My truck runs all the time just *barely* in the "normal region" denoted by the little lines on the guage. You have the cold region where its off the guage, then the line and inside of there is normal and then another line and then hot - mine doesnt even get into normal unless I'm cruising on the highway and then it only gets up to n. Is this very bad? Do I need to put some cardboard in the front or something? I wouldn't assume this is normal.

 

If you are getting heat in the cab & your truck runs smoothly the don't worry about it to much.
My 88 F-150 does the same thing. If it bothers you, then you can update & put a higher temp thermostat in, but I personally would think it is a waste on cash to do that.

 

Saurian - normal can be a fuzzy term. As parks911 suggested, drive as usual unless there are problems. There are lots of variables (last maintenance, repair, climate, efficiency of parts, etc.). I have replaced water pump, radiator, 3 thermostats in past 2 years to fix cooling problems, now my temp guage reads low end of "normal" (but its still winter in NC).

Is your temp guage reading any different than its been say the last 6 months?

 

Id start with a new thermostat, regular temp, the old one could be stuck open this will cause the truck to run cold, and next dose your fan shut off while your driving around and the motors cold? id try a thermostat there cheap then id check the fan clutch, both of theese will cause the truck to run cold, and when your trucks running cold its not fuel efficent, so theres some ideas for you, but just sounds like a stuck thermostat or something like that.

 

I just got the truck from my grandpa so I'm not really able to answer the question about time...and yes - my fuel mileage isn't the greatest. I would equate the fuel mileage more to the long idling (warming up) as it is deep winter here in iowa, as well as me getting used to having a clutch.

Also I haven't had the chance to really listen to the vehicle because its bloody cold out and I always have my defrosters or vents or something on. But...the truck is *always* quiet. It revs silky smooth and the oil pressure guage is right down the middle sometimes it moves closer to the high but its alright. I don't know what to do I guess...electric fan maybe to free up some power as well.

If anybody has any more ideas....how often to temp guages go bad?

 

How often do you have to put coolant in the truck?

If you don't have to put coolant in & your getting heat in the cab then really don't worry about it. Sound like it is running normal to me.

If your diehard about testing your gauge, then slap some cardboard over the front grill to see if that will help raise your temp gauge then. Don't do it until we get that next sub zero cold snap though.

 

My 91 does the same. Turns out that its wrong. Four wheelin on the beach, gettin stuck when it was in the top of normal, it boiled over and spewed fluid right out the side of the radiator. Seperated the plastic tank right off the side. So now I know when I sit just below the N I'm doin good.
Just my experiance. Hope your better off when you end up in the top of normal.

 

Sounds like you had a bad radiator cap, that would cause the radiator to fail.

 

my '91 5.0 was doing the same thing a few yrs ago, until i put a 195deg stat in it. (this was factory recomendation i believe) ever since then have had no problems. but as another poster said, if your heater working great, then there's nothing to worry about other that just the gage not showing "normal" ....which might be a $10. sending unit.

 

Dintd ford mess with one of the guages, was it temp or oil pressure? anyways now that i think of it my guage dosent go past the "O" on normal very often so i wouldent really think of it as a problem