of the temp gauge range, and it will run if you disconnect the engine coolant temperature sensor.

[BTW the scoop on the sensors: The temperature gauge sender is mounted underneath the thermostat housing. It sends data to the temp gauge in the dashboard. Sounds like yours is working, since you are getting good temp readings from the instrumnetation. The engine coolant temperature sensor (ECT sensor) is mounted on top of the thermostat housing, and sends data to the computer or PCM, telling it to turn on the fan. It is easy to disconnect (sounds like you already did it) and easy to test. Pull the connector off and put an ohmmeter across the two contacts. If it shows an open circuit, replace that puppy. When engine is cold, the resistance of the ECT should be around 30,000 ohms. As it gets hotter, the resistance goes down (2000 ohms at 212 degrees). I am not a human encyclopedia, all this is in the Haynes manual.]

If your ECT is shot, it will never tell the computer to turn on the low-speed fan. SO test that first, cuz its easy. Your local parts shop may have it, I had quotes of $30-$50.

IF that is OK, or if you replace it and it doesn't fix the prob, here is the next step. [Sorry if this is long and too wordy but I've had a margarita tonight.]

You know that your Zetec contour has only one cooling fan, so if you are confused about me saying hi-speed fan and lo-speed fan, there are two separate relays in the engine compartment fuse box. When the coolant temperature is really high, the hi-speed fan relay is activated and the fan is run at high speed. When the coolant temp is high but not super-high, the low-speed relay is activated, and the power is sent to the fan THROUGH A RESISTOR THAT STEPS DOWN THE VOLTAGE so the fan runs at a lower speed.

I have learned that this resistor is susceptible to corrosion and breaking, which kills the low-speed fan operation. Search for "low-speed" or "resistor" or posts by PANGLOSS (that is me) for discussions of how to test the resistor and other parts of the low-speed fan circuit. If you can't find it post again and I'll try to describe. Basically you can pull the lo-speed relay, and jump pins 3 and 5 together with the key in the ignition, engine off, and if the low-speed fan doesn't run, that means your resistor is probly bad, or the harness somewhere in between.

I am going through this also so feel free to PM me to discuss. And if it turns out you need a low-speed fan relay replaced, let me know, I have an extra one I can't return, I thought it was bad but wasn't.

Also if you need to replace the resistor, I've posted about my experience doing that and am happy to help out with advice or more questions. That was $35 at the dealer.

Man, shut me up.

PANGLOSS

Did you succeed?

AHHHH
ok...team, i am starting to hate this car...just very frustrated....
I have flushed the coolant, changed the termostat, changed the ect sensor, checked circuit for green and black relay (jumped 3 and 5....thanks pongloss for that info), both times fan turned on.

stupid car still runs hotter than normal, needle on A in normal.

what else could be wrong? there is no white smoke, water in the exhaust or oil in the coolant.

Any ideas TEAM

And you are sure you don't have an airlock in the coolant system? (won't allow proper circulation of coolant)


Ray

doesnt this car burp it self over time?

If you're certain the low-speed fan is not coming on during normal operation, but it does turn on when you jumper the relay contacts, then I would try replacing the low-speed fan relay (green). Maybe it is not closing the circuit when the computer tells it to. Not sure how to test it - presumably if you knew what the signal was that the computer sends to it, you could apply some batteries to the proper terminals of the relay and listen for it to close, but I don't know that info.

Here is a quote for the part from Bill Jenkins

Low speed relay

F5RZ-8B658-A List $34.92 Inet $20.70

Or it could be a harness problem between the computer and the relay. Or it could be the computer.

I just ordered my ECT today, now you are scaring me that it isn't going to do the trick.

there is no air in the system.

Okay, let's go back to the basics. Check coolant strength (buy $5 tester from autoparts store). Then check the temperature gauge.

Finally, the "Fall Back". Technically, anything in between the two lines of N O R M A L , is considered acceptable.

Edit. Recently, there was a thread on zetec running hotter than others.

http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=trouble&Number=1030406&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1