85 ranger temp gauge not working

[baconops89]

My temp gauge in my 85 ranger just sits on cold and wont move. My fuel gauge works and my oil pressure gauge works so i know theres power to the cluster. how can i specifically test the gauge? Also i looked in my chiltons manual about how to test the sender but it was confusing to me so could someone explain that too?

Thanks!!

 

[RonD]

What engine?

You need to find the temp sender on the engine, it will only have 1 wire connected, not 2.

When you find it remove that ONE wire from sender.
Get another wire that can be Grounded to battery "-" or engine and hook it up, connect other end of that wire to the ONE wire from the temp sender, not the sender just the wire.
Turn on the key and watch the temp gauge needle, it should go all the way up to HOT.
If it does the wire and gauge are good the Sender is bad.
If it doesn't then the wire or gauge could be bad.

If you replace the sender DO NOT use tape on the threads of the sender, the threads are the Ground for the temp circuit.

 

[baconops89]

It has the 2.8. So the thing that threads into the thermostat housing isn't the sender?

 

[baconops89]

I looked again and saw the thing you were talking about and grounded it and my gauge is good! Thanks! Would you happen to know what the other thing that screws into the thermostat housing is? Is it also a temperature sender? Because I went into orielys and they pulled up temperature sender and one just like that came up.

 

[RonD]

Good work on testing sender wire and gauge.

The temp sender has 1 wire
The temp SENSOR has 2 wires, not sure why 2.8l with carb would use this one, all fuel injected engine must have an ECT(engine coolant temp) sensor, along with the sender for dash board gauge.
Early '80's did see Feed back carburetors that would benefit from engine temp info, so could be part of that system.

 

[baconops89]

Would that be something I need to worry about for smog?

 

[RonD]

Not sure what it is so can't say.

Interesting read here: http://www.bobcat.ca/stuff/DOCS/EMISSI~1.PDF

 

[BobbyLeeMFFR]

My cluster has power but im not getting anything out of the guage when grounded do i need to replace the cluster?

 

[SenorNoob]

Are you sure the wire from the cluster to the sender isn't broken? I'd probably pull the cluster out some and try to ID the wire that goes out the sender and ground it from there to see if the gauge moves.