The '96 TD Automatic was fine until yesterday. On a short trip I noticed that the dash temp gauge was only millimeters off of the C and It stayed that way for the 20 mile trip-that never happened before. When I got home I noticed that the body panel adjacent to the radiator was hotter than I ever remember. The dash temp gauge does move but just barely making me think that is not the problem. Is it possible the water pump isn't moving the coolant. The radiator is full. Can I start the truck and squeeze the coolant hose at the top of the radiator to see if there is a flow? I'll appreciate any help.

 

I noticed a somewhat similar issue in my '04

Temp gauge showing cooler than normal.

In my case, I flushed the system with fresh water, replaced the coolant and the thermostat and all was normal again....

 

Assuming the gauge is not the problem, the lack of temperature gain sounds like a stuck-open thermostat. I think that if the water pump was not moving coolant, you would have high coolant temperatures as the coolant would not circulate from the engine to the radiator and would continue to absorb heat (at least up to a point).