thermo/sensor

[whimsicalpouch2]

if i have a check engine light that is 99% sure that its the thermostat and or temp sensor, can it cause my engine to sometimes be slightly off? as in maybe not a smooth idle every now and then, or no?
svt focus

[zetecDon]

Moved to "General Technical Chat".

[02fordsvt]

My first advice would be to take your car to Advanced Auto Parts or another parts store and get the check engine light read. You'd be better off now 100% whats wrong and then making a decision.

[whynotthinkwhynot]

You might as well purchase a universal code reader, then you'll have one for this car and your next car. Most of the parts places are charging to read codes now because the manufacturers of universal code readers were upset since free code reading services basically take money out of their pockets.

No matter what you do, once you get a code, write it down and come back here. On the first page of Tech chat, about the 5th thread down is one that reads "Technical Chat stickied threads" click on that, then read through the links on the next page. One of those will be "DTC codes and their meanings" open that link and then find your code and read the description. Typically our DTC code descriptions are better than what you'll find in your book that comes with the code reader- or what the parts guy tells you. Also, just because you have a code for something like and oxygen sensor, that doesn't mean you need to purchase an oxygen sensor to fix the problem. The problem might be somewhere else, and so the O2 sensor is giving a bad reading.

[whimsicalpouch2]

it was the P0125

[whynotthinkwhynot]

I would replace the thermostat first because it's the cheapest option. Those are usually only $4 or so. The CHT will run you more like $40. If you end up needing a CHT, then definitely purchase it from our new vendor Village Ford.

[amc49]

You need to fix it anyway since the problem will mask any other things that could be wrong.

Stat like he says first.

Whynot, do they charge for code reading there? Here where I worked they shied away from it for the longest with your same viewpoint, but when they ran a check on how many readers they were selling then they caved into free reading since there were no code reader sales to kill. Too expensive, we rarely sold one. In short, it became you or us and they picked us. The 'other guys' were making too much money off free code reading and they simply couldn't stand it.