overcooling

Hello everyone!
My 95 Ford Escort with 1.9L engine is not warming up too much.I didn't care in the summer when I bought the car but now,the winter is here and I think I have a problem.If the car is just idling,I can get some warm air inside.If I drive on the highway...nothing.The gauge is showing low temp. also.I was thinking to replace the thermostat but then I was reading some stories about this issue and now I'm confused.
Anybody solved this problem?Please let me know.Thanks!

This happened to me on an 83 Cougar and it was the Thermostat sticking wide open.

Monte

Look under the coil pack to find the thermostat. It is well buried. There's a third bolt on the underside of the housing. I snapped a bolt off in the process of taking mine off, due to corrosion. It actually spun right out of the head after I applied a little bit of heat and PB Blaster from a distance with a torch.

I have a 94 Escort that was running very cool. So cool that after a 30 minute drive to work, all I had was luke-warm heat. The temp guage did not get above the mark before the N in Normal. Natural thought was the thermostat. So I changed it with a new one. No change. I did notice that the upper radiator hose was hot, but not too hot to hold onto. And the inlet heater core hose was hot, but not too hot either. The outlet hose was barely warm. So I proceded to disconnect the heater core hoses from the block and flush it with fresh water. I flushed both ways. Then I flushed the radiator and block as well. After closing it up and putting in fresh antifreeze/water, the temp guage now shows between the N & O in Normal. And does it heat? Enough so that after 10 minutes driving, I have to turn the heater down because I am breaking a sweat. I hope this helps.

I have a 94 Escort that was running very cool. So cool that after a 30 minute drive to work, all I had was luke-warm heat. The temp guage did not get above the mark before the N in Normal. Natural thought was the thermostat. So I changed it with a new one. No change. I did notice that the upper radiator hose was hot, but not too hot to hold onto. And the inlet heater core hose was hot, but not too hot either. The outlet hose was barely warm. So I proceded to disconnect the heater core hoses from the block and flush it with fresh water. I flushed both ways. Then I flushed the radiator and block as well. After closing it up and putting in fresh antifreeze/water, the temp guage now shows between the N & O in Normal. And does it heat? Enough so that after 10 minutes driving, I have to turn the heater down because I am breaking a sweat. I hope this helps.
Hello,
thanks for your help!
I tried to flush the system myself using some special chemicals from the store.It didn't work.I had to take it to the shop and they backwashed the heater core.Now,my Escort is finally blowing some heat.It is not too hot inside but it is ok.Anyways,I'm not planning to do anything else about it.Maybe only to sell it.
Thanks again to everyone!