Ping, surging, revving?

[dmassey]

Well, I am still getting ping, even with midgrade fuel (89 octane).
Also, no temp gauge at all for a long time now, even with new sending unit. Anyone know the hot/cold resistance for the sending unit? It is new, but I would still like to test it. I really don't want to install another gauge in the truck... I am thinking if it is working right, must be the gauge itself, or the wiring. Want to dig into it. I don't like driving with at least some indication of temperature.

Haven't been online for a spell. Noticed that your temp gauge no longer works. Have you tried re seating the connector on the temperature sending unit. Mine was doing the same thing so I took the connector off to check the resistance on the sending unit which checked out fine. I reconnected the wire to the sending unit and it has worked fine ever since. Sometimes the connectors get corroded and/or dirty.
Danny

 

[trinogt]

As a matter of fact, I did work on that connector today. i stuck a paper clip between the two leads to see if it would peg the gauge, but it didn't move... The only time it moves a little is when I turn the key to off, in which case the needle moves up ever so slightly (still at the bottom of the gauge).
No news on the instrument cluster voltage regulator? I don't remember seeing one when I had the cluster out to change bulbs a while back. I think I might pull the cluster again to see if a connector is loose back there.

 

[dmassey]

As a matter of fact, I did work on that connector today. i stuck a paper clip between the two leads to see if it would peg the gauge, but it didn't move... The only time it moves a little is when I turn the key to off, in which case the needle moves up ever so slightly (still at the bottom of the gauge).
No news on the instrument cluster voltage regulator? I don't remember seeing one when I had the cluster out to change bulbs a while back. I think I might pull the cluster again to see if a connector is loose back there.

It didn't peg when you shorted the lead? Sounds like the gauge is bad or may be bad. Are any of the other gauges not working right? If so, you may have a bad constant voltage regulator (CVR) mechanism. The CVR insures the proper voltage to all the gauges. When it goes bad, the gauges either don't work at all or don't work properly. When the CVR (constant voltage regulator) goes bad, you usually have to change out the temperature gauge since it's built into the gauge. You can check me out on that but I believe that is true. Hope you can figure it out.
Danny

 

[trinogt]

This is why I asked about the ICVR, since I know the older Fords used them... They had a connector like a 9 volt battery does, but I didn't see one in back of this cluster...
The other gauges work fine...
The temp gauge worked intermittently until about a week ago. I can monitor temps while driving if I connect my scan tool, but that is rather inconvenient lol!

 

[dmassey]

Have you checked the wiring for a bad ground? Also in your earlier post you said that you had used a wire to cross the pins on the connector which sounds like you have a two wire connector - one being hot and one being ground. If that is the case, have you tested the gauge/wiring by shorting out the hot wire to some other sort of frame/engine ground. This would help to determine if the ground wire was good. Do you have a manual for your truck? If not, go by Advance or Auto Zone and they have probably got one on the shelf that has already been opened and you can find the resistance/voltage values and go from there.

 

[Bryan22]

Are you talking about the temperature sending unit? I just replaced that a couple weeks ago, and it was located in the thermostat housing, right next to the ECT sensor... They have slightly different harness connectors.

The temp sending unit is located on the drivers side of the block towards the firewall under the head. It only has 1 wire going into it. this could be the reason you're guage isn't working. I don't know what you changed that is 'in the thermostat housing' but i don't think it was the sending unit.

 

[Mirage]

My 96 B2300 has the same setup. On the thermostat housing is mounted the sending unit for the PCM, a 2 wire connector. On the Drivers side of the block is the sending unit for the gauge, a single wire.

Hope this helps.

 

[trinogt]

I might have to snap a picture to show you, but there are two items screwed into the thermostat housing on this '98. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't see anything at the back of the block below the head... WAY too much crap in the way, like intake, wires, etc. lol

 

[Bryan22]

well that's where the sender is, you can probably get at it from underneath.

 

[trinogt]

Ummm, so what was it that I replaced? The new part looks identical to the old one on the thermostat housing...

 

[Bryan22]

sounds like you replaced the ECT that sends information to the computer. the one that drives the guage only has 1 wire on it.

 

[trinogt]

I don't know what year you guys have, but my '98 has TWO things screwed into the thermostat housing. Each of these has a two wire connector on it. One connector is brown, one is grey. Now, can it have two different ECT sensors? I think I will take a pic tomorrow in the daylight to show these. I purchased both a temp sending unit AND an ECT sensor, and they both have a 2 wire connector. It might be a different setup for your trucks if you have a different year. I am already finding many differences in the vacuum line setups for the HVAC systems between close years...

 

[locovaca]

Looking at Autozone, it does look like your sending unit is a two wire connector. So it might be one of those (although in my experience the sending unit has been in the block and not after the thermostat, but my experience is admittedly limited )

 

[Pipanski]

Did it ever stop pinging? Have you tried tightening the lower intake manifold bolts? My truck pings like crazy over 1/4 throttle in all gears except 1st. I tightened mine a while ago and it kinda went away, but its been coming back.

 

[trinogt]

Pipanski, no, the pinging never stopped... Now, the ower intake bolts I never even though of, but by golly I can sure try! What I will likely do first is try the propane bottle in the vicinity of the gasket surface while it is running and see what happens... cause you know what? It sure does seem like it could be a vacuum leak issue, as the idle is not as smooth as it could be. I would pull that bad boy intake manifold off in a jiffy if I did find it to be the culprit (unless it takes forever to get it off! lol); Thanks!