[DonM]

I went to an appointment this morning, and when I came back out and started the car, the temperature gauge didn't register. So I flipped through the controls and couldn't get a digital reading on the DIC either - just two dashes (- -).

After a few miles, the check engine light came on. So I stopped at the parts store to have them pull the codes, and they found code P0128 (Engine Coolant Temp Below Thermostat Regulating Temperature) and the suggested fix was to replace the thermostat.

My issue is that if the thermostat was bad, shouldn't I STILL get a temp reading? So I'm thinking the coolant temp sensor is bad. So where is the stupid thing, and how difficult is it to switch out?

[The Maverick]

There are a few different threads on this issue. The car is programmed to not display a coolant temperature when the issue occurs, so the lack of a temperature display is not a direct consequence of the underlying issue.