How hot should it get?

[bigalpha]

95 2.3L, stock.

My temp gauge take forever to creep upwards, and barely gets above the bottom of the gauge, yet the truck runs fine and heat blows hot. Where's the needle supposed to be?

 

[Bryan22]

the stock guage sucks, mine never gets into the normal range either. as long as you've got heat and it runs right i wouldn't worry about it. you could always install an aftermarket guage for a true reading though.

 

[fastpakr]

Yep. It's not calibrated to a temperature, and it varies from vehicle to vehicle. Get a real gauge.

 

[Mirage]

Mine had the same problem, always appeared to be running cold. Then one day, it started running reading really cold. I replaced the sending unit for like $15, and it now reads normal. But remember these stock temp gauges aren't really calibrated, you would be better off with an aftermarket gauge if you really want to know the exact temp.

 

[bigalpha]

Alright, I was just curious.

The temp. gauge in my Jeep is fairly accurate so I wasn't sure if it was in the Ranger. It was throwing me for a loop.

 

[bigalpha]

If the Temp gauge sensor is wonky, can that affect anything else on the truck?

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

no. the temp gauge system is all independent.

 

[bigalpha]

So really, I don't need to worry about it at all.

Thanks.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

provided its the gauge thats wonky and not your cooling system...

 

[bigalpha]

I assume it is, because I have hot heat, no overheating, and the gauge reads the same consistently.

How much do the temp sensors usually run? Could it be a bad sensor that needs replacing?

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

temp sensors are usually $10 or so. it could be a failing sensor, but more likely its working just fine. as others have said, these gauges are not calibrated, not accurate, and vary from truck to truck.

 

[bigalpha]

So I could end up getting a new sensor that still reads low?

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

thats a distinct possibility.