(Video) Crazy Acting Temp Gauge. Have you ever seen?

[chopp]

hello, i'm a new member to this forum, i actually come here pretty often but have never had a reason to post until today... but anyways..

okay, i've been having this problem for a while and now and i dont worry about it to much when riding around town, but when i'm on long trips (like i am right now) if makes me nervous. i have done a straight 1400+ mile trip like this and it made it just fine... but still, i dont trust this.

What happens is my temperature gauge will fluctuate from high to low every few seconds or every half a minute or so. i took this to one mechanic and he changed out the radiator with a brand new one and the thermostat. also he put enough coolant in it and i make sure its topped off every now and then. it always is. today i drove about 600 miles straight. going anywhere from 65 to 75 mph the whole time. i was really nervous but i have to get to where i'm going to spend the holidays with my family. during the trip i stopped twice, grabbed a hold of the radiator hose coming out of the motor to see how long i could hold it. its not that hot in my opinion, i can squeeze it anywhere from 10-15 seconds before it starts to really burn. but i honestly dont know how hot or cold that hose should be? any info on how long i should be able to hold that?

anyways, so i can't take it back to that same mechanic because that was in a whole different state... and i was wondering if anyone has run into the same problem and if anyone knows what i can do to fix this.

thank you for any help... i'm driving 800 miles in the morning then another 300 miles in a few more days. so if this is a simple fix and i can get it into a shop i'd like to do that asap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVfWxWIGKfc its dark but you should be able to make out what its doing. upper left gauge. at 58 seconds or so and at around 1:35 you can see it go up pretty hot.

thanks again for any information... it will defiantly be greatly appreciated.

1996 Ford Explorer

 

[dw43935]

I dont think it's overheating. Looks to me like a bad electrical connection. Maybe faulty guage or sending unit?

 

[Brandon96]

Don't take it to the shop unless you have to! You could perform a few tasks for just as much if not less that what a shop would charge you for one!

It's hard to really tell what your engine is doing JUST by a fluctuating temp gauge, but here's some stuff to get you started..

What I would FIRST do is check your coolant levels, make sure it's full as you could have air bubbles in the system causing temperature fluctuations. If you notice some missing, fill it up and burp it a few time and see if it stabilizes.

If not..

It could be the ECT to Dash sensor, (there's two of them, one that sends the temp to your PCM, and one to your tachometer) They are both located at the very front of your lower intake, right above the thermostat housing. The one your looking for has a single wire connected to the top of it and its on the left, or passenger, side of the intake. If I remember correctly mine came out with a 3/4" deep well socket. It's a PITA to get to, but it's like an $11 sensor, so you should definitely do the work yourself if you can. I think all you have to do is remove the intake tube, and maybe the upper intake if you can't fadangle your way in there somehow.. (I'm assuming you have the V6)

Lastly, it could be your thermostat acting up, possibly it's getting old/rusty and opening/closing when it feels like it. Mine did that before I replaced it. Also a really easy and cheap job to perform, but the last one I'd do as you have to drain some of your coolant to do it. Again, an easy fix you should save the money and do for yourself if need be.

 

[ahodges]

I have had the same problem with the temp gauge on my 96.. Since you are already on a trip I wouldn't worry about it. The engine probably isn't getting over 195 degrees by the way it looks. My looked like yours and then I tried replacing the temp sending unit and thermostat only to get worse results and then replaced the water pump with an aftermarket one and the gauge started fluctuating up to the red mark and the check gauge light was coming on. So my advice is to leave it alone until youre home. The solution for mine was a special water pump from ford. I posted the part number on here in another thread regarding another overheating thread.. I don't have time at the moment to find it..

 

[chopp]

Don't take it to the shop unless you have to! You could perform a few tasks for just as much if not less that what a shop would charge you for one!

It's hard to really tell what your engine is doing JUST by a fluctuating temp gauge, but here's some stuff to get you started..

Usually a bad ground will cause that gauge to go in and out, it would drop all the way to cold and come back repetitively and frequently.

What I would FIRST do is check your coolant levels, make sure it's full as you could have air bubbles in the system causing temperature fluctuations. If you notice some missing, fill it up and burp it a few time and see if it stabilizes.

If not..

It could be the ECT to Dash sensor, (there's two of them, one that sends the temp to your PCM, and one to your tachometer) They are both located at the very front of your lower intake, right above the thermostat housing. The one your looking for has a single wire connected to the top of it and its on the left, or passenger, side of the intake. If I remember correctly mine came out with a 3/4" deep well socket. It's a PITA to get to, but it's like an $11 sensor, so you should definitely do the work yourself if you can. I think all you have to do is remove the intake tube, and maybe the upper intake if you can't fadangle your way in there somehow.. (I'm assuming you have the V6)

Lastly, it could be your thermostat acting up, possibly it's getting old/rusty and opening/closing when it feels like it. Mine did that before I replaced it. Also a really easy and cheap job to perform, but the last one I'd do as you have to drain some of your coolant to do it. Again, an easy fix you should save the money and do for yourself if need be.

the thermostat shouldnt be the problem because the old thermostat was doing the exact same thing. the one in there now has only been in there for about 6 months and i was there with the mechanic when he changed it out. so i know he put the new one in.

it could be a bad ground... i havent checked that one yet. i've spliced some wires under the hook together before and maybe i didnt connect one set together good enough??? i'll definitely have to check that out. it used to drop all the way down to the bottom of the cold, but it hasent done that in months.

i've already burped the system, that's an easy task and i did that when the radiator was changed out. i've checked it repeatedly since then and its always been topped off. nothing left to burp.

it could also be those sensors, i will have to check those out when i get to my dad house. i'll get there tonight so hopefully tomorrow morning or sometime tomorrow.


