sounds like your thermistor input circuit is bad. most thermistors, NTC & PTC, have switch point or knee around a couple k; most drives have set point around 3-10k -- anything above is good, below bad -- or vice versa. none will have switch point over 100k. thermostats of course are 0 ohms or open so setpoint still set around 1k to trip. if you can go 1-400k then input is prob bad - unless your thermistor is a special one that is semiconductor based and polarity sensative like a KTY unit - then your pot will not simulate it correctly.