For the DIYers ... to go genuine or not (specifically sensors)?

JustAnotherSaver

People who just send their cars in to the garage to get sorted will probably get what they get for the most part i imagine but i'm putting this one out to those who have an interest in working on their own cars and actively select what parts are used as I would like your opinion.

When i had a Vauxhall i got parts actually quite cheaply so i pretty much just used genuine everything. I've now got a Ford and I pay what Joe Bloggs pays.

My temperature gauge is reading low. It barely creeps beyond 60-70 and will some times lower during a journey. My instant thought was thermostat in the coolant setup. I did some Googling and found remarks like the MK3 Mondeo is a cool engine (as in people saying 60c is ok). More Googling and i find out there's also an oil thermostat. Even more Googling and i'm finding that more people are reporting that after renewing their coolant stat it made no difference to the gauge but when they renewed their oil thermostat then it sat nice at 90c bang centre.

Which is what brings me here.

I hop on eBay and i can find the genuine sensor at £35.

Yet the same sensor at "high quality" can be had for £10.

I've read tales of no-name sensors causing more trouble than they're worth and by the time you put the job right you've spent more than what you would've if you bought genuine from the off.

Yet they surely can't all be bad.

So when you work (or worked, if you no longer do) on your cars then would you opt for one over the other? And why?

Car_54

Or save £10-35 and just live with the faulty gauge?

AdrianC

Car_54 said:

Or save £10-35 and just live with the faulty gauge?

If it really IS running cool, rather than just the gauge lying, then it's going to cause more rapid engine wear and more fuel use.

Of course, even if it is just the gauge lying, temp gauges don't actually read accurate these days. They're just "low, normal, high", from the ECU.

That link isn't to a sensor - but to the oil cooler thermostat. Oil too cool? Stop it flowing to the cooler. Oil hot enough? Allow it to the cooler. It's entirely possible that the oil cooler thermostat is contributing to the engine running cool - the coolant isn't being circulated to the rad, but the oil is being cooled and that's bringing the coolant temp down. I'm assuming it's an oil-air cooler, not an oil-coolant one?

I'd spend the extra to get, if not genuine, but one made by a brand I've heard of. "High quality" means a lot of things to a lot of different people. And if a lousy one goes pop, not only do you have to buy another, but you've probably lost more than £25-worth of oil. Hopefully, not the engine...

JustAnotherSaver

AdrianC said:

Car_54 said:

Or save £10-35 and just live with the faulty gauge?

If it really IS running cool, rather than just the gauge lying, then it's going to cause more rapid engine wear and more fuel use.

Of course, even if it is just the gauge lying, temp gauges don't actually read accurate these days. They're just "low, normal, high", from the ECU.

That link isn't to a sensor - but to the oil cooler thermostat. Oil too cool? Stop it flowing to the cooler. Oil hot enough? Allow it to the cooler. It's entirely possible that the oil cooler thermostat is contributing to the engine running cool - the coolant isn't being circulated to the rad, but the oil is being cooled and that's bringing the coolant temp down. I'm assuming it's an oil-air cooler, not an oil-coolant one?

I'd spend the extra to get, if not genuine, but one made by a brand I've heard of. "High quality" means a lot of things to a lot of different people. And if a lousy one goes pop, not only do you have to buy another, but you've probably lost more than £25-worth of oil. Hopefully, not the engine...

Yes, sorry, it's the thermostat and not a sensor. My mind was wandering and was thinking about things like sensors and the like and ended up typing out sensors. I'll leave it as is but yeah you're right.

Regards gauges lying or not lying, i'm a little OCD and don't like to 'live with' if it can be put right. Plus as Adrian has said, what if it's not a faulty gauge?

Regards what type of oil cooler, i couldn't tell you. I've just read there's an oil thermostat. I tried looking for a YouTube video on replacing it but came up short. I can only find coolant thermostats being done. The car is old now so any how-to that's likely to have been done on forums will at this stage probably have their photos removed - it's usually what happens which is kind of annoying. I did a couple in depth how-tos in my time and always left them in place even when i stopped posting on the forums.

I've only got the on board MPG workings as i haven't brimmed and properly calculated the consumption yet but if it's anywhere close to accurate then it's quite poor. 41mpg. The engine is a 2.2 diesel. While i wasn't expecting 70mpg, i was hoping for in the 45-50 range. Quoted is 46mpg.

I need to try and find a proper how to on changing this and probably lead towards genuine or proper branded then.

forgotmyname

2 thermostats if its a diesel. 

Nah you wont get 70mpg but you will get close to 60mpg on a run.  330 miles fully loaded to Cornwall it was over
60mpg all down the M5 but those hills on the A30 and some traffic at Newquay dropped it to
59.8 or 58.9mpg?   So close....

The trip computer compares your previous journey. Leave it idling for 20 minutes and your next trip will vary
a lot.

Low temperature = uses more fuel.

And yes new stats can be faulty also. Common issue even genuine ones.

fred246

£35 for a thermostat. You can get a Sunnyflowk delivered to your house for £1.88
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunnyflowk-Mondeo-Thermostat-Housing-6C1Q6L635-Ab/dp/B0863DZDN3/

Car_54

fred246 said:

£35 for a thermostat. You can get a Sunnyflowk delivered to your house for £1.88
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunnyflowk-Mondeo-Thermostat-Housing-6C1Q6L635-Ab/dp/B0863DZDN3/

Worth every penny.

AdrianC

Car_54 said:

fred246 said:

£35 for a thermostat. You can get a Sunnyflowk delivered to your house for £1.88
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunnyflowk-Mondeo-Thermostat-Housing-6C1Q6L635-Ab/dp/B0863DZDN3/

Worth every penny.

...and not one more.

JustAnotherSaver

It must be that good that my phone won't even open the link. Lol. Good initial sign. I'll have to get one

AdrianC

JustAnotherSaver said:

It must be that good that my phone won't even open the link. Lol. Good initial sign. I'll have to get one

The Funnysoak thermostat?

Link works for me - try this...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0863DZDN3/

It even looks like a badly-made piece of rubbish in the photos...

JustAnotherSaver

It's probably my phone in all honesty. Seems to have issues opening amazon links for some reason. This isn't the first time. It's like it tries to open my app but then hangs.

Now that I see the photo, £1.88 is a bit steep isn't it?