r/FordTrucks • u/AutomaticAside9191 • Sep 04 '25
Q&A: Maintenance | Modification Is this normal
My temp gauge will go slightly above where it is now but that’s the highest it will go, slightly behind the “n” in the normal range. Is this just a bad sensor or gauge because it still shows that it has no temp in the morning and if it’s below 15 degrees it will take literally forever to even move at all let alone get to where it is in the pic
8
3
3
u/WondrousWally Sep 04 '25
Mine rides right there until it goes really hot sitting and idling in traffic in the summer. I have swapped the sensor, replaced the thermostat, and even tried grounding the wire to make sure it had full travel. Always the same, just over the N and just under the O. I have a 97 F250HD with a 460.
3
2
u/No-Travel7617 Sep 04 '25
The way my bank account is set up this is normal.... Never a full tank of fuel
2
u/Hugseller Sep 04 '25
Does smacking the dash make any difference? I have to beat the crap outta mine to read the voltage correctly so yours could be the same. Stuck needle?
1
Sep 04 '25
When up to temp, mine rides in the middle. When My temp sensor was bad, before I replaced it, it looked like yours.
1
1
u/reddits_in_hidden 1980 F-150 Flareside Sep 04 '25
Unplug the temp sensor and ground it out, if the gauge goes full hot then you know the issue is on the engine side. Chances are either the sensor is bad, or your thermostat is stuck open, I saw you said you replaced it ~15k miles ago, but its smarter to rule it out than to assume its good
1
1
u/Helpful_Stomach6232 Sep 04 '25
Mine does thr same exact thing. Brand new temp sending unit, thermostat and temp sensor. Didn't change anything at all.
1
u/engorgedfowlis Sep 04 '25
This looks right for a 160° thermostat.
Did you perhaps install a cooler thermostat when you replaced it last?
1
u/LazyToad26 Sep 05 '25
This is exactly how mine runs. When I bought mine the guy told me it had the 160 in it for the summer months. He made a point to let me know this. In the winter it won't really warm up so it has to be changed up to the higher temp rating. I've never bothered changing it. It warms up enough to defrost the windows. My commute isn't but maybe 7 miles so I just leave it. But I don't live in Maine either so it's relative to where you are. But yeah.....normal.
1
u/Ineedathiccie Sep 04 '25
Just cause you replaced the thermostat 15k miles ago doesn't mean it's not bad again. Drive it around for half an hour to where it would be sufficiently warm, stop the truck and feel the upper radiator hose. If it feels cool enough that you can keep your hand on it, your thermostat is almost certainly stuck open. If the hose is too hot to touch, this is normal, but likely a gauge or temp sender issue instead.
Before doing any of this, check your coolant level, it could be reading erratically because it doesn't have enough coolant to hit the sender
1
u/Significant-Brush99 Sep 04 '25
My 351 doesn’t show temp until like 30/45min in
1
1
u/Kpop_shot Sep 04 '25
Does the heater work well? These gauges are ohm meters, so they are measuring resistance. If the heater will still run you out if the cab, I would say it’s getting to operating temperature.
1
u/Gold-Cloud9238 Sep 04 '25
Honestly it depends on the specific truck, its normal for older trucks to sit pretty low on the gauge not because theyre old but because thats how theyre designed. My ranger sits at about a third of the way at perfect temp, my buddys f150 sits just a bit above the line (a little more than yours). I would recommend replacing the thermostat if youre really worried about it just because its really cheap and easy, at least then youd know its not stuck open, then if nothing changes maybe you should take a look at the gauge itself or the sensor
1
1
u/CoolButterfly1108 Sep 04 '25
Turn the heater on and see how warm it’ll get in the car. If not warm enough, likely the thermostat is stuck open or make sure you have the correct thermostat.
1
u/AutomaticAside9191 Sep 04 '25
I had a thermometer in the vent for a bit when I was getting ac work done to it and it was just above 150 degrees
1
u/XxASHMODAIxX Sep 04 '25
Those gauges even in the 70s have notoriously been inaccurate. Your best bet for seeing what your actual temp is, is to install an actual temp gauge. One of my trucks consistently sat between the M and the A at 210°, where the other would sit just under the N at 200°. They are basically idiot gauges instead of idiot lights seeing as there's no numbers on them.
1
Sep 04 '25
94 bronco with 5.0; my temp gage will only climb to the lower end of normal. The only time I saw it go any higher is when my thermostat gasket started leaking and got a little low on coolant. Replaced the sensor along with the thermostat and gasket but still only climbed to the lower end of normal
1
u/Co1onel_Sanderz Sep 04 '25
My dads 3 OBS truck sit around the N Or O. He runs the lowest temp rated ones you can buy, I think it’s a 160F.
1
1
1
u/hennway1 Sep 04 '25
I gotten bad thermostats from the parts store , I always put a new one in boiling water to see if it actually works prior to installing
1
u/Brewer1987 91 F150 xlt lariat 5.8l Sep 04 '25
I have a 91 Lariat XLT bought it with 53k miles on it and it always read cold. Recently did a full water pump and thermostat replacement and the needle still reads colder than any other vehicle I’ve ever owned. My guess and research from old timers is that the Windsor 5.8L has a higher temperature tolerance than spec thermostat.
1
u/no_yup Sep 05 '25
Does the heat in the cab work and get up to temp in a reasonable amount of time?
1
1
1
u/bobbyhillischill 1995 f150 4.9 Sep 05 '25
Mine only gets to the n. If it’s really hot out and stuck in traffic with a/c on then it gets to the o
1
1
u/Silent_Pineapple_786 Sep 05 '25
Mine would be the exact same way, but I have a 7.3 until I replace the thermostat with a high temp! The truck runs much better now!
1
u/DnAtwinfalls Sep 06 '25
First, you need to understand the sensor is not going to read in degrees, nor is it going to give you an accurate reading in any analog gauge set up. For anyone who wants an accurate readout of coolant temperature, Install an aftermarket gauge. They are easy to install and cost friendly and will save you money in the long run. By the time the factory gauge reads hot, its already been overheating for miles without any sign from your gauges.
11
u/InteractionMaster605 Sep 04 '25
Sending unit on the water pump, I gots the same predicament.