[Setnev]

Okay, so today I get in the Escort and start driving. Everything seems normal and I was sitting in traffic and the temp gauge gradually started getting higher without backing down. I panicked when I noticed it, and pulled over in a parking lot and shut off the car. I ran some water over the radiator to cool it down, started the car and drove off. Some more traffic later, getting up there again. So I pull over and notice the fan is not running at all. But here is the kicker...the engine fan was running when I restarted it after letting it cool the first time. So I started experimenting to try to get a better understanding what the fan was doing. I checked the connections then turned on the car...fan worked, spun right up after the car started. The fan ran about a minute, then shut off, so I figured it cooled the car down and shut off. I get back in the car and WRONG!!! The temp gauge is a quarter of the way to H. I shut the car back off, scratch my head, check the connectors again, and start the car. Huzzah, fan starts up with car. But a minute later, shuts off, car is still piping hot. Now I am mad. The fan will not run for more than a minute regardless of the temperature. I have some thoughts about it, so let me know if I am on the right track. The car has been sitting for about a week, but it has been almost 2 months since I drove it personally. My fiance says she's never had problems with the temp gauge reading abnormally high. I am thinking that the radiator may be just a little low to kick the sensor on to turn the fan on, but then again, I have no idea where the temp sensor is. My last car had a temp sensor on the radiator and the head, one to control the fans and the other to report to the temp gauge. What else could be the issue? I am sitting here waiting for it to cool down enough to open the radiator, but I have never had issues with coolant leaks, etc before on this car. It just started today...go figure the hottest day we've had this year, 103*. Any help as fast as you can is appreciated.

 

[Setnev]

BTW, I have a 95 LX, single cooling fan, no working A/C, and did I mention it is 103* outside.

 

[HyBrad]

If your coolant is low, it can definitely cause this issue.

It could also be a cooling fan temperature switch problem, a relay problem, or even a computer problem.

It's just too hard to guess at this with the information you've given..

 

[juggalo]

i have the same problem and i found out, due to the gas mileage drop, it was the ECT sensor. i got it replaced but haven't started it yet. i would like to say that my intake manifold gasket wasn't replaced for a while and found a BUNCH of crud between intake ports 2 & 3 so do replace that and flush the system. i think a lot of us with high mileage engines should do that.

 

[WILBERFORCE7]

you know until you do figure out the problem, you could just turn on the ac and the fan should come on all the time! ha ha. If it doesn't come on with the ac then your problem is not the temp sensor or anything to do with coolant. if it does, it has nothing to do with your relay, ect. By the way, the temp sensor IS a different unit than the gauge sending unit. it is located on the right side of your engine under the hood. you should be able to follow the coolant lines and find it before the line goes though the firewall. see pic

 

[Intuit]

My guess is ECT. I don't know what triggers it, perhaps emissions or MAF sensor readings, but occasionally the computer will run the fan for a short time when you first start it, seemingly regardless of the engine or ambient temperature readings. With front window defrost and the compressor off, I've noticed it do this in the Winter even.

Also, don't some, if not all 'scorts have two separate relays for hi/low speeds ?

 

[HyBrad]

Actually, they have three relays. Main, Low, and High speed. The main is triggered when the key is on, and the computer directly controls the other two relays. They are actually designed to remain on until the computer tells them to stay off.

The computer uses inputs from the A/C system and the ECT to determine when to do this. If you were to unplug the computer and then turn the key on, the fan should come on.

The A/C equipped escorts have a dual speed fan. An escort without A/C only has a single speed fan (triggering either fan speed relay will kick it on).

 

[juggalo]

u will notice a decrease in gas mileage of about 7 MPG's with a faulty ECT. the fan speed has 3 relays for cars equipped with A/C. after replacing this on my car, the low speed now comes on at the A in NORMAL and the high speed comes on with the A/C with more gas mileage. with out A/C regardless what tranny is used, u only have 1 fan speed.

 

[zzyzzx]

My fiance says she's never had problems with the temp gauge reading abnormally high

Not necessariyl a reliable indicator of what's ben happening. My vote is for relay contacts. Does the fan work when the A/C is on?

 

[juggalo]

if u take it to schuck's aka o'reilly's or auto zone and have them pull trouble codes with their scanner, it will test the fan operation.