Howdy y’all, this is my first post here so let’s see how it goes! Starting to restore my old 97 Ranger and the next two things I’m working on are somewhat related. I have no lights in my dash and at night I have to use a speedometer app on my phone, which is getting old lol and both the coolant temp gauges are not reading.I dont think the problem is connected but figured the extra info might help. Just want a general check list if y’all can help! Thank you! 😁

 

Welcome to the forum

So no lights in the cluster and no lights in the heater control area or radio?

Then Dimmer wheel would be where to start
When you turn on the Park or Headlights(and they work) that 12volts is also sent to the dimmer wheel, it then sends out 0v to 12v to the "dash lights"
Dimmer wheel as has a 2nd switch inside, separate from the dash lights 12v, if wheel is turned all the way up Dome light should come on

Park and headlights use 2 fuse in engine bay fuse box, fuse 8 and 11 respectively

Cluster has 3 fuses, but nothing to do with dimmer wheel or back lights
In cab fuse box
11
15
25
All are 7.5amp and power instruments in the cluster

Temp gauge uses a one wire SENDER on the engine, tell us what engine and we'll tell you where it is

Not sure what "both temp gauges" mean, there is only one

You can get owners manual from here: https://www.ranger-forums.com/genera...1-models-3747/

 

[QUOTE=RonD;2170001]Welcome to the forum
Thanks buddy, I’ve actually got a lot of info from you through others posts, now I finally get to talk to you myself lol

97 3.0 V6

Radio and heater lights are working! But one thing to note that I didn’t mention, my dome light is also out.

Have not tested anything with the dimmer yet, but it does work for the heater lights 🤷‍♂️

Parking and headlight both are good and I checked my fuses(by eye) and they look fine. Another note, it seems my gauge on the dash actually slightly moves down when I turn the key, this is consistent too! Weird!
As far as the sender/sensor let me know if I got it right lol
Heres a pic of that:

This has been a big pain figuring out the difference between sensors, sensors and switches 🤦‍♂️ But hopefully I kinda get it lol

Another mystery I’m trying to figure out is what THIS loose connector was too. Can’t find anywhere to hook it up?

The rusty colored connector that looks like it’s missing a wire(I wondered if it was an old sender connector?)

Heres the dash gauge before power, and after powered:



Here is the mysterious 2nd gauge below the ac controls(I assume it’s aftermarket):

You can see the single wire coming from the back and it seems to lead to the sender unit? Idk if I have two or they did a lazy replace but this one doesn’t move at ALL lol 🤷‍♂️

And finally a visual of the what I see before power, and after starting with lights:

Before power



After Powered, the only dash lights that work..



These babies look fine lol

 

Just in case, the battery light is only on bc I turned the key without starting the truck . Battery light goes off when I start it!

 

?????

 

Just realized my first post with the pictures didn’t go through lol Does it take longer bc it has picture or something??? Hope I don’t gotta retype that lol

 

[QUOTE=RonD;2170001]Welcome to the forum
Thanks buddy, I’ve actually got a lot of info from you through others posts, now I finally get to talk to you myself lol

97 3.0 V6

Radio and heater lights are working! But one thing to note that I didn’t mention, my dome light is also out.

Have not tested anything with the dimmer yet, but it does work for the heater lights 🤷‍♂️

Parking and headlight both are good and I checked my fuses(by eye) and they look fine. Another note, it seems my gauge on the dash actually slightly moves down when I turn the key, this is consistent too! Weird!
As far as the sender/sensor let me know if I got it right lol
Heres a pic of that:

This has been a big pain figuring out the difference between sensors, sensors and switches 🤦‍♂️ But hopefully I kinda get it lol

Another mystery I’m trying to figure out is what THIS loose connector was too. Can’t find anywhere to hook it up?

The rusty colored connector that looks like it’s missing a wire(I wondered if it was an old sender connector?)

Heres the dash gauge before power, and after powered:



Here is the mysterious 2nd gauge below the ac controls(I assume it’s aftermarket):

You can see the single wire coming from the back and it seems to lead to the sender unit? Idk if I have two or they did a lazy replace but this one doesn’t move at ALL lol 🤷‍♂️

And finally a visual of the what I see before power, and after starting with lights:

Before power



After Powered, the only dash lights that work..



These babies look fine lol

 

Thank Ron, ive actually gotten help from you before through reading others posts, now it’s my turn lol

97 3.0 V6

Radio and heater lights are working! But one thing to note that I didn’t mention, my dome light is also out.



Have not tested anything with the dimmer yet, but it does work for the heater/ac lights 🤷‍♂️



Parking and headlight both are good and I checked my fuses(by eye) and they look fine. Another note, it seems my gauge on the dash actually slightly moves down when I turn the key, this is consistent too! Weird!

As far as the sender/sensor let me know if I got it right lol

Heres a pic of that:

f9beb36d_ce84_466c_9580_d9e44c85ddea_64391cd0bf4fe 32ef56fcbc0240685721196fe7d.jpeg

This has been a big pain figuring out the difference between sensors, sensors and switches 🤦‍♂️ But hopefully I kinda get it lol

Something there that makes me scratch my head is a loose one-wire connector idk where it goes, if it does! Lol I thought it might be an old sender connector they didn’t take out?? Or it’s junk lol

The orangish-rusty looking stray connector near the T-housing with the other sensors.



-Before turning key-

-After turning key- Notice how the needle moved down?

Now this is the mysterious second gauge lol

This gauge seems to be connected to the sender unit, unless I’m mistaken. It does have the single wire tho! This one doesn’t move at all before or after power.

and finally, what I see at night before turning the key and lights, and after.

