how do you change your temp gauge sensor?

[bobflood]

Jessie711,
Looks to me like someone put the wrong sensor in the left hand side, then put on a two wire connector to fit it. Manufacturers just don't use two wire connectors and then put in only one wire. If you look at the picture in Post #8, the left hand female plug is a single wire 90 degree connector. And - if you read Koda2000's description in Post #14, he says that the gauge sending unit should have a flat bottom; yours is not flat!

So - I think you still have the wrong sending unit installed because I think the old one you took out was the wrong one also. I looked for pics on Advance Auto website - they only carry the sensor for the computer, not the gauge, and it looks just the one you took off. My suggestion - go to the Ford dealer and tell them that you need the sender for the temp gauge and see what they show you. Bet you anything it will be different than what you took out. You probably have to buy a new connector also to put on the red/white wire. Good luck and make sure you come back and let us know what you find!

 

[Jessie711]

I checked with the previous owner and she assures me that there has never been any work done on the cooling system. The vehicle only has 38,900 miles on it so I’m sure it’s the original sensor.

This is the unit I replaced Part # F77F10884AB

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=40542

To make sure I will check with the Ford Dealer later today.

 

[bobflood]

I checked with the previous owner and she assures me that there has never been any work done on the cooling system. The vehicle only has 38,900 miles on it so I’m sure it’s the original sensor.

This is the unit I replaced Part # F77F10884AB

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=40542

To make sure I will check with the Ford Dealer later today.

Interesting! Let us know what the Ford dealer shows you. Give them your VIN number when you visit them; it does help get the correct parts.

I looked at the schematics for the Ranger (was looking at Explorer before) and notice that the Ranger does have a "Slosh Module" associated with the temp gauge. That provides another point of failure per peterfnet's Post #11 above. Once we are sure that you have the correct temp guage sender unit installed, if that doesn't fix it you will have to dig into the gauge/slosh module as the problem.

 

[Jessie711]

Hi Bob,

I checked with the Ford Dealer and they verified that the two pin sending unit was the correct one for my truck but could not tell me why.

So I decided to replace the thermostat and now the heater gauge is working. The old thermostat was open but only very slightly. The puzzling part is I had good heat probably because the engine was heating up but not enough to operate the gauge.

Hopefully the truck will run better and the MPG will improve, although it wasn’t that bad before.

Thanks again for the help and support.

Jessie

 

[bobflood]

Hi Bob,

I checked with the Ford Dealer and they verified that the two pin sending unit was the correct one for my truck but could not tell me why.

.Thanks again for the help and support.

Jessie

Glad you fixed it! Makes it more difficult when schematic doesn't agree w real world!

 

[96_2dr_5spd]

im having troubles with my coolant temp gauge, but also cold start issues, my guage doesnt work at all, so i replaced the coolant temp sensor, the one with two wires, and nothing improved, i guess i have to change my temp sending unit, for the guage to work. but im still haunted with cold start idling issues, i cleaned my MAF and my ICV but to no avail, can anyone lend some advice?

 

[m165766]

Reply on dead Temp gauge

I have just joined the Ranger world and also have the 'dead gauge' syndrome on a '92 XLT 4.0L. Having read many posts both here and other forums there is one consistent theme - folks changing the wrong water/coolant temp sensor for gauge problems. The one for the gauge is a single pin connector (despite what Jessie 711 has encountered). Has been on all my previous Fords back to 1976 and on all engine sizes including the 460 V8 in my old LTD. Finding it is sometimes tough but the pictures provided above were spot on for the 4.0L I have as were the diagnostic suggestion of grounding the connector and observing the gauge response. $8-10 part. The two pin sensor and associated sending unit for the engine control has nothing to do with the gauge in older Fords.

 

[PrerunnerManiac]

Hi Bob,

...Hopefully the truck will run better and the MPG will improve, although it wasn’t that bad before.

Thanks again for the help and support.

Jessie

I'm having a similar problem with my 99 5.0 Mounty so I'm going to try this. I am wondering how fixing this affects MPG?

 

[koda2000]

I'm having a similar problem with my 99 5.0 Mounty so I'm going to try this. I am wondering how fixing this affects MPG?

your engine has a temp SENDER and a temp SENSOR. replacing the SENDER will have no effect on your MPG. if your SENSOR is bad, it will effect MPG.

 

[SoNic67]

If the sender is installed in a plastic thermostat housing, that sender will be a two pin one, since it cannot be grounded by the case anymore. This happens on the 4.0L SOHC engine.

 

[koda2000]

the temp gauge/sender only functions w/in a specific temperature range on the COLD end. something like 167F. one of my 5.0's wouldn't register anything on the gauge and yet provided pretty good heat. it eventually set the CEL with a P0125 (insufficient temp to enter closed loop operation) and was getting getting really poor fuel economy. the thermostat turned out to be the problem. after changing the thermostat the gauge worked normally and fuel economy increased at least 4 MPG.

 

[bobflood]

If the sender is installed in a plastic thermostat housing, that sender will be a two pin one, since it cannot be grounded by the case anymore. This happens on the 4.0L SOHC engine.

Aha!! Now that makes sense - hard to ground a circuit thru plastic!!!

 

[Gene64]

Gene64



I have a question, I have a 2004 explorer sport trac that is hard to start in the cold. Spring and summer no problems and no engine light is on. It takes a couple of key turns and a couple of minutes and the truck starts. Does anyone know what this problem is and what part if any do I need. In the last 2 photo's it is the part that the part store sold me. Also, if I need to change the part, where is it located and how do I change it? Please help me if you can.