• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Fiesta ST Forum and Fiesta ST community dedicated to Fiesta ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Fiesta ST Forum today!


thermostat advice

Messages
21
Likes
5
Location
Florida
#1
I went to my mechanic to check as to why my car keeps overheating in stop and go traffic he's currently quoting me $603.44 to change

Temperature sensor
Thermostat
Antifreeze
Thermostat remove and replace.

I was considering on buying the parts myself so he can just install. I saw that there are two options the 180 or the mishimoto part which one would you guys recommend and why?
 


Messages
62
Likes
45
Location
Arizona, USA
#2
an upgraded radiator and thermostat should do the trick. i wouldn't replace the temp sensor unless it's truly faulty. since you do those two things, you'll need to refill the system anyway.
is he replacing the radiator with an OEM unit? i would opt for an upgraded one from whoosh
 


Messages
583
Likes
735
Location
Riverside,CA
#3
an upgraded radiator and thermostat should do the trick. i wouldn't replace the temp sensor unless it's truly faulty. since you do those two things, you'll need to refill the system anyway.
is he replacing the radiator with an OEM unit? i would opt for an upgraded one from whoosh
I second this statement
 


Messages
139
Likes
142
Location
Atlanta
#4
I would strongly suggest you go with the 180 Motorcraft unit, as I used a Mishi thermostat on a different car, and it was problematic. Ended up having to replace it.

Mountune also has Fiesta radiators, along with Mishimoto, Whoosh, etc. so several options available.
 


OP
S
Messages
21
Likes
5
Location
Florida
Thread Starter #5
That's t
an upgraded radiator and thermostat should do the trick. i wouldn't replace the temp sensor unless it's truly faulty. since you do those two things, you'll need to refill the system anyway.
is he replacing the radiator with an OEM unit? i would opt for an upgraded one from whoosh
That's the thing I'm confused about he said the radiator was fine?
 


Messages
139
Likes
142
Location
Atlanta
#6
A full AL radiator is an upgrade that allows the car to handle heat more effectively, especially for tuned cars or those that are in 'hot/humid' climates. Many people have heat management issues in such places while running the A/C in heavy traffic.

The thinking is if you have the cooling system apart anyway, worth the extra $500-ish to add the extra cooling capacity. And they are fully metal, so no plastic endcaps to fail, so added reliability on a known failure area.

Also, add some WaterWetter, helps with heat transfer. Used it on other vehicles with notable improvement in cooling.
 


OP
S
Messages
21
Likes
5
Location
Florida
Thread Starter #7
A full AL radiator is an upgrade that allows the car to handle heat more effectively, especially for tuned cars or those that are in 'hot/humid' climates. Many people have heat management issues in such places while running the A/C in heavy traffic.

The thinking is if you have the cooling system apart anyway, worth the extra $500-ish to add the extra cooling capacity. And they are fully metal, so no plastic endcaps to fail, so added reliability on a known failure area.

Also, add some WaterWetter, helps with heat transfer. Used it on other vehicles with notable improvement in cooling.
So it's probably best to upgrade the radiator instead of doing that that with the thermostat is what your saying
 


Messages
139
Likes
142
Location
Atlanta
#8
Generally, it seems that is what a lot of people do. I am personally doing both for my Fiesta, and did both in another current Ford car, and in other prior cars.

Personal experience - the radiator has a much larger impact to overall heat management, as it provides a better cooling function than the OEM unit due to it being larger and with an additional row vs stock. It is just a larger heatsink. The thermostat gives you added headroom in things like heavy traffic since it opens earlier so you get cooling sooner. But its the radiator that you want if you are planning to run the car hard somewhere hot, especially tuned.

It gets pretty hot where I am in the summer - but not as hot as where you are.
 


Ford Community Posts



Top