95 Gt 5.0 Running Hot

Ehroof

New Member
Jun 27, 2016
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Hi everyone, new here and having a problem with my daughters gt. Its running hot, to the L of normal on the gauge. It will run at the O of normal for about 20 minutes and slowly rise. Doesnt matter if the ac is on or not. We have only had the care for about a little over a month. So far we have changed the thermostat, radiator, water pump and the mechanic said he changed the fan relay. I did notice that the gauge will go up when you first start it, to about half way then drop to the O. The fan does come on, I am pretty sure I heard it go to a higher speed also. Hoping to get some input.

BTW, happy she got a mustang, I had a 93 5.0 right off the showroom floor, loved it but it was stolen.

So far we have just done some flowmasters, ford racing wires, new plugs and a msd cap and rotor. want to do the cold air intake, msd coil and a few other things but want to get this taken care of first.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Eddie
 
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What you're describing obviously isn't normal operation. Are you sure that the engine is overheating? The 5.0's have TWO temperature sensors: one for the computer and one for the gauge in the dash. If the one for the dash (the CTS, or Coolant Temperature Sender) is bad, you won't get a good reading. If the one for the computer (the ECT, or Engine Coolant Temperature sensor) is bad, the computer won't be able to monitor the temperature and will never turn on the fan.

You can test the ECT if you have or can borrow an OBDI code reader that can read PIDs (live sensor readings). One of those PIDs is the readout from the ECT; if the value is always 0 or bounces around to random values, it's bad and needs to be replaced.

The part where your temperature rises when you first start the car, then drops is a normal thing - it's a sign that the engine has warmed up and the thermostat has opened up. But on my car, the gauge rises to the "O" and drops to the "N". While the factory gauges aren't really accurate, that's pretty far off.

What temperature thermostat did your mechanic put in? It should have been a 195* one, that's the stock one. When the radiator was replaced, did you replace the radiator cap or re-use the old one? Our coolant systems are designed to work under pressure, and if your coolant system doesn't hold 16lbs of pressure the temperature will rise higher and faster than it should. Also, if your coolant hose clamps aren't tight enough the system won't hold 16lbs. You can test the cap and system with a pressure tester kit, your mechanic may have one.
 
Hey bud I have a 95 GTS that has similar problems. I changed out the CTS but it still sits way beyond the H until anywhere from 10-20 mins.before coming on and reading accurate. If I'm idling or going slow in town it holds right in the middle of normal. But the longer I drive (especially highway) or if I get on it at all it goes up to the A and L. I even mounted a pusher fan, changed T-stat to a 160°, added purple ice, and flushed the whole cooling system. Did you find any ways of fixing your issue?