4 Wheel Drive/SUVs: 2000 ford explorer xls, temperature gauge, mechanical nature


Question
my temp gage shows cold but i have hot air coming out of the vents. which i want but i want to know if my thermostat. is not working  or if the engine is just not getting hot. and if i should take it in ti o get lookied at .or just leave it alone

Answer
Thanks for the question James, I normally do not answer questions of a mechanical nature but in this case I would like to answer you before you do too much.  It sounds to me like the problem is with the temperature gauge, or the sender, rather than with the thermostat or the engine.  Something like this is easy to diagnose and easy to fix.  Find a mechanic you trust and have them check the voltage at the sender and the gauge and I feel sure that one of them is defective.  Best of Luck, Bud