Temperature gauge stuck on cold

My temperature gauge on the dash is not working in my 98 Taurus wagon. It seems to be stuck on "cold" and never moves.

I assume I need to replace the engine temperature sensor. Can anyone tell me where this is located? Do I need to use the OEM part or is anything from the local auto parts store ok?

Thanks!

It may not be the sender! Slick you can probably find the info you're looking for by thumbing thru a Haynes or Chilton book at the auto parts store. You don't need to buy OEM to get serviceable parts.

Yeah, I looked in my Haynes manual and tested the sender per the instructions. Kind of hard to get the probes in there but it does appear to be dead.

The curious thing is that I was screwing around in the very area of the sensor over the weekend -- replacing the thermostat, new gasket, etc. I must have killed it or something, although I can't imagine how.

Anyway, it's a $13 part so it doesn't hurt to try replacing it. Draining the coolant will be a pain though. Maybe if I'm quick about it I can yank the old one out and plug the new one in while loosing a minimal amount of coolant. With the engine cold, of course!

I have done this like 20 times on my 2000 (don't ask why i kept putting the wrong part in the car. Let's just say the free part wasn't what the book called for). It is not a bad place to pull it out of. Make sure A.) The engine is cold (no burns!) B.) Open your radiator fill cap to relieve the pressure in the system. if you do those two things your loss of fluid while switching the sneder should be minimal. I never drained the system. I did find that a 3/4 shorty wrench works best in the space though.