I can vouch for the accuracy of the temp gauge, it's just that from factory Ford did not reference any real numbers on the gauge face and they dumbed it down for the driver. I know this because the real-time readout from the 1996 OBD-II port is within just a few degrees of my Coyote OBD-II reading and both read correct when the fan is programmed to activate at 210*F. And I've observed this many times now, not just once or twice. The likelihood that both are incorrect is therefore pretty low. I'm sure if I pointed an infrared temp reader/gun at it that it was also corroborate. I myself have redone the gauge faces to better discern what's happening at any given time, and it's quite repeatable. All that has to happen to the contrary is for the temp sender to eventually fail... then just swap it out.
