Escort Xr3i Short List Of Problems...

[Guest bigwillis2000]

hi, i recentley bought a k reg escort xr3i 1.8 16v zetec cabriolet, and i am very pleased with it.

 

however it does have a couple of small niggly problems. im sure these questions have been asked a million times before but i cant get the search function to work properly, sorry.

 

the temprature guage does not work at all, but i am going to take it out and try the boiling water in a cup thing, i did notice after i had bought it, someone had connected a resister to both wires on the bigger 24mm sensor thats on top, its a bit dificult to explain exactly where it is. any ideas why someone would do that? i guess that maybe someone thought it for the temprature sensor?

 

and the fuel guage doesnt work properly it reads just below half a tank when its about empty, it has had a new tank last september so im just guessing they have disturbed the fuel sender when they put it back in. or could it be something else?

 

and i drove to a friends house the other day about a mile away, turned off the car then tried to start it up 20 mins later and it wouldnt start its done it a few times to me now, it turns over about to start then cuts out but on about the forth turn of the key it will fire up no problem, a faint smell of fuel but i guess thats from me trying to start it over and over. is it a air flow meter problem?

 

and one more thing theres a noise coming from the passanger side at the front, its not loud or getting worse its just annoying i have had the wheel off and had a good look round because i thought it could be a wheel bearing at first, but it seems fine i know its dificult when im just typeing it on a computer but is there anything thats a comon fault on these cars that i should check?

 

any help and guidence is very much apreciated so thanks in advance!

[Vincygav]

The coolant temp sensor guage has gone. It is on the cooling hose.

Could be you need new spark plugs why you have trouble to start it when the engine is hot.