Escort Temp Gauge

[Dave1]

Hi, i have a 1994 k ford escort estate 1.4i, CVH CFI. I recently bought the car, and i am not happy with the temp gauge, as i never moves out of the white. Today i fitted a new thermostat and a new sender, the car is now lovely and warm, but still the gauge is not moving out of the white. can someone please help?

[rivolette]

The gauge itself maybe faulty. Does it move at all? or does it just sit there?

[Dave1]

hi, many thanks for your answer......yes the gauge does move but only in the white. If i disconnect the plug on the sender, the gauge is inop.

[larsen_huw]

Couple of things.

1. It's a Ford (i know old Ford's well). At least 1 gauge is lieing to you at all times. The trick is working out which one! :)

2. It's a CVH ... hideous bestie of an engine.

3. On a more serious note ... check you've got the right thermostat. Ford make several, all with different activation temp's ... all look the same, and many from one car will fit another car. The one on my mondified Capri never goes out the 'cold' region ... as I've got the thermostat from a 2.8i Capri fitted (only found this out recently). Before doing my engine change, i overheated the 1.6 engine that was in there just to see when 'trouble' started. I now know if my gauge goes over half way, i need to pull over and sort something out.

4. Ford thermostats are only accurate to about 10%. If you take the Capri as an example (cos it's what i know best). The 1.6 & 2.0 thermostat's should switch at 87 degrees, while the 2.8i one should switch at 82 degrees. Now, with Ford's wonderful build quality and and 'lucky dip' parts (you could quite easily have either thermostat depending on what they had lieing round the factory on the day your car was made!) that's a range from 74 degrees to 96 degrees .... one hell of a range.

You know when your engine is warmed up, the gauge is in the 'cold' region ... just take that as normal ... but if the gauge moves signifigantly above 'cold' then stop and see why as you're probably overheating.

[Dave1]

Thanks a lot guys......the thermostat which i fitted yesterday, i bought from auto accessory shop, so i think that the temp region has gone out of the window. Secondly when i drove to work this am (26 miles) the new gauge actually moved, to just below the M, in NORM, when i got to work i checked under the bonnet to see if i had any leaks and everything was fine. Going on what you have said, i will now take it that my normal running temp, is on the M, and anything above that is a warning sign.



Thanks for all your help.

Keep on motoring.

Dave1.