2.9L & 3.0L V6 Tech General discussion of 2.9L and 3.0L V6 Ford Ranger engines.

Help ID'ing a sensor on a 2.9

Old Oct 18, 2025
  #1  
1990 2.9L's Avatar
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Icon5 Help ID'ing a sensor on a 2.9

Mystery sensor is on the drivers side of the engine block, right beside the oil dipstick tube.
Mystery sensor is on the drivers side of the engine block, right beside the oil dipstick tube.


This is a 1990 ranger with the 2.9L 177cid
I do not know what this sensor is, or where the wires for it are or are supposed to come from.

If yall could help me ID it and find the wires I would be quite grateful.
thanks -Andrew
 
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Old Oct 19, 2025
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im pretty sure its oil pressure. if you removed it, you might be able to tell. look for oil. did the motor run or did the gauges work on the dash
 
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Old Oct 19, 2025
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i don't know if the oil pressure gage worked or not.

i bought the truck for 400 running with a blown head gasket fixed that then realized all the other seals where leaking and i found half of the timing tensioner in the oil pan so i fixed that


i have replaced:
timing chain & tensioner
water pump seal
timing cover seal
the head gasket job
rear main
front main
oil pan gasket +(oil level sensor soon)
front pump seal
trans fluid pan gasket
 
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Old Oct 23, 2025
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I think docm is correct but I took a look at my ‘89 2.9L the other day out of curiosity. Mine looks pretty much the same but is much farther forward, straight down from the power steering pump. If under the tape is a single male electrical connector, that’s what it is.

It’s actually a switch rather than a sensor. At 5-10 psi of oil pressure it grounds a wire and the gauge needle jumps up to the middle of the dial. On my motor the wire is in the same loom as the wire for the oil level float switch and the coolant temp sensor that goes to the dashboard. Good size red rubber connector, like a spark plug wire but much smaller.
 
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