Do your trucks get up to full operating temp when it's cold out or do I need a thermostat? When I started the truck it was -10, but when this picture was taken it was 0 degrees Fahrenheit after driving for 45 minutes.

 

Edit for misread;

My truck has been that cold before and the temp got up to the normal range. May be a thermostat issue like you mentioned.

 

That's after driving for 45 minutes at 50 mph. I only warmed it up about 5 mins

 

Normal. The colder it is - the longer it takes to warm up. Driving it warms up engine faster than sitting an idling.

 

45 minutes at 50-60 mph isn't long enough?? Or did we post at the same time?

 

ok, I did change the coolant this fall, guess I should have done the thermostat too

 

my engine temperature is always to "Warm" (Normal) long before the transmission temperature is.

Thermostat... first.

 

It's interesting your tranny is at normal temp but the engine isn't. Not sure how the 6.2 is, but in addition to the thermostat, I assume there's also a temp sensor that may not be functioning correctly, no?

 

It was zero degrees Fahrenheit yesterday and after a 10 min. ride my trucks temperature gauge was right in the middle and it was blowing warm air. Like Chuck said the transmission takes a bit longer to warm up.

 

Sounds like your T stat going by the idiot gauge on the dash. However, to verify this I would suggest getting something on the truck that can read the computer's reading of the engine coolant temp. This is going to help the repair process. I have a scan gauge 2 in my truck that I have set up to read both coolant and trans temps while driving. Before i get into this further here is where I going with this.

My 2005 Ford Explorer will throw a code for engine coolant. Of course it was a service engine soon light. On this Explorer I used my HFT code scanner which also allows you to monitor vehicle parameters or data. When I was driving the Explorer I found the engine temp would not come up and the service light would come on. According to the data log, the temp of the coolant was around 130 degree F and would not climb any hire. A code was generated confirming the temp which was the T stat in this case calling for abnormal coolant temp reading. A $100 code scanner with data and ABS scanning helped out with this repair. $25 in parts and the problem was solve. New T stat and the Explorer ran fine.

Now back to the Super Duty. First thing I would want to do is find out what temperature the coolant is. I would suspect Ford would have some form of Service code related to lower engine temps which could indicated a Tstat. Having access to something like a Code scanner with live data can help you figure out if you have a problem with the T stat or something else like the sensor or gauge.

I know a few on here can elaborate further on this. The gauges are the tripped by certain input parameters like at 100 degrees the gauge moves into the lower end of the range for that system like the Trans temp. Once it hits let's say 150 degrees the needle will move to the middle or normal range. If it gets hotter, it could move a little further towards the higher side. I have seen my coolant temp swing 30 degrees on a hot day towing and gauge on the dash not move at all from the middle.

My suggestion is pick up a scanner from Harbor Freight, Advance Auto, Auto Zone, Napa, O Riellys. Even a Blue tooth ODB device can allow you to gain access to this data through apps like Torque Pro. So this is also an option. However, when I take my truck out the next time in this cold, I will see how my gauges react once warmed up. Good luck with your repair. Sorry for my spelling and the like.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, after reading that I hooked up my scanner for a 30 minute ride home and the coolant temp ranged from 150- 160 at the highest. I'm going to pick up a thermostat tomorrow, they're cheap and easy to do.

 

I would think the T stat after seeing those readings. Your temps may not have generated a code but then again I don't know if a Super Duty's DTC list has this code registered to trip to begin with. I knew my Explorer did and would trip after 10 minutes clearing the code at first start up. IIRC it was a P128 or 158 something that. So it is part of the universal system. I would suspect the sensors might have been pulling enough temp to cause the truck not to trip a code since it may have been inside the designated operating range. Let us know what happens if changing the T stat out works for you. I usually get temps between 170 to 200 depending on the speed, air temp, and throttle position. In this weather with a fully warmed vehicle, I would figure around 150-180 range depending on the length of the ride. I know my scan gauge I have mounted in the truck will not read the trans temps below 32 degrees. water I think is the same way.

 

That's not normal. I don't care how cold it is after 45 mins at 50+ MPH it should be at normal operating Temps. I was in Beech Mountain In NC for Christmas. It was 10 degrees with decent wind chill so probably seemed more like 0 and my truck was at normal engine Temps within 10 minutes after a dead cold start. And that was driving easy on side streets.

Transmission on the other hand will take a LONG time to get hot in that weather.

 

Did you buy the truck used? It may not even have a thermostat.

 

FWIW, I took the truck out this morning for it's weekly leg stretching. I had an errand to run that was approximately 25 minutes away on 2 lane hilly and slick roads with little to light traffic. I did let the truck warm up a few minutes prior to the driving as I needed to remove some ice off the windshield. When I got into the truck. The water temp was around 60°F and the trans temp was not reading yet. Once I got onto the road, my water temp hit around 140°F or so after a couple of minutes. While on the road I watched the idiot gauge and the scan gauge when I could. the SG2 was reading anywhere between 160-180° F Depended on whether I was coasting or driving up a hill. On some faster 4 lane stretches, it was normal water temps. When I finally got home, it was around 180 or so which is normal temperature for my truck.

I hope my observations helps you out.