2.3L ('02-'11) Cylinder Head Temp?

[Charcoalcash]

I have a 01 ranger with the 2.3L motor, I was using my blue driver scanner and noticed after driving 20 minutes down the highway the ECT was 257 degrees F on the reader.

The 2001 models don’t seem to have coolant temp sensors and instead have a cylinder head temp sensor. Is this a normal temperature or something i should look into? Previous owner had a shop replace the thermostat, coolant temp sender, and coolant back in 2021.

 

[pjtoledo]

from a 2005 Ford diagnostic manual: should be about the same for a 2001.

for ECT it's 160-200, PID only.
for cylinder head temp sensor they should run between 194-230 degrees.
voltage output 0.67 to 3.7 at the CHT sensor.

 

[Charcoalcash]

from a 2005 Ford diagnostic manual: should be about the same for a 2001.

for ECT it's 160-200, PID only.
for cylinder head temp sensor they should run between 194-230 degrees.
voltage output 0.67 to 3.7 at the CHT sensor.

Idle for 10 mins I was at 226F. Another 2.3L owner was at 220F after 20 mins of idle.

 

[pjtoledo]

never got around to checking mine even though it ran cool for a couple of years.
it does warm up quickly.

 

[Charcoalcash]

never got around to checking mine even though it ran cool for a couple of years.
it does warm up quickly.

I’ll datalog it tomorrow on the way to work and see what I get. I appreciate the reply!

 

[pjtoledo]

the orange connector is the ECT sensor.
conveniently located on the rear of the engine.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

I want to throw this out there from dealing with the 2.0 Duratec in my van: the head temp sensor and especially its wiring are dogshit. A year or two after I replaced the sensor for generating crazy readings, it started failing again. Knockoffs wouldn't work at all, and real brands (motorcraft, NTK) worked intermittently until I also replaced the pigtail.

Point being, there's value erring on the side of caution, but confirm the truck is actually overheating. What's a temp gun pointed at the water outlet say?

I also don't see you mention what your dash gauge is doing during all of this. Is it pegged, or is it normal? If it's normal, that would imply the ECU, at least, doesn't think the reported temperatures are out-of-line.

 

[Charcoalcash]

I want to throw this out there from dealing with the 2.0 Duratec in my van: the head temp sensor and especially its wiring are dogshit. A year or two after I replaced the sensor for generating crazy readings, it started failing again. Knockoffs wouldn't work at all, and real brands (motorcraft, NTK) worked intermittently until I also replaced the pigtail.

Point being, there's value erring on the side of caution, but confirm the truck is actually overheating. What's a temp gun pointed at the water outlet say?

I also don't see you mention what your dash gauge is doing during all of this. Is it pegged, or is it normal? If it's normal, that would imply the ECU, at least, doesn't think the reported temperatures are out-of-line.

Gauge is just below 1/2.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

178 is sub-tstat-opening. Can you shoot the tstat housing?

If coolant temp is normal, level is normal, the gauge is normal, and you have heat, I personally would run it without worrying about what the scanner says, but there are a plenty of folks around here smarter than me who might have more ideas.

 

[Charcoalcash]

178 is sub-tstat-opening. Can you shoot the tstat housing?

If coolant temp is normal, level is normal, the gauge is normal, and you have heat, I personally would run it without worrying about what the scanner says, but there are a plenty of folks around here smarter than me who might have more ideas.

I will check the upper and lower hose as well as thermostat when I drive it home to see how it is. I should have it posted here in the next hour or two.

Edit: the heat works amazing, super hot instantly.

 

[Charcoalcash]

Here are a few pics after a 20 min drive. Car Gauge is 1/2 way