92 Ranger 2.3 Coolant gauge barely moves.
#1
02-25-2024
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Location: Pell City, Alabama
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92 Ranger 2.3 Coolant gauge barely moves.
Good afternoon,
I just got my Ranger about a month ago and have completely replaced every cooling line/sensor and the thermostat. My coolant gauge only moves between the big white line above the c to the first mark of the normal range. I just finished replacing the temp sender (the one that goes into the block under the intake manifold). Any suggestions on how to further diagnose? I'm not that good with wiring, but I do have a multimeter.
I just got my Ranger about a month ago and have completely replaced every cooling line/sensor and the thermostat. My coolant gauge only moves between the big white line above the c to the first mark of the normal range. I just finished replacing the temp sender (the one that goes into the block under the intake manifold). Any suggestions on how to further diagnose? I'm not that good with wiring, but I do have a multimeter.
#2
02-25-2024
Welcome to the forum
The 2.3l SOHC Lima engine is unique in this because the temp sender(for dash temp gauge) is at the rear of the engine instead of the TOP FRONT like in most other engines, where coolant is the warmest
So they always read a bit low, but worth checking if gauge is working OK
Get a jumper wire for the sender that you can ground
Unplug the wire on the sender and Ground that wire that goes to the gauge
Turn on the key, engine off
The temp gauge should go all the way up to HOT
If so then wire and gauge are OK
If it doesn't go all the way to HOT then there may be some corrosion in that wire or one of its connectors as it passes thru firewall to the cluster/temp gauge
The sender is the ground for the temp gauge, and if it's single wire that means the THREADS on the sender are the ground to engine, so if you used sealant/tape on the threads that will cause a poor ground, need to leave at least a few bare metal threads at the bottom of any senders, temp or oil pressure senders
As the sender is warmed up by coolant it becomes a better and better ground so temp needle goes up
Senders are 12volt and can be 1 or 2 wire
Sensors have at least 2 wires and are 5volt so always have their own ground, just FYI
In 1998 or so senders started to get 2 wires because of more plastics on engines, so grounds can be poor
But 2.3l temp gauge should get up to at least 1/3 on the gauge, with other engines gauge is just below 1/2 as normal operating temp
You can move the temp sender to top front of the engine, use a heater hose "bung" to put it where coolant temp is hottest
Looks like this: https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-ao78...807638.jpg?c=2
Needs to be grounded, that's what the wire and screw are for
The 2.3l SOHC Lima engine is unique in this because the temp sender(for dash temp gauge) is at the rear of the engine instead of the TOP FRONT like in most other engines, where coolant is the warmest
So they always read a bit low, but worth checking if gauge is working OK
Get a jumper wire for the sender that you can ground
Unplug the wire on the sender and Ground that wire that goes to the gauge
Turn on the key, engine off
The temp gauge should go all the way up to HOT
If so then wire and gauge are OK
If it doesn't go all the way to HOT then there may be some corrosion in that wire or one of its connectors as it passes thru firewall to the cluster/temp gauge
The sender is the ground for the temp gauge, and if it's single wire that means the THREADS on the sender are the ground to engine, so if you used sealant/tape on the threads that will cause a poor ground, need to leave at least a few bare metal threads at the bottom of any senders, temp or oil pressure senders
As the sender is warmed up by coolant it becomes a better and better ground so temp needle goes up
Senders are 12volt and can be 1 or 2 wire
Sensors have at least 2 wires and are 5volt so always have their own ground, just FYI
In 1998 or so senders started to get 2 wires because of more plastics on engines, so grounds can be poor
But 2.3l temp gauge should get up to at least 1/3 on the gauge, with other engines gauge is just below 1/2 as normal operating temp
You can move the temp sender to top front of the engine, use a heater hose "bung" to put it where coolant temp is hottest
Looks like this: https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-ao78...807638.jpg?c=2
Needs to be grounded, that's what the wire and screw are for
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