engine temperature sensor location 2.3L

udds625 · #1 04-04-2012, 11:17 AM

Dear ranger lovers,
I recently bought a 1994 ford ranger 2.3L 5speed as a project car. This is my first ford truck. So please bear with me if I make stupid comments or mistakes.
I have been trying to find my engine coolant temperature sensor but I failed. I found the sender on the block towards the driver side. I thought the ECT sensor would be near the upper radiator hose and threaded into the block but i can not see it. However, I found two 2-wire sensors on the metal coolant return lines near the thermostat housing. I ohmd them out and both has 45K resistance at cold. 1 sensor has a flat 2-pin wire connection the other has a rounded 2-pin connection. The rounded 2-pin sensor is bigger and located at a T-junction looking place on the coolant return line. Could one of these two be the coolant temp sensor? Someone please kindly help me out!
Thanks a lot. I will try to get some pictures up today if my description is not clear at all.

RoberticusMaximus · #2 04-04-2012, 11:35 AM

i believe so. let's see a pic!
i got a 2.5L lima engine - it has both temp sender & temp sensor side-by-side on the thermo housing at the front of the engine

udds625 · #3 04-04-2012, 09:17 PM

Here are some pictures. sensor 1 is the rounded 2-pin and sensor 2 is the flat 2-pin. Which is ECT sensor please? Thanks!

KyBucks10 · #4 04-04-2012, 10:15 PM

The one you have labeled as #2 is the sensor for the computer. The one on the block just above the oil filter is the one for the gauge. Ive changed both of mine out. The one you have labeled as #1, I have no idea what that is. Im not sure if my truck even has that?? I am interested now, and want to go look. Itll have to wait until tomorrow, though!

I will point this out, though. My truck had the check engine light on ever since I bought it. I knew what was wrong though. I had almost no exhaust, so my o2 sensor wasn't reading properly. Well one day just for the heck of it, I went and had it scanned. To my very surprise, I was throwing out 5 codes instead of the one. I did a little research and figured out that since I replace my thermostat housing and never replaced the sensor in it (your #2. My new housing came with a plug in its place) I threw out 4 more codes, all of which were fixed once I put that sensor back in.

udds625 · #5 04-04-2012, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyBucks10

The one you have labeled as #2 is the sensor for the computer. The one on the block just above the oil filter is the one for the gauge. Ive changed both of mine out. The one you have labeled as #1, I have no idea what that is. Im not sure if my truck even has that?? I am interested now, and want to go look. Itll have to wait until tomorrow, though!

I will point this out, though. My truck had the check engine light on ever since I bought it. I knew what was wrong though. I had almost no exhaust, so my o2 sensor wasn't reading properly. Well one day just for the heck of it, I went and had it scanned. To my very surprise, I was throwing out 5 codes instead of the one. I did a little research and figured out that since I replace my thermostat housing and never replaced the sensor in it (your #2. My new housing came with a plug in its place) I threw out 4 more codes, all of which were fixed once I put that sensor back in.

Thanks for the reply, I was thinking the #2 is the ECT sensor but I have no plus or wires anywhere near that.. I don't know how it's connected to the PCM.. I do not have any code other than a 335, which is related to DPFE sensor I believe... I am very confused... My temp gauge does not work, but I think that's related to the sender unit instead of the ECT sensor. Will I be able to read the engine temperature off of a scanner? Thanks!

RoberticusMaximus · #6 04-05-2012, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by udds625

... Will I be able to read the engine temperature off of a scanner? Thanks!

My brother in law drove his 01 around with a laptop plugged into the scanner port - he had realtime engine data.

KyBucks10 · #7 04-05-2012, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by udds625

Thanks for the reply, I was thinking the #2 is the ECT sensor but I have no plus or wires anywhere near that.. I don't know how it's connected to the PCM.. I do not have any code other than a 335, which is related to DPFE sensor I believe... I am very confused... My temp gauge does not work, but I think that's related to the sender unit instead of the ECT sensor. Will I be able to read the engine temperature off of a scanner? Thanks!

