thermostat????

[prometheus]

Just bought a 1991 Exp. and have a question. The temp gauge never warms up. It will almost get to the n in normal but never any further. Also it seems like the heater doesnt work as well as Id like but Ive only had this thing a couple of days so Im not sure how it would normally act. The radiator is full and is not boiling over so I dont think its overheating. So is this a problem with the thermostat and can I drive it for a few days till I fix it?

Thanks

 

[Perry]

First of all, welcome to the board. Hope you enjoy looking around since there is a lot of good info here.
I just changed out my thermostat this weekend and the wife said it is working a LOT better. Figure for the $6.?? it cost me for the part it was worth doing.
As for driving it before you fix it, that shouldn't hurt anything as far as I know. You just won't be getting the engine as hot as it should.
Good luck.

 

[sink]

Change the thermostat. I learned this. If you start noticing a drop in heat ability and notice the temp gage not coming up as it used to, it the thermostat. Played out true for me three times in the last 10 years. Also, don't bother lookin at the old one. People say you can see light and stuff through a stuck one, but I've had two bad ones look perfectly good. Be sure to use RTV when you put it back in. I skipped that once, assuming the gasket would work, and was in it again the next day to stop the leak. You can drive it as long as you want like that, it'll only run cool and loose mileage- but I'd be missing the heat inside.

 

[JoeC5]

I just replaced mine also, but now I am having a problem. With the new 195 degree t-stat, the needle usually stays below N in Normal. Whats goin on. Did i get a bad t-stat or is a sensor bad.

 

[Perry]

I think it is O.K. mine doesn't go above the "N" in normal either. I figure as long as your getting heat you are doing fine. I know the newer motors run a lot cooler then the old ones.

 

[JoeC5]

But wont this affect the gas mileage? I mean such a low reading. Thats what I was told. Cant it just be a good little needle and just stay in the middle.

[Edited by JoeC5 on 02-13-2001 at 05:37 PM]

 

[Perry]

If you can, warm your truck up and then check the temp of the water somehow. That should tell you what your temp. is.

 

[Triton46]

Joe,

You also have two temp sending units on the engine. One for the guage the other is for the EEC, you might want to change the guage one (only $3) and see if that fixes it.

 

[jimbo74]

what would be the best temp guage rating in degrees for a lot of city drivng or freeway driving for not more than 1 hour at a time

 

[prometheus]

Where is the temp sending unit on the engine that your refering to. Im going to change out the tstat and might as well change that also.
Thanks

 

[JoeC5]

Thanks Triton, but just one more question. On which side would be the one for the guage. Driver side or passenger side and those sensors are located just above the t-stat housing? I mentioned this before in a previous post but i guess it died down. Before I changed my t-stat it usually stayed in the middle i went up pretty high, to the L sometimes even past, thats why i changed it out. I just find it odd that the new one reads so low. I hope we can solve this. Like you say maybe it could just be a $3 problem

[Edited by JoeC5 on 02-13-2001 at 09:57 PM]

 

[Triton46]

I beleive it is the driver side. There are two, just above the thermostat housing. One is smaller than the other, the smaller one is for the temp guage and the other is for the EEC.