-No power-

-Powered- The only lights that work in the dash lol

And these babies all light up lol

 

Thank Ron, ive actually gotten help from you before through reading others posts, now it’s my turn lol

97 3.0 V6

Radio and heater lights are working! But one thing to note that I didn’t mention, my dome light is also out.



Have not tested anything with the dimmer yet, but it does work for the heater/ac lights 🤷‍♂️



Parking and headlight both are good and I checked my fuses(by eye) and they look fine. Another note, it seems my gauge on the dash actually slightly moves down when I turn the key, this is consistent too! Weird!

As far as the sender/sensor let me know if I got it right lol

Heres a pic of that:

f9beb36d_ce84_466c_9580_d9e44c85ddea_64391cd0bf4fe 32ef56fcbc0240685721196fe7d.jpeg

This has been a big pain figuring out the difference between sensors, sensors and switches 🤦‍♂️ But hopefully I kinda get it lol

Something there that makes me scratch my head is a loose one-wire connector idk where it goes, if it does! Lol I thought it might be an old sender connector they didn’t take out?? Or it’s junk lol

The orangish-rusty looking stray connector near the T-housing with the other sensors.



-Before turning key-

-After turning key- Notice how the needle moved down?

Now this is the mysterious second gauge lol

This gauge seems to be connected to the sender unit, unless I’m mistaken. It does have the single wire tho! This one doesn’t move at all before or after power.

and finally, what I see at night before turning the key and lights, and after.

-No power-

-Powered- The only lights that work in the dash lol

And these babies all light up lol

 

Ahh I see, I guess from my phone it doesn’t tell me I have to wait for mod to approve. Well I guess it’s up in the wind right now lol

 

The dash warning lights, like battery light, have no connection to the back lights(lights up cluster at night), so not sure what a picture would show that would help

 

I have a huge response with a bunch of pictures but it’s just taking the moderators forever to approve it? I don’t know why it wouldn’t be approved.. I was just saying that in case you thought I might have a battery issue causing the lights to not work. 🤷‍♂️

 

Maybe the mods got Corona lol

 

I have a huge response with a bunch of pictures but it’s just taking the moderators forever to approve it? I don’t know why it wouldn’t be approved.. I was just saying that in case you thought I might have a battery issue causing the lights to not work. 🤷‍♂️

 

No, not a battery issue if your headlights and parking lights work

 

In a PM you said the Radio and the heater control lights work with Parking lights on, can you dim them using the wheel?

In either case I think you will need to pull out the cluster, and have 6 new back light bulbs on hand to replace the bulbs in the cluster, you always replace all 6 bulbs when a cluster is out, they are not expensive, if you use LEDs then MAKE SURE to get polarity right, i.e. test that all 6 light up before reinstalling cluster

With cluster out you can then test voltage on the 2 Red/black stripe wires on the 2 connectors, C214 and C215
Parking lights on for the test and adjust dimmer wheel
Yes all 6 bulbs can be burned out

1997 Cluster wiring below, also has fuses to check but they don't power the back lights, they are powered from the parking light fuse

The 6 back lights do NOT share a common ground, 3 bulbs get 12v and ground from separate wires from the other 3

 

Yes the dimmer wheel works to dim the heater controls. So you think the next thing to check would be bulbs and wires after pulling the cluster? If there’s anything else I can check I want to bc I don’t wanna pull the cluster if I don’t have to lol

 

Hopefully the pictures go through soon so you can see what you think about the sender/sensor, mystery gauge, and stray connector lol

 

It would be best to just re up load your pictures

 

The sensor connector should have a green/red and gray/red wire right? The sender, if I’m looking at the right thing, has what looks to be a single bronze wire with a coil around it the whole length of the wire?
The mystery connector is rusty colored with a single red/white wire. Hopefully that gives you more to work with!

 

I’ll try again now, but this will be the third time lol

 

Thank Ron, ive actually gotten help from you before through reading others posts, now it’s my turn lol

97 3.0 V6

Radio and heater lights are working! But one thing to note that I didn’t mention, my dome light is also out.

Have not tested anything with the dimmer yet, but it does work for the heater/ac lights 🤷‍♂️

Parking and headlight both are good and I checked my fuses(by eye) and they look fine. Another note, it seems my gauge on the dash actually slightly moves down when I turn the key, this is consistent too! Weird!

As far as the sender/sensor let me know if I got it right lol

Heres a pic of that:



This has been a big pain figuring out the difference between sensors, sensors and switches 🤦‍♂️ But hopefully I kinda get it lol

Something there that makes me scratch my head is a loose one-wire connector idk where it goes, if it does! Lol I thought it might be an old sender connector they didn’t take out?? Or it’s just junk??


The orangish-rusty looking stray connector near the T-housing with the other sensors.




-Before turning key-



-After turning key- Notice how the needle moved down?



Now this is the mysterious second gauge lol


This gauge seems to be connected to the sender unit, unless I’m mistaken. It does have the single wire tho! This one doesn’t move at all before or after power.



and finally, what I see at night before turning the key and lights, and after.


-No power-



-Powered- The only lights that work in the dash lol


And these babies all light up lol

 

What do ya know! I guess I just had to add them after posting by editing.. third times the charm 😂

 

After looking over the wiring diagram you posted I’ve concluded the mystery connector should be my sender connector. So now the question is.. am I looking at the right place or did the old owners install some weird aftermarket gauge/connector and didn’t even take out the original?

 

Also I know I’ll find out when I pull the sender, but which one of these is the right one? If either of them are. The left one is from advancedautoparts, the right one is from autozone lol