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Coolant Temp Guage Won't Work

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ethan Keirn
  • Start date Start date May 15, 2017
  • Tags Tags
    maintnence temperature gauge

Ethan Keirn

Member
May 11, 2017
57
0
6
Tidewater Virginia
May 15, 2017
#1
  • May 15, 2017
  • #1
So I bought a 1998 GT with about 88,500 miles on it about two months ago, everything was great for the first two weeks or so. I eventually began to notice a slight coolant leak coming from a small crack in the thermostat housing. I understand that it is a common failure point on these cars as the entire intake manifold is made of plastic, but being ignorant to that knowledge at the time I just decided to try to seal it using JB weld. I let it harden over night, and it seemed fine, but on my commute the next morning i guess the pressure built up or something and it basicallly shattered a big hole in the housing spraying coolant everywhere, i pulled over and took it home, luckily i wasnt very far and was able to get it home without overheating. I went to the junkyard and got a replacement manifold with the aluminum housing off of a crown vic, everything fit pretty well, didnt have to really move anything around but when i got everything back together i noticed the coolant temp guage wouldnt work, it stays below the cold mark all the time. The car seems to run well, i havent had any issues with it, no check engine lights or anything and before anyone asks i did put the thermostat back in and i replaced one of the coolant temp sensors, what could be the problem here???
 

wmburns

SN Certified Technician
Aug 14, 2009
5,892
514
204
Houston Texas
May 15, 2017
#2
  • May 15, 2017
  • #2
Well.........

The 1996-1998 Mustang uses two coolant temperature sensors. One for the PCM and one for the dash. The signal of the two sensors are NOT compatible to each other. Are you sure the correct sensor for the application has been used?

What model year did the donor Crown Vic intake come from?

Do you have an ODB2 scanner? It would be handy to know what the PCM "thinks" the coolant temperature is.

Do you have a scanning infrared thermometer? Point it at the T-stat housing and compare the reading to the PCM reading?

Are you positive the T-stat was installed in the correct direction?
 

Ethan Keirn

Member
May 11, 2017
57
0
6
Tidewater Virginia
May 15, 2017
#3
  • May 15, 2017
  • #3
Yaknow what the guy at autozone may have given me the wrong temp sensor i assumed they worked the same way thans for the help, i feel like that would be the most logical explanation
 
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