No heat and fluctuating engine temp

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frankcuse@gmail.com - 28 Dec 2006 14:15 GMT

I am having a problem with a 1996 Ford Taurus station wagon. Basically

the 2 problems are #1 I am getting no heat and #2 the engine
temperature gauge is fluctuating.

In my reading people have suggested a number of things which I was
going to try including filling the coolant, replacing the thermostat
and potentially replacing the radiator cap. Do these fixes sounds
reasonable, where is a good place to buy the thermostat and radiator
cap (local auto store), and are there any other good possibilities that

might be leading to these problems?

Additionally, if you can point me to how to replace the thermostat or
about how much I should be paying for it that would be great.

Thanks in advance!

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Tom Adkins - 28 Dec 2006 14:54 GMT

> I am having a problem with a 1996 Ford Taurus station wagon. Basically

> the 2 problems are #1 I am getting no heat and #2 the engine
> temperature gauge is fluctuating.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Thanks in advance!

The thermostat and radiator cap are a good place to start. They are wear items that
"should" have been replaced at least once since this car was new. They can be had at
any auto parts store and will cost ~$30 US including new coolant. Even if this is not
the main cause of the problem, these parts need to be in known proper working order
before proceeding. The thermostat is located on the engine, under the housing that the
upper radiator hose connects to. 2-3 small bolts and 1 gasket, just drain the coolant
first.

Keep in mind that many Tauri of this vintage were subject to corrosion in the
cooling system that caused the water pump impeller to erode away. Brown, muddy looking
coolant is a good indicator of this problem. If the thermostat, cap, and new coolant
doesn't solve the problem, this will be your next suspect.

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