Autochoke / temp sensor question

[matt_fsr]

I've picked up a Mk3 Mondeo in the middle of last week, seems to be a pretty nice lil car for what we want, recently had lots of new brake parts and drives great.

Only query I have though is that the temperature gauge seems to be somewhat dodgy, it takes forever to lift off the bottom, and I've also seen it drop down again partly while still driving.

I'm not bothered about it, the heater works so clearly the engine is warming up fine - but would the faulty temp gauge be affecting anything else, the immediate thing to mind being the autochoke? i.e. would it cause the car to run on an unduly rix mix of petrol/air and therefore be wasting fuel?

 

[matt_fsr]

Thanks DaveyD.

As with all cars I own I plan to get a Haynes manual for it pretty soon, but are they easily fixed by someone who knows the correct end of a spanner?

 

[matt_fsr]

Cheers for that, though they're both for the diesel engine - mine's the 1.8 Duratec petrol.

Would the thermostats be in the same location? Hopefully I'll get to do this and give it a service at the weekend.