slipping clutch, failed temp gauge and high idle on mk4 escort 1.8

[GeX]

Howdy.

Whilst my car is off the road, i have borrowed my mums Ford Escort. It is on a R plate, has a 1.8 16v engine and has a few 'wrongs' that i plan to right.

The clutch slips. The car has only done 77k, but has lived in the lake district so has seen more than its fair share of hills. Is the clutch likely to be goosed, or is it worth tinkering with the cable adjustors?

The temperature gauge on the dashboard does not work. If you turn the igintion on and wait, it will climb to the max marker before plummiting as soon as you start the car. And there it will stay.

When cold, the idle is fine - when warm/hot the idle is not. It sits around 1200rpm. The radiator cooling fan kicks in as normal. This to me suggests that the sensor that feeds the gauge also feeds the ECU, and the ECU thinks the car is always cold. This isn't good for the fuel economy.

Any ideas which sensor is which?

 

[Janesy B]

If the biting point is high then its adjustment, if it bites low and slips you'll need a new clutch. The temp guage probably works, its probs the temp sender in the thermostat (if it has one that is). As with the idle, thats usually an Idle Control Valve but could be something else as when an ICV goes the car wont idle at all.

 

[Janesy B]

Oh and its not a MK4, an R reg car will be a MK6.

 

[Dogbreath]

If the biting point is high then its adjustment, if it bites low and slips you'll need a new clutch.

Other way around, as a clutch wears the biting point gets higher as the clutch fingers move out towards the release bearing.