Cooling Questions...

[wheresthebeef]

Hello all!

I have a question about a weird thing that is going on with my SHO ever since the weather has gotten alittle cooler here in Chicago..

Ive noticed when doing continous driving, the temp gauge never shows higher than the "Blue Square"...letting the car idle does really nothing, as the guage just sits around the first line or the "Blue Square"...The only time the car gets to around the "N or M" on the guage is if I get on the car alittle and let it rev in the upper rpm range, but then..after driving for alittle while..the guage will just go back down to the first line and stick around there...

I had no issues with this in the summer/warmer months as the car warmed up as normal (Between the N and M)...it just seems to have this issue when we have colder weather...funny thing about all of this is, the heat works! even tho the guage shows the car isnt fully warmed up yet...

Is it possible I need a new temp sender and thermostat? If so, does anyone know the 2 part #'s from Autozone to purchase them? Would it be safe to use the parts from Autozone or should I look for Ford Dealerships in the area that might carry Motorcraft parts...

Not that running a cooler engine is bad, just worried that the car wasnt designed to run this cool and may cause damage to it in the future...

I also had a weird thing happen to me yesterday...while I was driving..the "Low Coolant" light came on and wouldnt shut off...So when I got home..I checked the coolant level...and everything was fine....What the heck is up with that??? Also while the low coolant light was on my car was running right around the first line on the temp guage..so if my car was low on coolant...wouldnt it run even hotter??? Weird!

Thanks for any suggestions,

Joel
'94 ATX

 

[Sho-N-Go]

I would put a t-stat in it first. fill the overflow bottle up and check everything again. The heat will still work even if the t-stat isnt working correctly

 

[projectSHO89]

The "LOW COOLANT" light does not indicate the level of coolant in the radiator. It, instead, measures the level in the overflow bottle.

The sensor tends to build up crud and quits working. Remove the sensor from the tank and clean it very thoroughly. This will likely fix your indication. Be sure to check the radiator level when cool, also make sure that there is an adequate amount of coolant in the overflow itself.

Your indication problem is likely either the sender or the thermostat. I used an AutoZone thermostat and a sender from NAPA. Total cost around 11 bucks. If you stay with Mototcraft branded parts, you local dealership will charge between 30 and 35 bucks for these two parts. Use whatever makes you happy.

Running a cooler engine (than normal) can be bad. Lower operating temp cause the engine to run rich, causing damage to the cats, and causing excessive fuel in the oil due to cylinder wall washing.

Steve

 

[wheresthebeef]

Hey thanks for the quick responses...

I will be changing out the thermostat and the temp sender this week...

Do you know the part number for the temp sender you purchased from NAPA? It would probably be easier for me to give the guy at the counter the part # then try to explain it to him...

Thanks again!

Joel
'94 SHO ATX

 

[sdpatt]

A thermostat that is not fully closing is the cause of the inability of the engine to maintain normal operating temperature. The SHO engine is thermally very efficient and the small amount of bypass flow through the slight opening in the thermostat provides enough flow through the radiator to allow enough of a heat sink to never let the engine reach normal operating temperature as long is there is any air flow through the radiator.

Your 3.2L engine requires the use of the 190F degree thermostat for proper system operation. I recommend the Motorcraft E9DZ-8575-B (RT-1112) from FordPartsNetwork.com for $19.99 or FordPartsOnline.com for $17.77 or CarParts.com for $16.74. Make sure you install the new thermostat with the rubber seal around it as that is the only seal required.

Your temperature sender should be fine and could last the life of your car. Mine has.

And as mentioned before, the LOW COOLANT light has a sensor in the overflow bottle. This bottle is an active part of the cooling system and the level in the bottle will increase as the engine heats up and pushes the fluid into the expansion bottle. As the radiator fan turns on or the engine cools after being shut off, the coolant will be drawn back into the radiator. The sensor is part of the cap and you can remove it an inspect the lower tip for the buildup of deposits on the electrodes. Just remove the crud from the metal tabs at the bottom of the sensor. The light will reset only after the ignition key has been truned off. If this does not correct the erroneous light, you may need a new sensor.

 

[wheresthebeef]

Thanks SDpatt,

Motorcraft Thermostat is on its way, courtesy of carparts.com

Thanks again for everyones suggestions!!

Joel
'94 SHO ATX