Speaking of temp. guages...

[DavidT]

Mine had been staying around the "L"... maybe flirting with the "A" while driving. Now it is below the "L" an 1/8 inch or so. Why would the engine be running cooler? Is this a problem?
Thanks,

 

[TopSHO92]

It sounds like it's your thermostat... when they go bad the engine will run cooler all the time, and never warm up sufficiently. Mine did this a couple years ago...

 

[93SHOCOOL]

Does your car have heat? If it doesnt have the heat it used to or if it takes a while fo you to have heat then it is probably your T-stat. The majority of the time when this happens it is your T-stat.

 

[MikeTD]

How hard is it to change the thermostat? I already have the part and I've been wondering whether or not to do this myself or just pay someone else.

 

[DavidT]

When the thermostat goes, I thought the engine "overheats" not "underheats"...

 

[93SHOCOOL]

If the T-stat is bad it could be stuck open therefore not letting the engine heat up and never reach it's normal operating temperature. Or it could never open and not permit coolant to enter the block to cool the engine therefore it would overheat. But in your case dkautumna it sounds like you have a T-stat that is stuck open, which is just as bad as one that wont open.

MikeTD the T-stat isnt that hard to do at all. It shouldnt take more than an hour or so.

 

[Darkside]

Replacing the thermostat is very easy, shouldn't take more than 20 minutes. I think its more common for the stat to stick open rather than not open. I've replaced all three of mine this past winter. Two were stuck open and the third had a bad seal.

Pay the extra couple of bucks and get a Motorcraft stat. Jiggle valve up!