Fuel and Temp Gauge not working

[johndough]

I have a 1988 Ford Ranger with the 2.9L. My fuel gauge and temperature gauge are reading limp like so. My tachometer works. Has anyone else had this problem, and what’s the fix?

 

[franklin2]

Fuel gauge is usually the sending unit. The temperature gauge also. If you want to do a quick test, find the temp sender on the engine. It will be the one with the single wire going to it, not the one with the two wires going to it. Once you find it, get a helper and turn the key to run but do not start the engine. Take the wire off the sending unit and ground it to something metal on the engine. The gauge should read full scale to one side. Then take the wire off the metal and let it hang in the air. The gauge should swing full scale the opposite way. If it passes this test, the wire and the gauge are good, the sending unit is bad.

You can do this same test for the fuel gauge if you want to crawl under there and disconnect it from the tank. And pick the proper wire, one of them feeds the fuel pump. I think the proper wire may be yellow/white but not sure on that.

 

[AndyB.]

Since multiple gauges are impacted, I’d check the instrument cluster voltage regulator. Ford part number D1AZ-10804-A.

 

[johndough]

Since multiple gauges are impacted, I’d check the instrument cluster voltage regulator. Ford part number D1AZ-10804-A.

When I search up the part number, it reads that this voltage regulator it says that it only fits Rangers from 1983-1985. Is it interchangeable to an 88?

 

[AndyB.]

Ah, no idea on that, sorry.

 

[AndyB.]

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If this is the same as your gauge cluster,I can see the instrument cluster voltage regulator in use.

 

[franklin2]

If the ranger was like the larger f150 thru f250, they changed the way the gauges worked in 1987. I am not sure if the ranger followed this theme or not. In a 1987-up f150-f350, the sending units are different (different ohms and work backwards) and the gauges are different and work like GM gauges that do not need a regulator.

But even then, the simple ground, unground test still works no matter what style gauges you have.