My 2001 ford escort has never had any issues except a leak in the radiator. I was driving at approx 60mph and it began to want to stall out. With the pedal to the floor the car would only reach 30mph and sounded as if it would completely die when in park. Any suggestions on what the problem may be?

You are going to have to find where the leak is first before looking at the temp guage problem. I would pressure test the cooling system and look for leaks. check the heater core...make sure thats not leaking. make sure the engine oil and transmission fluids are not over full and milky. Good Luck

it may be kicking your overdrive out while you drive. id have a transmission shop look at it :)

make sure coolant level is normal if its full you may have a thermostat thats come apart sounds like your low on coolant though

Hello, charlesingra and thank you for asking your question on Fixya!

Here is a simple process that will walk you through a few steps that will pinpoint the overheating problem on your 2001 Ford Escort ZX2, without even using any tools. It has helped millions of people, and I am certain that it will help you, because I wrote it for people in your exact situation.
How to diagnose your overheating 2001 Ford Escort ZX2

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Thanks for the vote, and good luck!

throttle body intake gasket, good start

Remove the flexible plastic tube and check for crack(s) or air leaks.

one small hole on the air intake tube will give incorrect amount of air into the engine.

All of Ford's belt driven engines are non-interference with the exception of the 3.0L villager which was really a nissan.

Hummmm... Relaced the radiator yet? Check to see if there water coming from the timing cover to rule out water pump..

Replace the thermostat, if that does not cure the issue you have a slight head gasket leak. I am a retired Ford dealer tech and this is what I have found causes this issue.

Press the brake pedal with the engine idling, do you hear any hissing? if so it is a leaky brake booster, the vacuum leak will cause a stall, another issue with this car is sludge in the throttle valve and idle speed control air-bypass valve, clean them both with carb spray with the engine running, use about 1/2 the can, hold the idle high or the engine will stall, then disconnect the battery for five minutes, reconnect and drive a few miles, if the stall is sludge related then this should correct the issue.