My Daughter 1998 ford fiesta zetec temperture guage stayed at the very bottom of the guage all and only raised late this afternoon, i've told her that it was because she had ony driven for a short time and it was cold this morning, she tell me that the heater in the car was working ok, could you reassure her that there isn't a problem with it
Cars & Trucks - Ford - Fiesta - 2011 Ford Fiesta
Answers & Comments
Sounds like the thermostat is failing.
Thermostats fail in 2 ways: (a) sticking open (b) stick closed
Your seems to be sticking open - and so the engine warms up VERY slowly,
but still throws a little heat out the vents - less heat over time so that
your daughter didn't even notice the gradual decrease over time.
If you can replace the thermostat on your own, your cost may be less than $5.
To get a new thermostat (always buy parts on your own - the garage will charge a
50% surcharge on any parts they have to locate for your car), try Wal-mart first
(they sell a few thermostats for a few cars), then any auto parts place.
Replacing a thermostat in a 1998 Fiesta ZTEC engine should be the first thing
a DIY mechanic learns after figuring out how to do regular maintenance items - since
stuff like distributor cap/ distributor rotor/ thermostat are actually regular maintanance
items - destined to have a limited life span, like any moving part.