Ford Focus - temperature gauge issue

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Mon 25 Jun 2012 21:47
Ford Focus - temperature gauge issue - Bexter

Hi

I have a Ford Focus 1.6 2001 which has been causing me many problems recently. Just a bit of background to start - the car overheated and cut out a few times, was pressure tested and we discovered the head gasket needed replacing. This work was carried out approx 1 month ago, the garage also replaced the temp sensor and thermostat at the same time. Since then the temperature gauge has been going into the red whenever the car is under any strain, even the slightest incline and it shoots up, and only by taking my foot off the pedal and slowing right down brings it back down again.

I took it back to garage, they seemed to think the temperature sensor they had fitted was faulty so they replaced it with another. I test drove it over the weekend and it is still happening, no change at all, They did also mention that it could well be the thermostat (which was also replaced when the work was carried out) so i presume this will be the next step - but i am just a bit baffled as to why this is still happening, Seems odd that after all this work has been done the problem is still there, and it hasnt been cheap either!

Any ideas on what could be going on here, as i am a novice with limited understanding of this and want a bit of knowledge when i go back to the garage, again.

Also to add that since the head gasket work, the exhaust has been blowing and they have told me that part of it needs replacing (down pipe from the manifold i believe) at a cost of £200 - the exhaust was fine before so this is bugging me as well!

Thanks for reading

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Mon 25 Jun 2012 22:54
Ford Focus - temperature gauge issue - Peter.N.

Assuming you are not loosing water now the thermostat is the most likely culpret although some engines suffer with water pump failure, don't know if yours does, if the heater is still blowing plenty of hot air when the temperature reads high the pump should be OK. The only other likely cause would be a clogged radiator.

The damage to the exhaust could have been caused when the head was removed as it has to be disconnected, although to be fair if it was rusty it may have fallen apart when they were moving it., replacement cost sounds a bit much though, try an exhaust centre.

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Mon 25 Jun 2012 23:56
Ford Focus - temperature gauge issue - unthrottled

I think if the pump had gone, it would overheat in 5 minutes. I agree with Peter, check the heater blows hot (not warm) when the engine is hot. If it doesn't, it probably needs bleeding properly.

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Tue 26 Jun 2012 17:52
Ford Focus - temperature gauge issue - Looney Tunes

The radiator is the most likely cause, get it checked, if it’s ok then it sounds to me as though one of the hoses is perished which would again account for the problems you are having. If the radiator is ok ask the garage to check and /or replace the top and bottom hoses from the radiator. Did you have the head bolts re-torqued after 1,000 miles? They should have told you this, get it checked. As a last resort try getting the gauge tested, it’s unusual, but it can go wrong. I doubt the thermostat is faulty; it would overheat all the time if this was so.

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