93 2.3 5spd all new cooling system n no gauge still

[86beater]

Got it off a buddy for $600 n he said it needed a water pump so i replaced the radiator, heater core, heater and rad hoses, tstat n housing, sender n sensor n water pump. All brand new parts. Problem is that the gauge still reads at the line just to the right of the "C". Heater is hot as hell tho. Ive bled it a bunch of times a bunch of different ways with no luck. Any other ideas. I searched but didnt really find anything. Thanks!

 

[86beater]

Screw it lol. I ran the sender wire to battery negative n kicked on the key and it shot all the way up so the gauge is fine. Just annoying that outta 5 ather 90-95's ive had that they all sat on the "r" in normal

 

[scotts90ranger]

I've put 120k miles on my Ranger with the gauge there... like above just say screw it and run it... just have to remember if it stands straight up (or sideways, whatever the gauge situation is...) it's a problem!!!

I didn't try very hard, but I gave up on fixing that, I'm going on 3 engines reading the same spot on the gauge, at least 2 different thermostats (yes, over 18 years and 3 engines...) and two or three different coolant temp senders. It's a 2.3L thing, I don't think anyone understands... You can probably add some resistors to the circuit to get it reading right but that sounds like effort...

 

[tomw]

The sensor is a single wire stuffed into the drivers side of the block, just above and to the right(rear) of the oil filter. If the gauge reads low, you have two choices, or more:
1) sender resistance/temp curve is incorrect 2)voltage regulator on the back of the cluster is not chopping to proper voltage(does gas gauge work properly - both run off regulated volts) 3) the gauge is calibrated improperly for the sender values 4)the thermostat is not keeping the floor temp. Check both heater hoses for being too hot to keep touching. Both hoses should be uncomfortable, not blistering, but you REALLY don't want to keep a finger on either. If they are not hot, could be low on coolant, which will futz with the sensor, as it needs to be submerged in coolant.
If you had the wrong sensor, such as for the warning light, the gauge would read cold, then go full hot, I think, as it is a switch that's normally open, but closes when HOT.
I don't think adding a resistor would help, as the current existing resistance is too high, maybe. When you ground the sensor wire to the block, the gauge should BANG go full HOT. That's 'zero' resistance, so more resistance would indicate colder. You could put a resistor in parallel, from the wire to ground, which could lower 'base' resistance. Resistors in parallel don't add, in series, they do.
tom

 

[86beater]

Not too concerned about it i guess. This is the first 2.3 ive had, the other were all v6's n read normal. Ill leave it be