Explorer sport 2003-engine stays cold... | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Explorer sport 2003-engine stays cold...

grin80

New Member
Joined
June 28, 2009
Messages
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City, State
Duluth, MN
Year, Model & Trim Level
2003 sport 2dr xlt 4wd
hello,
My explorer is acting up,
The engine heat gage will not go much beyond the C symbol,
City or highway driving or idle, no matter how long the engine will run.
The Radiator says cool to the touch, but the cabin heater will blow hot air.
The hose that comes into the radiator is also cool,

One thing I found was that if the Cabin heater is working, than the engine is even colder, and when I stop the heater, the temp will climb a little bit.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
 






thermostat stuck open is the most likely cause. you say it's an AWD Sport. no such animal. the Sport only came in RWD and 4WD. The Sport only came with one of two V6 engines. which engine do you have? SOHC 4.0L or the OHV 4.0L? if you don't know, what is the 8th character of your VIN (E or X). The SOHC plastic thermostat housing is susceptible to cracking and then leaking when disturbed and is a rather expensive piece of plastic. I believe replacement housing are now available in metal now as a Mustang part.

BTW, i'm assuming your radiator isn't low on coolant. have you checked by removing the radiator cap when the engine is cool?
 






solved

Thank you very much for your reply!
It is a 2003 sport xlt 4wd, I wonder where you found the AWD in my post,

The t-stat was ok, but since it was already open, I decided not to save the 20$ and replace anyway.
I still don't understand how it can prevent the engine from warming up, but after replacing the fan clutch everything started functioning.
If the t-stat is closed because the engine is cold, than how the fan workings too fast or slow can cause it not to warm, unless the t-stat when open is allowing water from the radiator to the engine, backwards from what I thought.
 






Thank you very much for your reply!
It is a 2003 sport xlt 4wd, I wonder where you found the AWD in my post,

The t-stat was ok, but since it was already open, I decided not to save the 20$ and replace anyway.
I still don't understand how it can prevent the engine from warming up, but after replacing the fan clutch everything started functioning.
If the t-stat is closed because the engine is cold, than how the fan workings too fast or slow can cause it not to warm, unless the t-stat when open is allowing water from the radiator to the engine, backwards from what I thought.

sorry, maybe I was mixing up my threads about the AWD Sport... glad you got your problem fixed.
 






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