How hot is too hot?

[m3t4lm4n222]

Really i'm just looking to put my mind at ease.

So essentially, I bought a Ford Festiva, when I bought it, I had the fan switch replaced, but it was replaced with a faulty switch. So my car began to get hotter than usual (Never touched the red area, however got to the point where it would touch the bottom portion of the final white line on the temp gauge. My question is, is it possible for this sort of temperature to damage an engine in any way?

Since I replaced the fan switch myself, the car appears to hover slightly over mid point, then the fan switches in and brings the car back to mid point.

Thanks for the help. IMG_20140124_133549_467.jpg

[rmoltis]

Anything over 212* is too hot the OEM thermostat is a 195* tstat and fully open at 212.
Also the fan usually is supposed to kick on at 207*

[TorqueEffect]

Just a hair over midpoint is perfectly fine.
I was running almost over 3/4 of the temp gauge the otherday since I had my radiator blocked off, and was doing highway speeds for about 140 miles just fine, no i'll effects afterwards either, even did a compression test about a week later and got consistent compression numbers across the board.

Though I think it is safe to say, as long as it is in between the two marks, you are good. I mean even the Owner's Manual says between those two white marks is the normal operating temperature range, or something like that.

[TominMO]

That looks a little too hot. But there is some variation in the temp gauges on various Festys. How hot does it feel coming out the defrost vents?

You can turn on your heater as a temporary fix to bring the temp down a bit. And anyway, as long as the car is moving it shouldn't overheat.

[zoom zoom]

I had a couple run hot for different reasons this year, not for more than a couple days worth of driving tho. They didn't overheat they just ran hotter than normal, basically what your describing. One the alt/water pump pulley belt broke the other the antifreeze froze up in lol, I guess it stayed good inside the block but the radiator/hoses and overflow was SOLID ice for about a week and a half. I think you'll be okay as long as it doesn't overheat to the point it's stalling out on you. By that time you've almost always got a busted head gasket/warped head or something. Both of mine are still going strong even tho the festivas gas mileage is getting worse by the day it seems. Down to 28 mpg and can't pull hills in 5th at all anymore. It's been an ongoing issue for months now.

[m3t4lm4n222]

Well I actually resolved the issue by replacing my fan switch, however my vehicle was getting close to that final white line for the first couple of weeks that I owned it.

My question is essentially, from it running that hot, could I have caused any engine damage? I checked the coolant and i've had plenty of coolant in the system the whole time. I've driven it probably 120 miles since I resolved the issue and haven't see any ill effects. I also got a block test twice and it passed both times.

Engine was rebuilt 17K miles ago, that's why I worried.

[jason_]

When it pushes the cap open and dribbles water, that's too hot.

Pull head and check for gunk/sediment build up around cylinder bore, if it can't get to the iron, what good having the water?



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