Temp Gauge Explained

[guzzler528]

I just figured out just what is going on with my Temp Gauge. I just bought a 97 Sport with a limp temp gauge. I searched the all the information on this site and gained a plan of attack. First: Spend money. No brainer there. I bought aftermarket temp sensors, both of them, and a thermostat. Guess what? they either where of inferior quality or just plain didn't fit. Lesson? Buy from the Blue Oval. I after taking the crap back and buying Ford. I got the correct parts. I installed them and that dang gauge just laid there, flaccid. OKAY. Something is just not hooking up. I took a jumper wire (a wire with two aligator clips on each end) and clipped a pin on the end of one with the intention of grounding out the gauge to make it stand at attenion, if you know what I mean. Clipping one end to ground and the pin into the female connector(end of wire harness). This make that gauge snap to attention! The gauge works! Upon close inspection of the connector I noticed the female portion of the connector (in the plastic connector) was something like 1.5 MM in width, and the male(in the sensor) was less than 1MM. One loose and the other...well, deficient...respectively. I thought, hhhmm, this boy needs an angle! I tried the tighten up the female by crimping her to no avail. So I took a small pair of needle nose pliers and twisted the male sensor prong 30 degrees. Plugged her in and started her up. Low and behond that gauge started to rise. Now hes stands at attention nice and steady just west up the thermometer icon on the temp gauge.

Moral of the story: "Its not the size of the wand but the magic it makes".

"I don't advocate the use of alcohol, drugs and violence, bit they've always worked for me" Hunter S. Thompson

 

[Jason_25]

Thanks for the info.

Do you mean the connector on the gauge itself or the connector where it plugs into the sending unit?

I have the same problem.

 

[guzzler528]

I'm am talking about the female connector at the temp sensor itself located behind the thermostat on the push rod V-6 engine.

EDowling

 

[Jason_25]

Edit:

I must have a different problem. Even with grounding the connector the gauge doens't budge.

 

[Steved]

I now have a problem with my temp guage on my 94 X. Last week I came out of the store to find coolant all over the ground. I nursed the truck and off to the garage the next day. My mechanic replaced the water pump and t-stat. Ok great. Now the temp guage won't stay in one spot. It moves from the "N" to the "M" constantly. It never did this before. The mechanic said check to make sure there is enough coolant in the radiator. I took the cap off when the truck was cold and the level is just below the top. The reservoir is somewhat low.
In post here I was reading don't really pinpoint anything specific. Send unit and rad cap. Anyone else have ideas?

 

[kps36]

Steved, most likely needs to be 'burped'. Park on an uphill incline, 25deg should do as long as the rad cap is the highest part of the engine compartment. Then, ON A COLD ENGINE, take off the rad cap, start up the engine and add antifreeze as needed and allow engine to warm up to the point the Tstat opens (upper hose gets HOT) allow to run for another minute or so. Top up fluid in Rad. Replace cap, allow engine to cool down, top off resevoir...and you should be good to go...
got some air in the system.

 

[Steved]

Thanks for your info. I went out at lunchtime to get gas and when I parked at the station I started leaking coolant. Looks like from under the radiator. Don't know if this happened because of the flush that was done or not. Thanks again for your help.

 

[Rhett]

You say they replaced your water pump and T-stat? Well, unless the new pump or stat are defective or were not installed properly, then maybe the radiator itself is leaking. Probably when they flushed it, it knocked loose the crud and corrosion that was blocking holes, and now you're getting the leaks. Plus the internal tanks in our radiators are plastic, not metal; the plastic tanks are crimped together and quite often after thousands of cold-hot cycles, the plastic wears out and leaks develop.

Mine lasted 8 years before the plastic tanks wore out.