Here is the whole'ish story.
I bought a 95 estate Escort with AC. It showed hot when testing but I had read this can be normal for Escorts, on the web. Sometimes it would go very near the red, between the end of normal and the start of red, before the fan cut it so I changed the temp sensor, pattern, at the bottom of the thermostat housing, I was told by Ford that the top sensor is for the AC. Changed the thermostat from a 89c pattern one to an original Ford 92c . Still the same, so I had it tested for gas in the expansion tank = negative. I was told the rad is blocked so I had a new one fitted, pattern but same firm that makes the original. Still the same and the fan cuts in every 1-2 minutes in traffic. Checked fan worked by shorting the connector on the fan switch, thought that there should be 2 connections that caused the fan to sart but only one position worked. Phone a Ford dealer in the UK who said only 1 will work as it's a variable speed fan not 2 speed. Changed the fan switch in the top hose, the old one was 95-90 pattern to a new ford one 100-95, I assume that this means it starts at 100c and stops the fan at 95c? WOW 2 mill into the red before the fan starts OMG, wait, no steam, no boiling noises, hmmm. goes to the local Ford garage and gets them to check the engine temp when the fan has just stopped using an infra-red temp sensor pointed at the plastic thermosta housing, 97c, the housing wouldn't cool as fast as the water so I guess the coolant was at about 95c(why didn't they think to do this before instead of telling me it was 100% the head gasket and they could fix it for 250 Pounds + parts. The gauge runs from the tip of the "L" to 2 millimeters into the red all the time now so I guess I need a second hand gauge(local breakers imports from the UK to break in Poland).
Could it be that the Escort doesn't like pattern temp sensors(anyone know how many ohms it should red at 95-100c? I can test the old pattern one which showed the same as the new)
What I really what to know is: is it normal for the fan to cut in when moving slowly in traffic, stopping sometimes, when the temp outside is 10c and it's raining, other cars I've had have had better cooling without the need to use the fan, even on quite warm days. Are Fords different ie hot running engines.
Also, is it normal for the wipers to slow when the fan cuts in?

For those that anwer - THANKS for wading through it all

Spoke to a Focus 1.4 owner(2 year old Focus, maybe?) and they said that their fan cuts in a lot when driving round town.

Well i have had Escorts for many years now and NEVER had a problem with overheating, my car (1.8 ghia X) never even runs over the R in normal on the temperature guage.

When stood still she will travel up to very close to the red, and sometimes does just touch, but then the fan will kick in and she comes all the way back down again

[quote name='vinnyvangough' post='46365' date='Oct 16 2009, 11:02 AM']Well i have had Escorts for many years now and NEVER had a problem with overheating, my car (1.8 ghia X) never even runs over the R in normal on the temperature guage.

When stood still she will travel up to very close to the red, and sometimes does just touch, but then the fan will kick in and she comes all the way back down again[/quote]
Mine never over heats either and when the fans cuts in it cools down. I wanted to know how often does the fan cut in when crawling in traffic or stuck in a que. I'm used to other makes of car which seem hardly ever to need the fan. Although I have noticed that some Escorts which have the driving lights fitted in the bumper have a larger hole, below the numberplate, than the ones like mine with no lights and a small slit above the numberplate.

"never even runs over the R in normal"........"I need a second hand gauge"