Temperature stuck at cold

I have a 1995 Ford Explorer 4x4. For a while now my temperature gauge barely rises above "Cold". Other than that car seems to act fine. Is this a problem? If so, what would I be damaging if I don't get it fixed?

Reply to
wdbillingslea
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same problem. Its pretty common as an indication of a stuck thermostat. Costs about $180 if a dealer fixes it.

Reply to
davidgmg

Thanks .... Is this something easy for me to fix?

Reply to
wdbillingslea

Is it possible you need a new thermostat? It would cause your engine to run cold.

Reply to
John Riggs

Yeah, it's pretty easy. Probably take you 15- 20 minute is all.

Reply to
John Riggs

Wow, I'm glad I do my own maintenance, when possible. Took me about two hours to do this, including dropping one of the bolts onto the front axle, and spending 15 minutes trying to find it. Leisurely pace, including draining all the radiator fluid which isn't really necessary at all.

$5 part, and $175 labour eh?

Paul

Reply to
Paul Scrutton

.... not including the time to ensure that all the air is purged from the cooling system. This will require enough time to ensure that the thermostat is open and the heater is blowing hot air (signifying no air plug).

No job is complete untils it's complete. While some may change their own thermostat and not count the time taken to ensure the job is right..... others may change the thermostat and call it done - leaving themselves to the mercy of the overheat and crack the head gods (or the stuck in rush hour traffic with the helicopter broadcasting your image as being the cause of this particular traffic jam).

Saying that the entire job takes 15 - 20 minutes belittles those that must take the time to ensure that the job is right ... these are the people that catch shit for taking the time or catch shit when the thing cooks...

I see one quote for $180US... I see 15 minutes in the driveway at home (that's one I hear all the time).... the correct answer is somewhere between. The correct answer also includes checking the integrity of the rest of the cooling system - the condition/strength of the coolant - and sundry other items.

Reply to
Jim Warman

Good points Jim. I must say, I spent about 20 mins checking and re-topping up the coolant, and running the heater before I declared it a job well done.

10 minutes double checking I installed the thermostat the correct direction. I'd put myself out of business if I did this for a living.

Paul

Reply to
Paul Scrutton

I've been doing it since I was 16, Jim. It really doesn't take much longer than that, including purging any air caught in the system, but I guess there are those things that happen. What ever happened to the days when boys were taught these things in school?

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Reply to
John Riggs

Does your heater heat up as quickly as it used to? Is the hot air from the heater good and warm? If so, it could just be the guage. I wouldn't worry about it if everything seems to be working good.

Reply to
xxxxxxxx

same problem. Its pretty common as an indication of a stuck thermostat. Costs about $180 if a dealer fixes it.

Reply to
davidgmg

Reply to
Big Shoe

You, working on your own car in your driveway, can afford to do it the quick, easy way. If it goes wrong, you can simply blame yourself, and fix it right. The mechanic can't afford to do that. When the customer comes back with a complaint, it must be fixed, and for free. And if the customer, being totally unaware of the fact that problems don't fix themselves, continues to drive the car until it breaks, guess what? The mechanic has to fix THAT for free, too. This gets expensive,and, if the mechanic works for a shop instead of being self-employed, he may find himself non-employed if this happens too much. So the mechanic (and the shop) will develop procedures for each job that may seem excessive too the shadetree mechanic, but are necessary nonetheless. And they cost more, of necessity.

They still are, in many schools. Not the "prestigious" schools, though, but the ones you don't hear about.

Reply to
Big Bill

I missed the beginning of this, but:

-- if your heater is making heat normally, then it's probably the temperature sensor.

-- if you heater is not making normal heat, then it's probably the thermostat.

....or something. . . . .

Alan Moorman

The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.

Paul Fix

=================================

Reply to
Alan Moorman

Yes, I know....and I have worked as a mechanic in the past as well. What I really like to see people do is spend the $15 on repair manuals for their vehicles. I always have, and the only time I take my vehicles to a shop is when it is more than I am able to do with what I have, experience and/or tool-wise

Reply to
John Riggs

One thing I keep repeating.... it ain't me saying how much it's going to cost. It's the car doing that, I'm just the messenger.

