Temp gauge fluctuaction

For a very long time now my TC has always ran cold I mean barely above the cold line. I have stock fans/radiator but im missing the front air dam. Normally thanks to our cold winter this year I've never see that gauge move past that first line. Now for the past few days ive been noticing it hitting the mid mark sometimes even 3/4 of the way up to HOT. I know that some guys TCs do this often and its not a big issue but I find it odd that now all of a sudden this starts happening in the winter. Is there anything I can check? It seems to get hotter while im driving on the highway and when I come to a stock it cools off. If it was like this since day one I wouldn't really pay it too much attention.

Ian,
The air dam is crucial at highway speeds, since, it's what creates a low pressure area behind the radiator so that air is drawn through the radiator. The fans don't run at highway speeds (stock. Just because your temp gauge reads low doesn't mean the engine is that cool. As Jeff mentioned in your other post, the IVR may be whacked out (large fluctuation in the 3 gauges, at the same time, are a sure sign of erratic (defective) IVR. Get the air dam fixed, even if you have to make one. I think Vinnie has made his own.

The temp gauge can also be stable but inaccurate And can the temp sensor can be bad. I've had cars where the temp gauge never got past the barely warm mark. If it had ever hit the mid range the engine would have melted! I've had others that where it actually ran in the middle of the gauge and I have seen others TCs where the gauge ran hot, even in the red, that the engine was not overheated. Sometimes a new sending unit will make a difference and sometimes it is the gauge itself.

Ian,
The air dam is crucial at highway speeds, since, it's what creates a low pressure area behind the radiator so that air is drawn through the radiator. The fans don't run at highway speeds (stock. Just because your temp gauge reads low doesn't mean the engine is that cool. As Jeff mentioned in your other post, the IVR may be whacked out (large fluctuation in the 3 gauges, at the same time, are a sure sign of erratic (defective) IVR. Get the air dam fixed, even if you have to make one. I think Vinnie has made his own.

The temp gauge can also be stable but inaccurate And can the temp sensor can be bad. I've had cars where the temp gauge never got past the barely warm mark. If it had ever hit the mid range the engine would have melted! I've had others that where it actually ran in the middle of the gauge and I have seen others TCs where the gauge ran hot, even in the red, that the engine was not overheated. Sometimes a new sending unit will make a difference and sometimes it is the gauge itself.

I was trying to find a motorcraft temp gauge sending unit so far I couldnt find anything...everything was a ECT sensor instead.

Its funny because on my way home it was fine reading in the middle lol..its it my car running normal or the gauge acting normal lol.

Im gonna look into a air damn i know some people have ran a Mach 1 chin spoiler but at this point im aggravated I dont care what it looks like as long as it works.

Ive got a diagram of how my Solid State is rigged and im gonna check out the voltages on it tomorrow along with my fuel gauge sender wires.

Sound to me like the Thermostat is stuck or sticking.
When I was young I thought taking the Thermostat out would make my car run cooler, I was wrong. The reason it cools off at stops is because the water pump is idled down/pumping less water/Fans cooling the radiator. When your driving its pumping water the whole time and doesn't allow time to cool the radiator fluid.
I used to put my Mustang in neutral going down the highway to cool the radiator then shift back to drive. The temp would far immediately. Try that on the highway and see if you gauge falls. Get up to 65mph then coast till you slow traffic behind you (HaHa) before raising the rpms back to normal.

Sound to me like the Thermostat is stuck or sticking.
When I was young I thought taking the Thermostat out would make my car run cooler, I was wrong. The reason it cools off at stops is because the water pump is idled down/pumping less water/Fans cooling the radiator. When your driving its pumping water the whole time and doesn't allow time to cool the radiator fluid.
I used to put my Mustang in neutral going down the highway to cool the radiator then shift back to drive. The temp would far immediately. Try that on the highway and see if you gauge falls. Get up to 65mph then coast till you slow traffic behind you (HaHa) before raising the rpms back to normal.

That sounds kinda whats like is going on and to be honest a thermostat is what like 6 bucks. I have a new lower radiator hose coming because mine is on the verge of popping from rubbing on the sway bar. I also want to find a new temp gauge sending unit which nobody carries. I can do it all once that way. I foudn one for a generic 2.3 mustang from late model resto but IDK if its the same thing thats on our birds...?

http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/item...nding-Unit

I recommend Good Years lower radiator hose. I just bought one. Its nice a solid. Plus its American Made.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/gtr-61...OgodWkYAOA

DO NOT BUY A DAYCO !! Its thin and flimsy. It will fold in half from it own weight just holding it at one end.

I recommend Good Years lower radiator hose. I just bought one. Its nice a solid. Plus its American Made.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/gtr-61...OgodWkYAOA

DO NOT BUY A DAYCO !! Its thin and flimsy. It will fold in half from it own weight just holding it at one end.

Dammit I already bought a Gates from rockauto I thought they were decent..ill see how flimsy it is..worst case ill return it and get the Good Year

Actually they are good too.
On the other hand, I was going to get Gates but when 2 different parts stores showed me the hose it was not the correct shape.
The computer image didn't match with the actual hose.
The sticker on the hose had the same part number just wrong hose all together. Plus, I just thought they were a little pricey.
I'm very pleased with the Goodyear.

+1 sounds like a sticking thermostat.

you should be able to tell if it's *actually* running hot versus the gauge inaccurately reading
by feeling the heat from the heater,
or the engine (e.g upper rad hose) after you stop.

it should be quite obvious if yur actually running 3/4 hot.

So I ordered a thermostat along with a few other cooling items. I'm also researching the whole chin spoiler thing. I'm a bit confused on the whole chin spoiler and air dam thing. Seems like people are running Mach 1 chin spoilers on our cars and it's being said it will act like a air dam and will push air to the radiator. But all the pictures I've seen of one mounted it looks like it completely covers the air flow area.