Hello all. I just bought a 2001 ford ranger 2.5l auto with 107000 mi. The temp gauge only goes up a 1/4 of the way and seems to fluctuate slightly. Where should the temp gauge normally be when warmed up? Thanks.

 

normally warmed up it will be about 1/2 to 3/4 between cold and normal, probably a faulty temperature sending unit

 

whats the heat like when the temp gauge is at the 1/4 mark...ford temp gauges tend to read on the cool side...my car was exactly like your truck...and slight fluctuation is normal

 

The heater works great. I replaced the temp sending unit and that wasn't it. It responds better though so I'm still glad I did it. Basically at idle the gauge moves to the halfway mark between hot and cold but then when I get up to speed ( 30-60ish mph) it cools down to about 1/4 up from cold. At that point I still have good heat. I'm thinking thermostat or fan clutch?

 

Just an insight for this thread. I had this same issue with my truck, I replaced the sensor, redid the whole cooling system. I ended up installing an Autometer engine temp gauge, and the temp is steady at 180F and gets to 210F in very heavy traffic. Meanwhile, the stock gauge will fluctuate.

 

yeah not sure the idiot gauges from the factory are that great, let alone any of the stock gauges.

 

I had the same issue with my 97 2.3l and it wound up being the thermostat...

 

I have a 99 and mine use to do the same thing till my thermostat went completely out but I replaced it and it fixed the problem with the gauge.