@ahodges, thanks. if all else fails i will find your thread and order that water pump. i'm going to do that one last because i know it will be the more expensive fix. so hopefully it wont come to that. but thanks for the post

Thank you all for the posts, I'm about to leave the hotel room and i'm feeling a little bit more confident that I wont be blowing up my motor on this trip today. If i do find the solution to this problem, i will post it for anyone else that may have this problem in the future.

Thanks again.

 

[ahodges]

Well best of luck. The reason I suggested that was I replaced the water pump, thermostat, and temp. sending unit with no improvments. Here is the part number for that pump:
The Ford part number is 97TM-8505-AC.

I found out about this pump after having to reluctantly take it to the dealer cause I couldn't figure out the problem. The dealer even had a hard time with it but they found a service bulletin about this fix.

Here is a link to the thread:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=272433

 

[bobflood]

If a new thermostat and burping the system didn't fix it, then the sender unit is the most likely thing - more likely than the wiring or the gauge itself. You don't say what engine you have; be careful when you go to change out the sender as I have read on this site about problems with stripping out the threads on one (or both??) of the V6's.

 

[ragajungle]

Could you try reseating the connector to the sender and maybe put a little dab of dielectric grease on the pins? looks like a contact issue definately.

 

[ahodges]

I would be willing to money on saying that it isn't a gauge or electrical problem.. just saying.. I've been down this road with the exact same symptoms....

 

[pj8847]

I'm trying to track down the very same issue. Mine only happens with the heater on. if it's off, my temp stays at near dead center. Not sure if this is true for you as well.

I'm digging for answers, if I find anything that works, I'll post it up here and in my own thread I have going... It's definitely not a gage problem, seeing the sender and gage are working through their nomal ranges...

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=301256

 

[Joe Dirt]

Did you run the codes? Might be a hint in there. Noticed the CEL is on...

I do concur with a connection issue though.

 

[ahodges]

I'm trying to track down the very same issue. Mine only happens with the heater on. if it's off, my temp stays at near dead center. Not sure if this is true for you as well.

I'm digging for answers, if I find anything that works, I'll post it up here and in my own thread I have going... It's definitely not a gage problem, seeing the sender and gage are working through their nomal ranges...

Well instead of the water pump to fix the problem ford also made a heater by-pass kit for the 4.0 OHV to eliminate this problem that also works from what I've heard. They no longer offer the kit and it was over priced anyhow. But I've heard of people finding a diagram of the kit and making it themselves.

Some people complain of a thumping that can be heard from the engine compartment on the passanger side, I experienced this when my gauge started flucuating up to the red mark. I found out that the thumping is steam formation and air was getting in the system from my water pump cavitating for whatever reason.

I experienced the flucuation with the heater on or off though..

Not all of the 4.0's experience this problem.

 

[Turdle]

hello, i'm a new member to this forum, i actually come here pretty often but have never had a reason to post until today... but anyways..

okay, i've been having this problem for a while and now and i dont worry about it to much when riding around town, but when i'm on long trips (like i am right now) if makes me nervous. i have done a straight 1400+ mile trip like this and it made it just fine... but still, i dont trust this.

What happens is my temperature gauge will fluctuate from high to low every few seconds or every half a minute or so. i took this to one mechanic and he changed out the radiator with a brand new one and the thermostat. also he put enough coolant in it and i make sure its topped off every now and then. it always is. today i drove about 600 miles straight. going anywhere from 65 to 75 mph the whole time. i was really nervous but i have to get to where i'm going to spend the holidays with my family. during the trip i stopped twice, grabbed a hold of the radiator hose coming out of the motor to see how long i could hold it. its not that hot in my opinion, i can squeeze it anywhere from 10-15 seconds before it starts to really burn. but i honestly dont know how hot or cold that hose should be? any info on how long i should be able to hold that?

anyways, so i can't take it back to that same mechanic because that was in a whole different state... and i was wondering if anyone has run into the same problem and if anyone knows what i can do to fix this.

thank you for any help... i'm driving 800 miles in the morning then another 300 miles in a few more days. so if this is a simple fix and i can get it into a shop i'd like to do that asap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVfWxWIGKfc its dark but you should be able to make out what its doing. upper left gauge. at 58 seconds or so and at around 1:35 you can see it go up pretty hot.

thanks again for any information... it will defiantly be greatly appreciated.

1996 Ford Explorer

Check engine light is on--what are the codes please?