I live a comfortable life.... I'm certainly not rich (in the monetary sense). My retirement fund will have me living handsomely - but only if I pass during the first week of my retirement. I have nice stuff but that's only because I spend the time and effort to turn it into nice stuff. Now.... I can't understand how the guy down the street can expect to make it doing repairs for less..... his ground beef costs the same as my ground beef.... I've never been able to swing a deal on Kraft Dinner.... even the dogs wont eat Spam..... his mil-rate is the same as mine and his utilities cost the same as mine. He may save some change by being part of the underground economy.... this is the same underground economy that helps drive all our taxes up. He may save some money by making you supply your own vaseline (think about that one).... a $200 job is a $200 job, I don't care where you go. The cheap guy is probably rolling the dice on your repair. Good for you if you don't mind repeat failures, being stranded on the side of the road when you can ill afford the time..... Some of these "inconveniences" can be catastrophic if we can't afford them in our routine.

Some of my best paying jobs are the result of DIY efforts but I wont tell anyone not to try. However (and you can check my posting history), I tell folks time and time again that knowledge is power..... unfortunately, a LITTLE knowledge can be dangerous.

Reply to
Jim Warman

Amen! One of the most important things for me to know about cars is where my limits lie. I know enough to do some basic repairs, and that's about it. I'd love to know more, but I have neither the tools nor the luxury of a backup vehicle to allow me to learn to do major work myself.

The way I look at it is that I have a job so that I can afford to pay people who know what they're doing to fix my car. I'll gladly pay for service from a reputable establishment, and I know of a few in my area.

-Kevin

Reply to
Kevin Trojanowski

Yes, all well and good, but if a guy has at least a rudimentary knowledge of automotive mechanics, this is one of the simpler repairs, and if he pays attention to what he's doing, it doesn't have to be a costly repair, but a mere temporary annoyance. If he isn't comfortable doing it, great, pay someone else, but if he is confident in his abilities and conscientious about his work, it is a few bucks and 20 minutes of time to replace. I can't tell you how many I have replaced, and never had so much as single glitch. The worst I ever had was a broken ear on the gooseneck of a '63 ford.....but it was also my first attempt at replacing one, and I had incorrectly torqued the bolts....bought another one at a local salvage yard for a couple of bucks and was done in just a few minutes. It's really not all that complicated. You just have to pay attention to what you are doing. My engines typically last well over 200K miles, so I can't be too far off, but I still recommend a guy buys himself a manual to help guide him through minor repairs like this.

"Kevin Trojanowski" wrote in message news:ZhBAd.16090$ql2.80@okepread04... | Jim Warman wrote: | >

| > Some of my best paying jobs are the result of DIY efforts but I wont tell | > anyone not to try. However (and you can check my posting history), I tell | > folks time and time again that knowledge is power..... unfortunately, a | > LITTLE knowledge can be dangerous. | | Amen! One of the most important things for me to know about cars is | where my limits lie. I know enough to do some basic repairs, and that's | about it. I'd love to know more, but I have neither the tools nor the | luxury of a backup vehicle to allow me to learn to do major work myself. | | The way I look at it is that I have a job so that I can afford to pay | people who know what they're doing to fix my car. I'll gladly pay for | service from a reputable establishment, and I know of a few in my area. | | -Kevin

Reply to
John Riggs

We weren't addressing whether or not someone can (or should) do this in his driveway, but rather the complaint that the dealer or other mechanic charges so much to do the same job. By all means, if the owner feels this is a job he can do himself, I say, let him do it. There's no problem with that, as far as I'm concerned. I don't even do work on my own vehicles any more (physical limitations). But I (and, I think, Jim, if I can speak for him) were only trying to give an idea of why that 15 minute driveway job can turn into a $100+ job in a dealership.

Reply to
Big Bill

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