Temperature Gauge

[Fraser1989]

I have a thread posted in the general section but as I have cleared some of those up I am moving on to more specific ones.

My engine temp gauge does not move at all. The heat works fine in the truck it only blows hot air so I know I need to fix the door blend. What I have gathered from that is the thermostat works or is stuck closed seeing as I get hot air.

So now I am on to figuring out if the sensor is bad or if the gauge is broken. My first question is will the door blend have any effect of the engine temp gauge?

I am hoping you guys can provide me with some insight as to what places to start checking in order to solve this problem. I will be taking the truck in soon for my safety inspection and I am concerned this may fail it.

Worse case scenario I will hook up an after marker gauge. Does anyone know of a DIY for a 1996 ranger gauge instal? I would prefer to not instal a new one and just fix my existing one.

 

[adsm08]

First, no, the blend door cannot and will not have any impact on the operation of the temp gauge.

The best way to test the system is to unplug the sensor and ground out the wire. The gauge should peg out at the top.

Lastly, I can think of no good reason why an inop temp gauge would fail it for a safety check. Just drop it off the night before, they probably won't ever notice the gauge doesn't work.

 

[RonD]

Yes, simple test for temp gauge adms08 described.

There are two temp sensors, one for the engine computer, and one for the gauge.
The one for the engine computer has two wires.
The one for the gauge has one wire, the threads on the sensor is the ground to complete the circuit, so unplugging the wire to this sensor and grounding it(with key on), should cause the gauge to read full HOT.
If gauge reads full HOT then wire and gauge are good, replace sensor.

 

[Fraser1989]

Yes, simple test for temp gauge adms08 described.

There are two temp sensors, one for the engine computer, and one for the gauge.
The one for the engine computer has two wires.
The one for the gauge has one wire, the threads on the sensor is the ground to complete the circuit, so unplugging the wire to this sensor and grounding it(with key on), should cause the gauge to read full HOT.
If gauge reads full HOT then wire and gauge are good, replace sensor.

Awesome.
Now I just need to know what I am looking for. I haven't spent much time under the hood of a 4.0 OHV.
Any know pics or DIY's would be useful ill keep searching though.
Thanks guys.

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133425 I am assuming that is what I am looking for?

 

[RonD]

Yup, that would be "the one".

Disconnect that wire and insert a jumper wire into it, then the other end of the jumper wire to the "negative" terminal on the battery or any other ground, turn on key and watch temp gauge, it should go all the way up to HOT.
You don't need to start the engine.

 

[Fraser1989]

Ok I hooked a Jumper wire to the female connector that plugs onto the sensor and hooked the other end to the battery and turned the key on. I still did not move. So now is it safe to say the gauge does not work?
Is my next best option to install a new gauge?

 

[Crossthreader]

I would pull the cluster out and check the wire from the sensor to the gauge. It may be something as simple as a bad connection. If you have a meter, measure the resistance from the sensor terminal to the cluster connector. It should be 0 or very close to it. If you don't have a meter, just ground the sensor pin on the back of the cluster and watch the gauge go to full hot.

Paul

 

[RonD]

Ok I hooked a Jumper wire to the female connector that plugs onto the sensor and hooked the other end to the battery and turned the key on. I still did not move. So now is it safe to say the gauge does not work?
Is my next best option to install a new gauge?

You connected jumper wire to the negative(black wire) terminal of the battery, right?

If so, then could be gauge, or wire problem.

This section has good info, and a How-to on pulling out the instrument cluster on '95+ Rangers.
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/index.php

Scroll down to electrical to find the "95+ Cluster Removal"
There is also info on the wires to check, "Instrument Cluster Wires"
You can then use a long jumper wire and OHM meter to test the "signal" wire from the Cluster connector to the Sensor