Cooling fan/temp gauge not working

[mick1064]

Car is a 1996 Escort with a 1992 1.9 engine AT, AC, (blows warm & compressor does not kick in) 90,000 miles.

Temp gauge not operating, cooling fan spins once upon turning the key on startup, then stops, replaced temp sensor & 40 amp fuse. No repair books to be found on this side of town !! What gives? Any switches or relays I can test simply? Mechanically challenged,,,,,,,,,,Thanks in advance, Mick

[GTP Dad]

Check the fan relay that may have gone bad. Look under the power control center under the hood. It is easy to replace. As for the AC the system may be low on refrigerant. There is a low pressure cutoff that will cause it not to work if the pressure is too low.

[daleb9]

On my '93 1.9 there are two temp sensors, one for the gauge and another for the fan circuit. Haynes manual has a procedure for testing gauge and wiring, it worked for me.

Re the inoperative radiator fan. . .

When I got my '93 1.9 I think the problem had already developed, that was 2001. But my driving didn't aggravate the problem for a while, till I got stuck in a real hour long traffic jam, then the gauge read far right. I fussed with it for a month or two, finally found the relays under the air cleaner box, and decided to jumper that so the fan ran on low whenever the key was turned to run. That addressed the problem well enough and I let it go.

[mick1064]

Thanks folks, will be checking in the next day,, bought the Escort for my daughter, she found another (cuter),,,,,anyway trying to sell car and one thing after another. If I had the $$ I would keep it, nice car & from what I've seen some of you guys do to the body, it rivals the imports in every way. Cool little cars out there. I'll post upon completion. Someone said the relays are on the firewall, still trying to find a Haynes manual, they're all out around here. Guess that says something too,,,,,,,,,

[mick1064]

Bought the Haynes book, does not give location for Fan Relay, some say in fuse box in engine compartment, NOT THERE, any one have any pics or location? replaced temp & fan sensors & 40 amp fuse in fuse box in engine compartment, just don't want to rig it up & have troubles later in winter with heat ect.

[jeffescortlx]

The 96 year is a odd ball when it comes to the electronics, some books like the Chiltons are full of wiring error's. It's the first year of OBD2 and the last year of the 1.9 and 2nd gen body. It looks like the Fan relay was moved just out side of the underhood fuse box under a rubber boot. But if your having problmes with both the Temp sender and ECT (engine coolent-controls fan) then your ground bracket that is shared with the 2 sensor was not hooked back up from the engine swap...happneds all the time. The 2 sensor's are both mounted on a metal brakcet, if that bracket is not bolted back on the tranny, the temp sensor will not have a ground and the temp gauge will not work.
Does the fan stay one with the A/C button is turned on?

[mick1064]

Neither sensor has a bracket, both are screwed into what looks like a metal tube, by the manifold, and I thought that would be the ground, maybe we are talking about different sensors? sensors are mounted as shown in the Haynes book, and no, the fan does not come on with the AC button in. Still cannot find Fan relay, the ones you speak of are supposed to be low/high speed fan relays. Talked to a "mechanic" at a dealership, he looked like I asked about the space shuttle!! Will be back otu there digging again, just got off of part time job, getting a little dark,,,,but since I can't see it in the daylight,,,,,,,,,,Thanks again for the help all is appreciated.

I think I found it !! A lot of wiring harness where I'll have to take the whole filter unit out during the day to see for sure, nothing by the fuse box but it's close!! Tha gauge does move, just a hair, but to the left, whn the key is first turned on,would that be a tell regarding a bad ground?