Been reading this board, and one other one, off and on since 2003. Usually just come around when I have an issue or a problem. I am in no way a mechanic, nor do I have any intention to try to play one. I just try to be informed on my truck. I bought and installed an Edge Insight CS based on what I've read on the boards. Here is what I found:

1. Yesterday after the install, I took a ride to see where my temps were. Just cruising @60mph and some stop and go traffic with unloaded truck I was seeing ECT anywhere from 180 to 186 max and EOT anywhere from 216 to 218 max. The outside temp was 74 degrees.

2. This am truck parked overnight in driveway: EOT 77 degrees and ECT 70 degrees.

3. Had to tow my 9000 pound empty 5th wheel camper to rv dealer for service and got these temps: Highest EOT I saw was 244 degrees and highest ECT I saw was 200 degrees. I was driving on flat ground at about 50 to 60 mph and the outside air temp was 83 degrees.

4. After dropping off the camper, I had ECT 186 and EOT 224 criusing at 65mph.

My truck is a 2003, and I am the original owner. I do my own oil and fuel filter changes, but use my local Ford dealership for all other maintenance and repairs. The coolant was flushed by dealer in 2006. Truck has been maintained and serviced at reccomended intervals. Had HPOP and EGR replaced this past winter due to failure.

I'm guessing that my truck is pretty sick? No pucking coolant, and the level is fine. No white smoke. I'm supposed to tow the camper and family to a campground about 2 1/2 hours away next week. Not sure I should make that trip with those temps. I guess I'm looking for a little advise from people who know way more than I do. Sorry for the long post and thanks for your responses.

 

First off your thermostat is probably stuck open. ECT should be 190+. And it does seem like EOT is to high

 

My Scan Gauge II shows a delta of about 1 degree in EOT/ECT after sitting overnight.

Your 7 degree delta after sitting overnight makes me suspicious of a sender or the programming of of your Edge. Shouldn't coolant and oil return to ambient temperature if the truck is shut down regardless of any cooler problems?

If it was my truck, I'd park it for 24 hours. If there's a 7 degree delta, there's something wrong with the temps reported by the Edge and I wouldn't trust the operating temps.

 

Your ECT is too low, so you will need to replace your thermostat. But you also have an ECT-EOT spread between 35 and 45 degrees, where it should be less than 15.

You need to park the truck until you can replace the oil and EGR coolers, before the EGR cooler lets go. In my opinion.

 

244 EOT would worry me too much to chance the trip before repairs. I've been watching my truck and ECT drops pretty quick when I slow down or lift the throttle going downhill and the EOT sluggishly follows it so you can sorta control it. Sounds like your coolant system is in good health. Too bad they didn't change the oil cooler when the did the HPOP and EGR.

 

The 2003 has the round EGR cooler that is more robust and dependble than the later square coolers. I wouldn't recommend messing with the EGR cooler. However, I would change out the oil cooler as well as verify the ECT/EOT delta. My Insight has never shown a split while cold of more than 2 degrees. You also need to consider changing the thermostat given the low ECT as David recommended.

 

It wouldn't hurt to check the EOT and ECT sensors before going about a lot of big work. They should be pretty close to the same after a cold soak. You can also compare them to one or both of the IAT's to see which one is off. It's probably a slim chance, but it's a lot cheaper to change a sensor than an oil cooler.

 

I agree t-stat staying open or opening too soon. But ECT of 200deg towing 9k @ 85deg sounds pretty cool.

 

You should always change the EGR Cooler when changing the oil cooler, and vise versa. I could be wrong but you will still get the round EGR cooler with the 03. The square ones won't work where the round ones are. Again I might be wrong about that.

 

your round egr cooler should be fine it already looks like the BPD one on the inside very few failure with the round ones
unless it leaks Id run it
BPD one may have a little thicker tubes inside IDK

If you had the square egr cooler Id say change it they detearaite fast with that kinda spread

watch the coolant bottle for oil inside it

you also need to flush the cooling system goooooooood before the work you dont want to clog the new oil cooler up

and put a coolant filter on it

 

Okay, thanks for everyone's input. Is there any way to verify that my Insight is accurate? Maybe plug it into another vehicle? Even if its off a little bit, my spreads are way too big right? I will call Edge in the am. I will check the ECT and EOT delta in the am again. I will not be doing the work myself, so what exactly do I say when I call the dealership tomorrow? I guess I should just ask them to verify the temp spreads, and to replace the oil cooler and the thermostat if the temps I'm getting are accurate. Leave the EGR cooler alone if it looks okay?

 

Will the dealer flush sytem before the work if I request it, or will they just follow Ford procedure to flush afterwards? There will be a warranty on the cooler they install right? If it clogs again, its on their dime? Maybe I could take the time to flush after I get back from my trip and if it clogs again it will still be under warranty?

 

All the "experts" here fail Diagnosis 101.

Why does everyone on this thread ignore the most blatant evidence you posted? Someone please explain how a faulty/clogged cooler or radiator or any other problem can keep oil temps seven degrees above coolant after the truck has been turned off all night? With the engine off, both coolant and oil will eventually cool to ambient air temperature.

Before you spend a dime, double check your cold temperatures. If EOT and ECT are not the same, HOW CAN YOU TRUST ANY HOT TEMPERATURES OR DELTAS? It makes no sense whatsoever to fix anything until you are sure your Edge is reporting correctly. If the oil temp sender reports 7 degrees too high at 70 degrees, you cannot extrapolate a 7 degree high reading at 200 or 210 degrees.

Here's another clue: Your stated coolant temps are well within the normal range. Your oil temps are high. YOUR COLD OIL TEMPS ARE HIGH. Gee, could there be a connection?

 

It appears your t-stat is faulty as others have indicated, thus your
ECT starts off cooler and doesn't mean there is a problem - yet.

I would start with a new t-stat and see what happens.

Compare your ECT and EOT temps to the TFT.
It's possible you made a slight error inputting the Xgauge values,
which would cause it to display wrong.

Of note, when I get home and shutdown for the night my temps are:
TFT (155) ECT (190) EOT (192)

The following morning (14-15 hours) my TFT is ALWAYS
several degrees cooler than the ECT & EOT, the ECT and EOT
are close to each other - but they also started out the night
before closer to each other that your temps are.

But after sitting for 2 days over the weekend on Monday AM
all 3 temps are identical because they have lost all heat
and are now @ ambient temp.

 

Is there no logic out there? None?

His coolant temps are well with the normal range. The oil temps are both high when driving and when the engine is cold, so you think it's the thermostat??????

77F EOT vs. 70F ECT when cold. 7F high at 70F ambient is 10%. 10% high at 200F is TWENTY DEGREES, and there's no guarantee the error is linear.