"Cold" Running Engine At Highway Speeds

[YamahaRick]

Monday, I went on a longer than normal trip (150 miles at 70 MPH on Interstate) for the first time since the weather cooled. Outside temp was about 45 degrees.

My coolant temp meter under normal conditions is about 1/3 up its scale. At highway speeds, it might go down a little. However, on Monday, the needle went down alot, indicating a much cooler than normal operating temp. It was below the "low" end of the white line.

I've had all sorts of "things" happen to my Explorer sinces its wreck last March, and I am trying to determine if this has anything to do with the wreck. The radiator was replaced, but I doubt the themostat was. I had replaced the thermostat maybe a month before the crash, but don't recall anything unusual after its install. Mind you, it was only driven four weeks before the crash. And it was in the shop for almost six months. And this was the first time I've driven it for more than 50 miles in cool weather.

Should I just replace the thermostat and see what happens? Or is there something else I should worry about? One hint to anyone that gets in a semi-serious wreck: go for a good settlement on a wrecked vehicle instead of pursuing a total fix. The "insurance company approved" body shop that fixed mine missed so many things it wasn't even funny. That is why I am so worried that this may be related to the accident that happened over nine months ago.


Thanks in advance.

 

[jimmiecakes]

A motor running too cool will generally be a thermostat problem. Too hot and there are too amny variables to count. Change the thermostat and see what happens.

 

[Mats E]

Cold" Running Engine At Highway Speeds

:exp: Hi, one tip is if the car has started to be less milage per gallon.
If the engine is running cold, the computerbox usally gives more gas beliving the engine is at a coldstart.

And there seems like the thermometer at the dachboard is not rellaly realible.

I got an -94 Explorer, that are really thirsty, has checked almost everything, the thermometer is about 1/4 up ( half of normal) and when i had it to an garage the engineoil (mesured with an external meter), was absolute normal.

Conclusion, do not thrust at the meter, especally if the car has normal milage/gallon.

Regards Mats from Sweden.

 

[MSTNGGUY88]

Yeah check the guage also. Man we just rebuilt the motor in my uncles stang because he said it run hot. We out the fresh motor in and it started toi run hot too according to the guage. Our dam heads were spinning. The guage was bad and he never overheated the motor in the first place. So we rebuilt the motor for nothing. We found out the guage was bad by using a fluke meter and sticking the probe in the radiator and checking the temp right there.