Thermostat And Thermostat housing replacement

FORD ESCORT
Avatar
SUPERBSAINT
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
i have a 2003 Ford Escort ZX2 with 54,000 miles on it with a 2.0 Ztech engine.

I noticed a puddle of antifreeze underneath my car and after further investigation determined it was coming from the thermostat housing. Brought it to the Ford Dealership for repair.

They did the repairs and i left. Approximately after driving 2 miles from their shop my temperature gauge went all the way to HOT...i mean all the way over almost into the speedometer.

I pulled over and the car was not hot.

I brought it back to the Ford Place...thinking it was something they had done while doing the repair. After them looking at it a second time they informed me that the temperature sending unit had gone bad.

I thought it peculiar that it would go bad immediately after their repair...and asked them what caused it to go bad. They said that it was a short circuit in the wiring that caused this and that it could have happened at any time.

This certainly doesn't seem right or logical to me especially after their repair had to do with essentially the same thing.

Is it something they could have done in their replacement of the thermostat and thermostat housing to cause this to go bad?

I already payed them $351 for the initial repair and now they are wanting me to pay for this second repair which i sincerely believe was their fault.

Could someone please tell me if I am wrong in my reasoning?

Many thanks!!
Oct 13, 2007 at 10:35 PM
Advertisement
Avatar
MERLIN2021
  • CAR REPAIR CONTRIBUTOR
  • 17,250 POSTS
It depends...is the sensor mounted on the housing? or near enough it could have been hit by a tool? If it's only the sender, you can buy em for about 20.00 and screw it in yourself! Do it on a cold engine!
Oct 14, 2007 at 6:42 AM
Avatar
SUPERBSAINT
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
[quote:dffbff8b03="merlin2021"]It depends...is the sensor mounted on the housing? or near enough it could have been hit by a tool? If it's only the sender, you can buy em for about 20.00 and screw it in yourself! Do it on a cold engine![/quote:dffbff8b03]

It is mounted on top of the housing... I am just wondering...on the bill they have replacing the thermostat and thermostat housing as a 2.5 hour job??.....can this be right??....it sounds very excessive!!!.....the labor on the replacement of the thermostat and housing was $210???
Oct 14, 2007 at 9:35 AM
Avatar
MERLIN2021
  • CAR REPAIR CONTRIBUTOR
  • 17,250 POSTS
Is the housing easily accessible? some require remaoval of other parts to get at....and it's possible for the sesnsor to have fryed when changing it to another housing...
Oct 14, 2007 at 9:45 AM
Avatar
SUPERBSAINT
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
it really looks fairly accessible to me??....i mean to see it...all i have to do is pull up on the upper radiator hose and there it sits.......

[quote:d8c9725ca1="merlin2021"]Is the housing easily accessible? some require remaoval of other parts to get at....and it's possible for the sesnsor to have fryed when changing it to another housing...[/quote:d8c9725ca1]
Oct 14, 2007 at 11:07 AM
Avatar
NORA
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
quote: Approximately how much would it cost to replace a new thermostat on a 2001 Ford ZX2 with labor included?
Nov 11, 2007 at 4:55 PM
Repair Safety Notice: This information is for general instructional purposes only. Vehicle repair can be dangerous. Verify all information, follow manufacturer service procedures, use proper tools and safety equipment, and consult a qualified repair shop when needed.