Temp Gauge and Poor Mileage

tww

Registered User
Dear SCCOA Folks:

The Temp Gauge on my 89 XR/7 isnt working. My mechanic checked it out and says it is in
the gauge itself. He called up Ford and they say the gauge is discontinued. Does anyone know
the Ford Part# and a possible source for a stock replacement? When it did work, it would
occasionally set off the "CHECK GAGE" light. This "CHECK GAGE" problem was intermittent
and never got fixed right (several dealerships and various other people have tried). Now the
gauge doesn't work anymore, but the light doesnt come on either :-(

Also, I have been getting poor mileage (around 14.5 in town). The Cougar has about 55K miles
on it, and new plugs and wires a few years ago. It runs a little rough, especially at idle and out
of gear (it is an automatic). The last time we checked it, the problem didn't seem to be coming
from the spark plugs. The miss or vibration you can feel through the steering wheel. I did new
motor and transmission mounts about a year or two ago. I am not sure the vibration and the
mileage are related.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

T W
 
Have you tried tapping on the temperature gauge at the cluster? I had a similar problem and after tapping the temp gauge it started to respond. I ended up having to replace the whole cluster to fix the issue but it works now. Also the switch that controls the temp gauge is right by the thermostat housing, I'd check to see if the wire is hooked up correctly or if there are any signs of damage. The temp switch from your local auto store only costs about $4.00. I'm not sure about your poor mileage, could be a lot of things. When you run the system test does it come back with any codes?
 
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