Check engine light!!!

[MuzzleFlash40]

In the wifes 2004 Mercury the engine light came on today. Took it up to advance and ran the code. He told me that the Thermostate was bad. The guage was a bit colder than normal, so i'm guessing that the thermostate was a bit stuck open. So I know what i'll be doing tomorrow! Oh well, such is life!

 

[Recalculating]

Didn't know there was a specific code for a bad thermostat.

What was the specific code?

 

[MuzzleFlash40]

He ran the code i didn't. It said thermostat operating below normal range or something like that. That along with the guage not getting to normal, I am "guessing" that it is the problem.

 

[HTSS_TR]

It is very possible that the thermostat is stuck open when temperature gauge is below normal range and the car is 9 years old.

 

[bdcardinal]

It would be nice if they gave you the actual P code. I got the same code on my mom's Grand Marquis, the factory t-stat failed open and the car would never get hot.

 

[Recalculating]

If that's what the explanation of the code was, it's reasonable to change it out especially if your gauge is indicating lower than it was normally.

I hope your thermostat change out is as easy as it was for me and my Buick.
Don 't think it took 30 minutes.

Good luck.

 

[LeakySeals]

Does P0125 sound familiar?

 

[MuzzleFlash40]

Yes that code sounds right. Yeah the thermostats in these are easy. On the 99 I had it took about 30 mins as well. Drained enough out to get the coolant out of the upper hose, removed the bolts on the housing and that was it. Hope this is the only problem, but I really dont think anything else can cause it?

 

[LeakySeals]

Coolant temperature sensor could, try that if the TS doesn't work.

 

[MuzzleFlash40]

Thats true, Though it's only like $20 as well. Hope it's this inexpensive. I just had the system flushed a couple months ago, now I have to get all the air worked out of the system agian, lol.

 

[crazyoildude]

make sure what the code is before doing anything..

 

[bdcardinal]

On those cars, you spend more time draining the coolant than you do changing the t-stat.

7L3Z-8575-B is the t-stat number
F1VY-8255-A is the o-ring number

 

[punisher]

I remember two "Excessive Time To Enter Closed Loop" codes on 4.6s. Both turned out to be thermostat problems.

 

[SteveSRT8]

PO128 is the code in my Chrysler. It is basically timing the minutes taken to reach a minimum temp of 180 degrees.

3 'bad' trips set the code and 3 consecutive 'good' trips will turn it back off if you don't.

And on more than one kind of vehicle a large ziploc bag will catch all the coolant lost and allow you to replace the errant 'stat' easily and quickly!

 

[mechtech2]

Get the best thermostat that you can find! Spend the extra $2-5
This may be a coolant sensor problem. Note that you may have 2 - one for the temp gauge , and one for the computer.

 

[MuzzleFlash40]

Changed the thermostat out today. Reset the check engine light. Let it run for about 20 minutes after and then drove about 100 miles to the in-laws and back tonight. Light didn't come back on and the guage is where it was before. Just gotta watch the fluid level over the next week or so. Thanks guys!