Im not sure about reading it off a scanner. I don't own one so I just rely on the auto parts store guys to help me out. If your gauge is not working, I am 99.9% sure it is the sensor on the block. My gauge would always fluctuate up and down and mostly be spiked all the way hot. I changed that sensor and now it works perfectly. If you are changing the oil, while you have the filter out, you can see where this sensor is from underneath the truck. I think it would be harder to change it that way though because you have to have a bucket to catch all of the coolant that leaks out. The easiest way is to pull the drivers side wheel well out and get a long extension in there. The wheel well is only like 6 screws and a couple bolts. I did it all in under an hour.

udds625 · #8 04-05-2012, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyBucks10

Im not sure about reading it off a scanner. I don't own one so I just rely on the auto parts store guys to help me out. If your gauge is not working, I am 99.9% sure it is the sensor on the block. My gauge would always fluctuate up and down and mostly be spiked all the way hot. I changed that sensor and now it works perfectly. If you are changing the oil, while you have the filter out, you can see where this sensor is from underneath the truck. I think it would be harder to change it that way though because you have to have a bucket to catch all of the coolant that leaks out. The easiest way is to pull the drivers side wheel well out and get a long extension in there. The wheel well is only like 6 screws and a couple bolts. I did it all in under an hour.

Thanks, I was pretty sure that the gauge is effected by the sender unit down near the oil filter as well. But I was just curious and a bit nervous why my #2 sensor is disconnected. I was wondering if my PCM is even reading the coolant temp correctly. However, I do not have any CEL related to the engine coolant temp so I was wondering if sensor #1 is actually a temp sensor that the PO replaced... Did you see sensor #1 on your engine? Thanks again for the help!

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Quote:

Originally Posted by robertmcclure

My brother in law drove his 01 around with a laptop plugged into the scanner port - he had realtime engine data.

Hmm.. that sounds like a good idea. I will look into that.. thanks

RoberticusMaximus · #9 04-05-2012, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by udds625

Hmm.. that sounds like a good idea. I will look into that.. thanks

i might just see if he still has the program. i'd like to look into it too

KyBucks10 · #10 04-05-2012, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by udds625

Did you see sensor #1 on your engine? Thanks again for the help!

I did look today. I did not have another sensor there. I followed that line back and it looked like it ran back to the firewall - probably for the HVAC. I don't know why or what that sensor is there for on your truck. If you want, I can take a picture of my setup and you can kind of use it as a reference if you want to try to figure it out. My truck is completely stock from the factory. I know this because my brother owned the truck from basically brand new (he bought it 16 years ago with less than 20K miles) and he never did anything new. I also have a Haynes manual coming in the mail this week. I will take a look in there when I get it to make double sure that it is the stock setup.

KyBucks10 · #11 04-05-2012, 07:28 PM

Here is my "#2" sensor.

Here is the line that your "#1" sensor is in.

Here is where the line connects up with other lines.

Here is where it eventually runs into the firewall.

udds625 · #12 04-05-2012, 11:58 PM

Thanks for the pictures. That sure looks likely number two sensor... Number one is on the same water inlet line into the heater core as yours. I have a Haynes manual and it doesn't say much about the ECT sensor.. I think I am gonna go try a junk yard this weekend and see if I can find a similar truck.

happybeachgoerm · #13 04-09-2012, 10:02 PM

95 and older = you CANNOT read real time data with a laptop. 96+ You CAN Read real time data

in 96 federal regulations mandated that all vehicles made and sold in the US had to have a Standard 16 PIN Connector and all PINS have to do the same thing. Also,95 and Older are easier to "Cheat" and bypass certain things...such as the Catalytic Converters....lol

RoberticusMaximus · #14 04-10-2012, 05:39 AM

ah makes sense.

udds625 · #15 04-10-2012, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happybeachgoerm

95 and older = you CANNOT read real time data with a laptop. 96+ You CAN Read real time data

Also,95 and Older are easier to "Cheat" and bypass certain things...such as the Catalytic Converters....lol

Thanks for the info. I guess only OBDII can do real time data? By the way, how do I bypass certain things and "cheat" haha. Sounds interesting.