Hello good people of FOC,

This is my first post on your forums since I have just inherited my Granddad's 1998 Escort, I'm hoping that you guys will be able to assist me over the next year or two that I plan on owning this car :)

I saved the poor car from meeting the scrap heap as my granddad managed to blow the head gasket and took it upon myself to fix it.

After a few weekends of work I managed to get it all fixed and running again, but there is still a problem.

The radiator fan isn't kicking in when the temp picks up, which is probably the cause of the blown gasket. I have found that the fan is still functional by shorting the wires to the fan switch and therefore blame the fan switch itself.

Now, the switch looks new.. which means that it may not be a Ford part and therefore may not be rated to the correct temperature as the original switch. The switch is rated at 100-95°C for low fan speed and 110-105°C for high.

I want to know what temperatures the switch is meant to operate on an original part.

If there are any MK VII owners out there can you please help me out by checking yours?

Should I buy a lower temp rating to help prevent overheating?

Thanks in advance

Got the same problem on my mk3 Escort. Fan works, switch is new and works. But on mine I think the connectors are corroded, so going to change those. I'm also going to fit a remote switch, so if the fan doesn't kick in, I can flick it on.

Did you check the thermostat on yours?