Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Post T-Stat Switch, Runs Hot?

I recently replaced my thermostat with a replacement from the dealership. I don't know the specs on it, because the guy forgot to ring it up and i have nothing about it on my bill.

Anyway, ever since i replaced it, my car has been running in the "A" range and sometimes up to the "L". Waterpump has already been replaced.

After searching, i read something about the little b.b. sized pellet in the old thermostat and how it should be at the top. I did not switch out the bb, just took apart the housing and swapped out the t-stats. Could this be my problem?

Plus, i could use a pic of the t-stat housing, im not sure if i re-assembled the housing in the opposite direction, like the direction that the kinked end should face.

Thanks in advance..

If you bought the thermostat from the dealership, it should have been a Motorcraft RT-1131 (195F).

Typical indication for this 'stat is slightly above centerline on my car, yours may be a bit different.

Do not assume that the engine is running "too hot" unless you doublecheck the operating temperature with an accurate measuring device. Normal operating temp is up to 220F with a typical range of 200-210F. Santa brought me one of those cool little IR thermometers with the laser pointer from Sears ($49.99). Takes the guess work out of the in-dash indicator.

I see a lot of effort expended on engines whose temp guages are reading higher than the owner expects, but are well within the operating range of the engine. Most of this effort/angst is wasted...

That "bb" is an part of a valve that helps to bleed air from the coolant system. Once the air is out of the system, it has no significant effect anywhere.

The longer end of the thermostat is installed pointed toward the firewall.

Check the two-stage operation of your cooling fans.

Steve

hmm, i know which side of the housing faces the firewall, but on the other end the housing kind of curves to a side, but i dont guess this really matters which way it curves.

Also, i was driving thru a pretty bad ice storm yesterday. I had to stop a few times to knock the ice off my wipers. It was so bad that after driving with the defroster on, ice was still forming on the front windshield as i drove. I'm sure my radiator had a good solid coat of ice on it, keeping the air from making contact with it.

I had a similar issue a month or so back with my car. After changing the thermostat, I noticed that in traffic my temp gauge was around the "A" position. Really scared the crap out of me because mine has never went that far over.

Anyway, I tried to figure out what it was and while doing some driving/experimenting, I found that when the low speed cooling fans turned on they were blowing cold air! I know the fans were working properly because they cut on at their normal times, based on the position of the indicator and the situation. Once I would come to a stop long enough, the high speed fans would kick in. I still could not feel any hot air coming from the radiator fans until the temp gauge got around the "L" and even then it was a quick burst. The only way I was able to stablize, to some degree, the temp of the engine was to have the heater run all the time. If the temps outside was below 40 degree's, I could travel down the highway at 70 and maintain a decent/normal temp. Basically, it acted like the thermostat was sticking.

This past weekend, I went to Advance Auto and purchused a 180 degree thermostat, figureing that expermenting with it couldn't hurt since it only cost $5. After installing it, everything has seemed to return to normal. When my fans turn on, they blow hot air! I don't have to have the heater running in stop and go traffic. At highway speeds, the temp gauge reads between the "N" and "O". In heavy city traffic will long periods of idling, it reads around the "R".