temp guage jumping from cold to hot then back to the middle. fluid lights come on and off.

10

Asked by latoyarobinson Mar 03, 2016 at 04:02 PM about the 2001 Ford Expedition XLT

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

hello I have a 2001 ford expedition my temp guage ( the one with the 'H' and 'C' on it) was going from the 'C' to the 'H' and then the middle for some reason and the oil and I guess transmission fluid light comes on and off while driving but then regulates itself I guess. when I stopped at a red light the truck shut off. it cranked right back up and I stopped at the next Ford dealership. he told me that everything was fine and that some sort of temp cap was missing and causing it to short. I can't quite remember exactly what he said because I was in such a panic thinking my truck was running hot. after he told me that and touched something under the hood I left and didn't have anymore problems on that trip. the fluid lights are still on for a while when I crank up and drive. can anyone help me and tell me what is the issue?

6 Answers

26,835

First, check your coolant and oil levels to make sure they are full. Now, lets talk about your lights & gauges. It is normal for the lights to come on when you first turn the key. They respond to their system checks and show you they are working. Only if they stay on do you need to investigate anything. It sounds like they are working this way for you now. As for your temp gauge, it works in much the same way. When the car is at rest, the gauge reads C. Then when the car starts it jumps to H and then backs down to a point between H and C that would represent the current engine temp. Hope this helps you.

1 people found this helpful.
10

The lights stay on and off even after I've been driving for a few minutes or even longer. It will go off when the other gauge ('L' and 'H') rises. Problem is it goes back down and the light comes back on and it will intermittently do this until I get to where I'm going. And I've just had a tune up last week but it was doing this way before that.

1 people found this helpful.
26,835

What lights are coming on and staying on after the engine is running?

1 people found this helpful.
10

The light that looks like a faucet with a water drop coming from it and the one that has the stick with the waves under it. Sorry don't know the technical names.

26,835

The faucet with a drip is the low oil indicator and the stick with waves is the coolant temperature warning light. Neither should stay lit after initializing when you start the vehicle. Did you check your fluid levels as I suggested on my first reply? If not, check your oil level and be sure it measures in the operating range section of the dip stick and then check your coolant level at the reservoir also to make sure it shows at the correct level as marked on the side of the reservoir. If they are lower than they should be add oil and coolant to the systems to see if the lamps no longer light. If the levels are OK then you will need to take the vehicle to a repair shop to determine the causes and correct them. Good luck.

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