Can anyone help. My ranger is a 2002, 2.3L (I think it’s a duratech) with about 60,000 miles on it. A few weeks ago I was driving and it gave a P1432 code. I read the code, and reset while driving, and then looked at the real time data. The water temperature was 260 degrees (on the Actron scanner), I turned on the heat, rolled down the windows and it lowered a little. The Dash gauge showed “normal” in the temperature range and other than the code, I had no problems with the truck.

Next day I bought a thermostat ($140.00) and replaced it, but when I drove it the temperature rapidly rose to 260 degrees again. I returned the thermostat for a replacement, put it in and still got 260 degrees on the scanner, but always “normal” on the dash gauge.

I called a mechanic in my home town 150 miles away, and he said bring it to him, he’d look at it. I removed the new thermostat, put the old casing on without the thermostat and was able to drive it home easily; in fact it even gave me a code that the temperature was too cold.

After paying 500 for diagnostics and a new water pump he said it was working (and I trust this guy). I drove it and within about six miles I again got 260 degrees on my scanner. I drove it 150 to my job, drove it around a week and in all about 400 miles and it was 260 degrees, never hotter. I checked the lower radiator hose and it was always cold, not cool but as cold as the outside air. I panicked and removed the new thermostat and now am running just the housing until I find out if this is normal or not.

I’m convinced now that the scanner is reading a temperature from somewhere other than the thermostat, probably in a cylinder head or something hot, I just can’t figure out why my lower hose remains so cold (even after a 150 mile drive with the whole thermostat on). It can’t be overheating because I was able to drive it 150 miles, but I’m afraid to mess it up.

Does anyone know how the 2.3L thermostat works, does the electrical connection just read temperature, or does it assist in opening the thermostat? When I remove the inside of the Thermostat the dash gauge is inoperative. Has anyone looked at their coolant temperature using an Actron Scanner, and does it stay around 260 degrees? The truck drives fine with the thermostat installed but reads very hot on the scanner. The upper hoses are very hot, but the lower remains very cold (to the touch), is this normal or am I just paranoid?

Appreciate any help anyone might be able to give on this one, I’m simply stumped.

 

Usually when the upper hose is hot and the lower hose is cold this is normally a sign of a clogged radiator... or something in your coolant system that is blocking the coolant from circulating throughout the motor. (like your heater core or something) 260 degrees is VERY hot in my book i would not drive my truck if it was reading 260 on the temp gague. check your radiator.

 

http://www.justanswer.com/ford/348ml...e-degrees.html

this should give you more of an understanding about it.
but what i did is put a 2004 thermostat for about 35 dollars in my truck (01 -03 have the electronic thermostats) and my ecm temp is now about 224.

 

I would would check for two things:
1) Poor Radiator Ciculation
2) Clutch Fan may not be operating

 

Froggie, if you have a heated thermostat did you use a resistor in the connector? If so, what size resistor was that and did it affect how your Ranger runs?

 

My 2001 Ranger 4x2 2.3l Has been running at 240-260 since the day I got it. (11 years ago, 140k miles ago)... I just assumed it ran that high normally!

Dotrot

 

Preaching about an issue I have had with 3+ rangers. It is not right, but is correct. It says 260, but I think it is reading 60+, it's stupid and freaks me out too, but it seems to be common in all my 01 to 03s I've owned. I just don't think the read out is compatible with scan type gauges.

 

Mine did the same thing! I HAVE THE Actron scan tool. As soon as I started it it was reading like 242. then it went up to about 260. I think the scanner isn't deciphering the code right. I MIGHT TRY A THERMOCOUPLE TO VERIFY. I'll also try to check it first thing when I started it after sitting a while.

 

Like most people are reporting 250 to 260... also the code maybe irrelevant (w/ no research)

All rangers I have owned have always seemed to read too high like you mention. I believe whatever outputs the sensor is putting out isn't being computed/scaled properly by most/all scanners. Scan gauge and ELM327 reported 250+ on the few I have scanned. Fortunately and unfortunately I believe you don't have a problem and you spent time and money for something that may be a non-issue.