Two issues-heat and ride
 

Hello Everyone-


I have a 1994 Ranger Splash and in the Summer it feels like the heat is always on unless I turn on the air. Their is heat at the floor level and even when off , there is still a small amount of hot air coming out of the vents?


Additionally,I had some problems with over heating but I installed a new fan, new radiator hoses and flushed the system and that did help. However, when I fill the cold fill resivor up to the cold level I get blow back when it has been driven for a while. Is that normal?


WE all know that early Rangers ride like crap. In mine, the cab bolts are loose and frozen and need replacement. Anywhere I can get them? I did install two good Monroe shocks on front and that helped. What about back, I do not want to put 200 pounds of weight in the bed. Perhaps Air shocks or Gas shocks. Thanks

Welcome to the forum

Heater core always has hot coolant flowing thru it, its the water pump by pass so can't be shut off.

There is a Blend door that is operated by a cable from the Temp control slider, it may need to be adjusted, you can see its connection by folding down the glove box all the way, and sliding the temp from cold to hot and back.
Blend door should be closed tight in COLD position, so no air can pass thru the heater core, if it is not closed all the way then you will feel warm air coming out any open vents.


Overheating
What engine do you have?
When engine is cold remove radiator cap and start engine
Some coolant may spill over if it was filled to the top
But that should only last 2-3 seconds
Then level should remain stable as engine warms up
If you get coolant overflowing in waves then you have a blown head gasket or cracked head.
If you see bubbles in the coolant then thats also caused by gasket or crack issue.

You can do the Glove Test to confirm this 100%, search for Glove Test on this site, I have posted it many times.

Overflowing or bubbling reservoir is also a sign of this

A cylinder in the engine has 150psi cranking and 900+psi when running
If there is a leak from a cylinder to the cooling system, i.e. head gasket or cracked head, then that "air" will be forced into the cooling system, this displace coolant in the head causing overheating and bubbles in the radiator.
Radiator cap is only rated for 16psi so leaking cylinder pressure pushes cap open and coolant and then air flows into the reservoir.

So first make sure you do not have head gasket or cracked head issue, then you can move on to other reasons you might get higher running temps


Yes, pickup trucks have to have springs in the rear that are rated for the capacity, in this case 1/2 ton.
Shocks slow springs and keep them from bouncing too much but won't help much if springs are too stiff.
Best way to deal with it is to get softer leaf springs and an over load spring
When bed is empty the softer springs are used for better ride, as you add weight to the bed the overload spring now comes into contact with the frame so you keep your rated capacity.

Many Thanks-all good info-The engine is 4.2
Can I adjust the blend door if I take out Glove Compartment- what about hot flr boards

I assume you mean 4.0l, 1990-2000 4.0l was known for head cracks if they were ever overheated, no do overs it happened if engine ever got too hot.

So if coolant got low because of a leak or, for whatever reason, engine overheated, then head would crack and engine would keep overheating from then on because of the crack.


Yes, you can adjust the Blend door cable with glove box folded down, you will see how it works once you lower the glove box

There is a Fresh air vent on passenger side, it is always OPEN, except in MAX A/C setting, all MAX A/C does is to close Fresh Air Vent, on ANY Vehicle, that's what MAX A/C means

Because the vent is always open there will be some air circulation when driving, and if Blend Door is not fully closed then it will be warmed up air

Thank you Ron you have been BIG HELP. Yes-4.0-what was I smoking. I suppose a cracked head is expensive to fix-but it is not running hot anymore

Then you are good to go, but now you know, don't let 4.0l overheat, pull over and stop, DO NOT try to make it home, let engine cool off then make the drive home or ??, in short hops, keep temp gauge below 1/2.

If a head replacement cost $600 and it takes you 3 HOURS to get home without cracking a head then you just made $200 an hour, not a bad day at all, lol

again-thank you

yea a pickup is not gonna ride super nice. Softer springs will help. Air shocks only really help when you have weight in the bed - empty bed its dependent on the springs.