88 Ford Escort, Temp Guage question

[mdisher]

(No need for jokes about the car itself, it (was) reliable transportation w/AC for the son)

Background...

Son, calls me today and says, dad, my car is over heating, the temp gauge is totally pegged. So I told him to park it and take mom's car.

When I get home, the car has been sitting for a few hours and it's not hot at all, but power/no power that temp gauge is pegged. Somewhat relieved I figure, Oh that's easy, that's a $7 temperature sending unit. So of to the Auto parts store I go.

Get back, wait for things to cool off, and spin that sucker off. Well, I *thought* it was cool enough, but a good amount of anti-freeze get's sprayed, oh, just about everywhere....

Damage done, I wipe everything down, put the new sender in, burp the thing and no change.

Guage still pegged to the Hot side. Even better, I now have a 'check engine light' and the A/C that kept me cool on the way home from the Auto-parts store is non-existent.

WTF? Any suggestions? Maybe it will just dry out?

 

[Netstarrider]

If the temp gage was reading to the hot side, or pegged, it was still working. Sounds like the real problem actually lies in the thermostat which is stuck closed. Best thing to do is to replace it with a new one. As for the check engine light, usually after 50 restarts with no faults, it will reset. As for the a/c not working, might check to make sure no wires were disconnected when working on the temp sending unit. Or the other possibility is that the belt got soaked with antifreeze and is slipping. Good luck.

Dan

 

[Netstarrider]

Something else I did not consider earlier. Did your son just start the car or had it run for at least 10 to 15 minutes? Did it really overheat? If he just started the car and discovered the gage pegged out (assuming it was started cold), then the problem could be electrical. That would also explain the a/c no longer working. Quick check...turn on the ignition, then turn the blower fan on. Does it work? If not, you may have a ground wire that has burned in two and the curcuit now is using the temp gage as a path to ground. Places to check it would be in the harness near the temp control panel. I have had previous experience with this on a 02 Chevy Cav when my sunroof, heater, and dashlights quit working.

Hope this helps.

Dan

 

[mdisher]

If the temp gage was reading to the hot side, or pegged, it was still working. Sounds like the real problem actually lies in the thermostat which is stuck closed. Best thing to do is to replace it with a new one. As for the check engine light, usually after 50 restarts with no faults, it will reset. As for the a/c not working, might check to make sure no wires were disconnected when working on the temp sending unit. Or the other possibility is that the belt got soaked with antifreeze and is slipping. Good luck.
Dan

I think the temp gauge is just broken, it's stuck to the right (way past the point of no return) and it's there, hot/cold, power, no power.

It's clearly not overheating and I don't suspect the thermostat, since it still clearly has heat.

It gets better though... I was explaining to my son what I replaced and that I couldn't't believe I broke his ac just by swapping out this sending unit. Then I started it up, unplugged the unit, and plugged into the old one, and I'll be damned the AC came back on.

So we put the old unit back in, and we're back where we started with a jacked up gauge and now a check engine light. But I'll call that a success for now.

 

[mdisher]

Looks like we posted simultaneously.

Yeah, it's definitely electrical... or just a busted ass gauge at this point. It's pegged, no power, with power, cold or warm.

The car is definitely NOT over heating, wife and I just took it to dinner and back.

So I'm back where I started with busted gauge and now a check engine light. Maybe that will go away....

 

[Netstarrider]

Only other thing I can think of is to unscrew the radiator cap, pull car out of way and drive in another car. Screw cap back on other car. :lol: I'm sure your son would love that one.

 

[S76]

I think the first clue was that the gauge was pinned with the key off. That probably indicates a bad gauge. I don't know the procedure to clear codes on your car but you could try disconnecting the battery cable for a few minutes, that may work. Obviously the replacement sending unit did not work and that may have latched a code. Sounds like you need a gauge.