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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 81
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 81 |
My duratec is very erratic in the gauge operation too. it will go high in traffc with AC on and will stay cold cruising on a cool day. I wonder if my gauge is good?
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,910
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Dec 2001
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Originally posted by LocoSCZ:
Mine sits right in the middle (between O and R). Never changed from the day I got it.
I'm thinking that the cause may be the cooling system not being flushed/ maintained. 
I am not sure about that. I just replaced my radiator not to long ago, maybe three years. we flushed the sytem out then and filled with new coolant. my guage reads a bit higher like I said before. it did the same thing before but the normal running temp was a touch lower
- 95 Mystique LS - Zetec/5spd
- 99 Contour SeVT Sport - Duratec/5spd
Official NE-CEG Contour/Mustang Family
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,788
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,788 |
My kid's first Contour (Zetec) always ran between the "a" and the "l" (closer to the "l"). It used to freak her out, she was always thinking that it was going to overheat.  The WP, thermostat and radiator were changed as was the coolant so I'm not sure of the reason. She's much happier now that she has a V6 because it doesn't run as hot.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 453
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 453 |
Originally posted by LUCA:
My kid's first Contour (Zetec) always ran between the "a" and the "l" (closer to the "l"). It used to freak her out, she was always thinking that it was going to overheat.
The WP, thermostat and radiator were changed as was the coolant so I'm not sure of the reason.
She's much happier now that she has a V6 because it doesn't run as hot.
At least she paid attention to the temp gauge, alot of people don't notice and overheat their car to death.
-Peter
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,345
Addicted CEG\'er
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Addicted CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,345 |
Originally posted by TravisN1:
My duratec is very erratic in the gauge operation too. it will go high in traffc with AC on and will stay cold cruising on a cool day. I wonder if my gauge is good?
I would check the thermostat. It could be stuck on close (high in traffic) or stuck on open (cold cruising) on a cool day.
Read this thread.
http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=trouble&Number=1021265&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1
Last edited by Tony2005; 08/23/05 12:45 AM.
"Always do the cheap and easy ones first."
1996 V6 ATX 96K miles
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 3,335
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
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Originally posted by beyondloadedSE:
Whats the deal?
IMHO, whomever designed the guages was on something that a little trippy that day. 
After my AutoMeters went in, I found that L in my car was 195 degrees.
· Jon Miconi
· Coming Soon!
· 01 Cougar
· 98 V70R
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 52
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 52 |
i always thought my car was the only contour with a messed up temp gauge. is there anyway to install a after market temp gauge?
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 98
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 98 |
Mine does the same.
Sits around R during normal driving but in stop and go traffic, it will creep up to the L but never goes past it.
Had the WP replaced, Coolant flushed, 180 thermostat installed, Temp Gauge sender replaced. No change on temp gauge. Heater also blows hot air.
Also, coolant level stays the same(no change) and fan does kick on if it sits around L for about 10 minutes.
98 Contour GL/03 ZX3 Focus/05 ZX3 SES Focus
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 3,335
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
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Originally posted by bigworm:
i always thought my car was the only contour with a messed up temp gauge. is there anyway to install a after market temp gauge?
Buy one of the pillar pods from one of the vendors online. Pick the AutoMeters or whatever brand you like and install. Very oversimplified instructions, but you get the idea.
· Jon Miconi
· Coming Soon!
· 01 Cougar
· 98 V70R
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 301
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
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Posts: 301 |
An ex-girlfriend had a '96 Zetec Mystique; its temp gauge was erratic and would jump to the upper range of "NORMAL" all the time. It seemed like the needle would move around wildly in response to minor temperature changes.
On the other hand, the needle on my '99 V6 Contour never moves. It's always just below the middle. Even when it heats up enough to kick on the fan, the gauge never budges.
I wonder if Ford made the temperature gauge less sensitive in later or V6 models. I know on many other cars, they designed the gauges so they just sit right around the middle in any normal temperature range.
Overall I'm not much of a GM fan, but I sure prefer prefer their gauges. They actually tell you what the temperature is, using actual numbers. What a concept!
'99 Contour Sport V6 MTX
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