Anyone Overheating?

[Guest darran]

hi,

 

i would appreciate any advice regarding my '98 2.3 ghia x and it's overheating problem. the needle stays in the middle until you remain static for about 5 minutes... then the temperature rises into the red and THEN the fan comes on (a bit late!) the temperature doesn't actually go down, but it just hovers in the beggining of the red area.

 

 

i put it in to the dealer and asked them if they could get the fan to come on sooner. They told me it was the sender unit. i paid for the new one and lo and behold, when i got it back it still has the same problem.

 

i have now given it back to them to fix properly, but i am wondering what they might come back with.... and how much i can believe them!

 

any help would be appreciated....

 

Darran

[Guest Ian Hampton]

Hello Darran,

 

I would suspect a sticking thermostat, by all accounts its a bit of an awkward job, had mine done 'cos of the opposite problem, (not getting to temp) and it didn't make a jot of difference....

But if the fans are running and the engine is not cooling you,ve either got a blockage or the stat is stuck closed...

 

I think it was about a

[Guest darran]

thanks Ian,

 

i wondered if it was the stat as well. however, i have just got it back from the dealer who says the problem is with the gauge itself. the engine is running at normal temperature and the fan is cutting in when it should, but the needle on the gauge is showing too high.

 

this means a new gauge, which means a new instrument binnacle....

[Guest SA Intruder]

I'll investigate a little further into this...may have a way of sorting.

 

Are you comfortable removing the clocks if necessary?

[Guest Ian Hampton]

Hello,

 

If ford can guarantee you're not overheating, I wouldn't worry too much about spending a lot of money on getting the gauge to read correctly, I think you'll find that most of us have notoriously inaccurate temp gauges...

(although most of us never appear to get to temperature, not over heating)

I had the sender replaced , the 'stat and numerous diagnostics, and the gauge reads exactly the same after all of it, so I live with the gauge telling me that I'm not even upto the N in Normal....

 

If you don't trust ford, and you're up for a bit of work you couldd take out the 'stat and heat it in a large pan of water whilst measuring the temp with a thermometer, we often have to do that at work with large diesel engines to prove they operate at the correct temp.

 

As for the fans, There does not appear to be any logic to their operation, mine sometimes run almost continuously, and sometimes not.

Independant of the weather, also they often run on after the vehicle is stopped for quite some time ???????

 

In any case you can usually tell if you are really overheating by the fact that you will lift the safety valve and lose coolant, you will know if this happens by the characteristic smell.

 

cheers,

 

Ian :o