Thought I Would Share

[Musick17]

About 8 months ago I made a couple of posts asking about compression tests and detailed out the overheating issue I had with my truck. I finally decided to take it to another mechanic to get checked out. For the whole store about what was going on with my truck check out this thread

http://therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142060

The short version is that I was having overheating issues and the guy who had it couldnt figure it out. We literally replaced everything we could to try and fix it.

The solution to my nightmare was.... the thermostat. The ironic thing is that the thermostat was pretty much the first thing we replaced in our efforts to figure this out.

Turns out my 2002 uses an electronic thermostat. When the thermostat went out it fried the driver on the computer so the computer was not communicating correctly with the thermostat. The thermostat was still getting power to it, but it was not getting the right information from the computer I guess. I could have fixed it all up right and had it programmed and whatnot but instead I replaced the thermostat with one designed for a 2004 that was not electric and now my truck runs perfect, with the exception of the check engine light being on.

Knowing this could of saved me about as much money as the truck is worth so I thought it would be good to pass it along. I dont know what trucks use electronic thermostats but its something to look into if you are having overheating issues.

Cheers

 

[RonD]

Never heard of an electronic thermostat on a Ranger and I hope I never will.

Someone was pulling your leg.
Or you are pulling ours

Computer monitors engine temp via the ECT sensor, but that sensor has no control or effect on temperature.

Only automotive application I could find for electronic thermostat was on the W-series engines by Volkswagen Group, very cool engines, W8, W12 and W16(1,000HP) firing order 1-14-9-4-7-12-15-6-13-8-3-16-11-2-5-10 << now thats coooool

W12 is only slightly longer than a 302(5.0L) at 415HP it would be a nice swap motor, lol.
Firing order 1 - 12 - 5 - 8 - 3 -10 - 6 - 7 - 2 - 11 - 4 - 9

 

[jhammel85]

Yeah I Dont know about an electronic thermostat either.

 

[Kowboy]

Electric T-stats on air cooled engines sure makes sense, but not on water cooled ones. Good call RonD.

 

[adsm08]

Yeah, the 2.3L has some sort of electronic heater on the thermostat housing.

Musick, if you short the two wires that go to the thermostat housing together and add a 14 to 16 ohm resistor in the line it should kill all the codes.

 

[RonD]

Yeah, the 2.3L has some sort of electronic heater on the thermostat housing.

Musick, if you short the two wires that go to the thermostat housing together and add a 14 to 16 ohm resistor in the line it should kill all the codes.

OMG, "say it ain't so Joe"

Looks like the '01-'02-'03 2.3l had electric heater in the t-stat housing.

My apologies Musick

Not an electric t-stat but damn close

 

[Musick17]

OMG, "say it ain't so Joe"

Looks like the '01-'02-'03 2.3l had electric heater in the t-stat housing.

My apologies Musick

Not an electric t-stat but damn close

No big thing. I really dont know fully what I'm talking about most of the time. I was just trying to get the jist of it for other people in the future