thermostat stuck?

[justinf89]

I've heard some bad stories about the thermostat on these explorers and I was wondering if I need to check if mine is stuck open? The housing is not leaking or anything but the motor seems to be running a little cool on the gauge(more than normal) and its 100 outside.

 

[safn1949]

Replace it if it worries you,it's probably time anyway and fairly cheap.How long since a coolant flush while we are here.Condition of hoses? Not picking on you but most people don't look at that stuff until they have a problem that potentially could be expensive,

 

[gtyates]

These thermostats are known for sticking open. It is possible though that the sending unit for the gauge is not reading correct either. The gauge in my '96 always reads low, even after replacing the sending unit. When my thermostat got stuck open I knew it because I was no longer getting any heat in the cabin and the gauge totally stopped moving off of cold. Has your gas mileage dropped lately? Gas mileage will drop if it is running too cold.

 

[BK_89iX]

I noticed the EXACT same thing with my temp gauge, and I also suspected a possible stuck t-stat. After several years of owning the new part, I finally got around to changing the t-stat last weekend. The old one looked fine, and the new one (identical replacement from Ford) did not change the gauge needle location, which sits about where yours is showing - maybe a big higher. HTH.

BK

 

[chapsdeva]

When my stat went bad, the gauge was reading much cooler than yours is (Barely got above the "C"). After replacing my stat the temp gauge went to about where yours is. My guess is your stat is fine, but they are cheap and easy to replace. If the stat is old, replacing it is cheap insurance against a future problem.

 

[schabot]

I just replaced mine for the exact same thing. Mine was stuck wide open. As a result the temp gauge never got anywhere close to where your is showing. I had basically no heat at all, or luke warm at best. By the looks of the gauge, it seems normal. I'm not a mechanic (I leave that to my brother who is a Senior Master certified Ford tech!), but for a simple thing like this, it looks OK.