Engine Temp Light

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Allrighty then here we go.

Today i got my new vac pump and put it on. took about 40 min. my brakes are safe now, but i think i need to bleed the system some more or adjust the rear brakes up.

Now on to the more important matter.
On my way home from returning the power steering puller to car quest, i turned onto the road before my street and the engine temp light came on. The engine was and is running just fine. i know the factory gauges are crap but mine has never gone above the n on normal. the light came on, then went out, then came back and now stays on.

I have never gotten heat out of my truck. lets just assume right now that every thing with the heating system works. would no heat be caused by a stuck open t-stat or a stuck closed t-sat. I have never had any problem with the the engine temp light before. Also ever since i got the truck the radiator will get really hot even if you go for a couple mile drive. it would get hot enough where if you touch it for more than 5 sec you will burn yourself.

My dad and i had planned on flushing the cooling system but now that he works 12 hr days, it is hard for him to do anything other than work, eat, and sleep. i am sure some of you have worked 12hr days before. now that i have a job on saturdays, which BTW is in two days, i need the truck for work. next monday i wil be starting school and will need the truck everyday.

Would you guys say that flushing the coolant, getting a new h20 pump, and a new t-stat would fix my problem? Tomorrow once it is cooled off i will check the coolant level and color. i will also check oil level and color.

Sorry for the long post but it just ****** me off. i get one thing done in a resonable amount of time and actually manage to not waste my money and then right away another thing pops up.

Thanks in advance.

 

[IDIDieselJohn]

You really do need a real gauge....especially since you'll be using the truck everyday soon.


That light could of lite up do a bad ground, or maybe it's serious, hard to tell.

Coolant flush, water pump, and fresh thermostat can never hurt!

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

i am going to go to the ford dealer tomorow and get a new t-stat.

 

[TWeatherford]

Yep, do make sure you get a thermostat from the Ford dealership... apparently the aftermarket ones aren't worth anything for thermostats. It'd be a good idea to have a little coolant to replace the small amount you'll spill.

If the light is not on after its sat for a while and only comes on after running a while you can pretty much rule out that its not working properly. I have had the light on in my truck once and it was NOT fun, the thermostat was stuck shut after it sat for a month or so. I've been told that this light doesn't turn on until you're on the edge or actually in the danger zone, but mine has been fine for about 10,000 miles since then and everything is still in tact, though my light was on for about 10 seconds total.

 

[gatorman21218]

My factory overheat sensor is on a shelf in my basement. In its place is a temp probe for a S-W coolant temp gauge. Temperature is recorded in numbers, not red lights or letters of the alphabet.

 

[OLDBULL8]

Even a cheap temp gage will tell you if the idiot lites are telling the truth. Stick one in it at the rear pipe plug on the drivers side head. As long as your changing the t'stat.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Even a cheap temp gage will tell you if the idiot lites are telling the truth. Stick one in it at the rear pipe plug on the drivers side head. As long as your changing the t'stat.

Where can i get one? Is it hard to put in?


This morning i checked my coolant level and color. the color is good and it is right up to the top of the radiator.
Oil color was nice and black. the level was a little under half way down on the cross hatch area. The engine has not run since last nite. Should the oil be checked when it is cold or warm. i know i use some only mainly b/c some phucking retard put te wrong oil plug in the pan. it leaks some oil. i tried puting the right plug in but the threds are screwed up.

 

[hesutton]

Before you go and buy/replace a bunch of stuff, I'd make sure I knew what the coolant temp was 1st! A real temp gauge would be my 1st purchase. The light comes on at 240 IIRC. Like stated above, if there is a fauglty wire to the sender, and the real temp is not 240+, then you're good. No way to know without a real temp reading on the engine.

The driver's side head and the passenger's side head have a pipe plug in the rear. Either would be a good place to put a sender. But, without a pipe plug socket, the driver's side will be all but impossible to remove as the exhaust manifold prevents the use of a standard wrench.

Heath

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Would car quest have a cheap reliable temp sender and everything needed to properly monitor my temps?

 

[hesutton]

Would car quest have a cheap reliable temp sender and everything needed to properly monitor my temps?

It may be an "off" brand, but that would be better than nothing. The gauge should have the proper sender, but wiring will not be included. You'll have to run a wire from the sender to the gauge, power and ground to the gauge as well.

Heath

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

It may be an "off" brand, but that would be better than nothing. The gauge should have the proper sender, but wiring will not be included. You'll have to run a wire from the sender to the gauge, power and ground to the gauge as well.

Heath

Electircal is not my thing. so i am gonna need some help.

 

[MidnightBlade]

Advance Auto carries Sunpro, they are a decent gauge. Only complaint I have with Auto-Meter is that all you're paying more for is the name.

I personally would go with a Mechanical gauge, just less to go wrong with them. Why shove more complicated electronics into a stupid simple truck?

 

[gunz]

I dont trust the electric aftermerket gauges, Get the one with the temp probe on the copper tube and you will know what your temp is. I had an oil pressure issue with an old chevy 350. I bought a direct reading gauge for monitoring temporarily. Just ran it up thru the hood gap and zip tied it to the cowl so i caould see it thru the windshield. next time my oil pressure light dropped on the factory gauge I verified i had good pressure. I replaced the factory oil pressure sending unit and removed the direct gauge. It was really a poor install but it worked out for what I needed to troubleshoot. If you do get a direct reading gauge it will be way more accurate than an electrical light or electrical sending unit.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

are there any gauges that include the wiring or no?

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

I dont trust the electric aftermerket gauges, Get the one with the temp probe on the copper tube and you will know what your temp is. I had an oil pressure issue with an old chevy 350. I bought a direct reading gauge for monitoring temporarily. Just ran it up thru the hood gap and zip tied it to the cowl so i caould see it thru the windshield. next time my oil pressure light dropped on the factory gauge I verified i had good pressure. I replaced the factory oil pressure sending unit and removed the direct gauge. It was really a poor install but it worked out for what I needed to troubleshoot. If you do get a direct reading gauge it will be way more accurate than an electrical light or electrical sending unit.

What is the difference between direct reading gauges and electric gauges?