1985 Ford Ranger, 2.0L manual trans... I just got the truck a few months ago and just starting to fix the problems... The fuel guage is sometimes 1/4 full, sometimes 1/2 full, and when I fill it up, the guage goes way past full.

Okay, The sender right?. Ordered a NEW OEM sender. 120.00. Installed it. Guage dosen't work at all. I have a Ford Shop manual for this model and year (1985). Book says to check sender with a VOM meter to ground, okay there. Check ohms with the meter, okay there. Acording to the book, the next step is change the guage.

BUT, the guage was reading something before the new sender went in, and all the checks the book says I did and checks okay... Could it be really the guage?. Of so, why?... Why with the old sender it was at least something? New sender nothing at all?. Is it because the new sender is sending the correct voltage and the guage, because of age, the movement is actually not reading the voltage?. Remember, the VOM check says okay with the sender in and connected. Ground okay too.

If so, could that hurt the electrical system? Should I disconnect the sender until I get a guage?. Remember, the sender checked Okay with the connector on the sender. Checking the wire to the sender, all checks.

Anybody else had this problem with a 1985 2.0 Ranger?. Fixing it up to factory specs, very little modifying in mind. Planing to take it to car shows when done, Yes, custom color painting on the undercarrage and engine. God, I love these old trucks! You can actually work on them and truly enjoy it!.

There may be an electrical part burnt up on the backside of the guage cluster..?

I WANT, no NEED THAT TRUCK!!



GB

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2001 Edge Regular cab, auto 4.0L 4x4 4.10LS 8.8

1987 standard cab w/92 5.0/T5Z 31 spline 8.8 w/Torsen

1989 Regular cab longbed, manual 2.9 4x4 - Parts BroncoII's x 3

I am looking for a gauge. Found one in Delaware... Trying shorties junk yard too.. I may take the guage out and have a look at the"Bimetal strip/heater wire". Thats what the book says. Don't know how to test the gauge and the bi-metal thingy yet. If I knew the absolute resistance of the gauge itself, I can fix the gauage and bi-metal thingy possibility.

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1985 A very good year. Made in the USA, that's why it's running today!. It's a antique, although some people don't think it's old enough to be a "Antique"..

i had an issue with my 86 ranger, the float sprung a leak and filled with gas so my gauge read empty all the time. i fixed the float and fixed the issue. just one more thing to check.

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Well. I found a cluster in the junk yard. Actually I found 2 with gauges, non with idiot lights. So, I purchased the two in hopes of changing out the fuel gauge only. Hmmm, seems the idiot light cluster is not actually the same as the all guage models. Although the PC curicitry is the same.

Okay, so I took out the cluster... Went into it and discovered the fuel gauge can be swaped out. At least phisically. I swapped, still no fuel level, BUT there IS, IS I repeat IS voltage pulse to the guage from ground, across the guage no pulse... Hmmm, Okay....

Looking at the ford shop manual, there are no further trouble shooting suggestions. I'm thinking, perhaps it's a ground problem back from the gauge. Why do I think this: Because there is pulse on BOTH gauge terminals, going to ground, and nothing across the gauge terminals.

I don't know... I am dumb founded at this point... Any other ideas or constructive comments?. Someone has gotta have run across this one... After this problem, it's all odd and ends small stuff nothing electrical, or machanical for this truck. Everything works except the fuel guage...

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Brandy new sender!. Matter of fact, the senders float is brass. OEM sender for the 2.0 carberated engine. I found one in Connecticut.

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1985 A very good year. Made in the USA, that's why it's running today!. It's a antique, although some people don't think it's old enough to be a "Antique"..

yeah mine was brass also. it had a hole in the seem and i soldered it shut. mine was also new because i had just put a new pump in it.

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Speaking from YEARS of experience dealing with vintage motorcycles, it VERY common for brass floats to develop pinholes along the seams. For whatever reason. They're very easy to solder shut.


GB

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2001 Edge Regular cab, auto 4.0L 4x4 4.10LS 8.8

1987 standard cab w/92 5.0/T5Z 31 spline 8.8 w/Torsen

1989 Regular cab longbed, manual 2.9 4x4 - Parts BroncoII's x 3

Ahhh... And how did you find the leaky float?... Did you pull apart the guage and replace it, then look for something else?.

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1985 A very good year. Made in the USA, that's why it's running today!. It's a antique, although some people don't think it's old enough to be a "Antique"..

oh man, it was that way for like a year and it was frustrating, my father and i tried everything trying to avoid dropping the tank but after everything else checked out good we figured the only thing left was the float.

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Well now, seems the gauge's regulator went bad (By-Metal/Heater Thingy). Behind the cluster, mounted on the back there is a little metal thingy. It's about the size of a vehicles curcuit breaker. That is the biMetal/heater thingy unit has something to do with the "pulse" voltage to the gauge. Tracing the circuit from the gauge to the by-metal/ heater thingy on the PC Board, of the cluster.

I went to the junk yard earlier in the week and found a cluster from a bronco II. All guages. My Ranger has idiot lights. Something you really can't find anymore at all. So, I figured I can use the fuel gauge.

I first changed the gauge, nothing. Checked the ground on the tank, Okay. Used a timing light to check the "pulse" at the gauge, It was there from ground to each terminal. Not from terminal to terminal. I first thought something was wrong when it checked across the terminals. But, I dismissed across the terminals because the guage seems to be isolated from the body ground because of the regulation to the gauge AND to the sender. Checked the Ford shop manual, eBay 25.00... Found the prints do not show the gauge going to body ground anywhere except through the Bi-metal/heater thing. The sender does go to ground.

I took the by-metal/heater thingy from the bronco's cluster, and replaced it from the origional cluster along with the fuel gauge. Why change the duage?. two reasons, It's a nicer looking gauge, The red on the needle isen't faded, and the bi-matal thingy is the matching unit for the guage. Different resistances. So, now, they match and the gauge should be correct. Wham! Working fuel guage.

Now, comes the modification to the plastic face inner plate. Seems the origional had the fuel guage face plate is one large face plate for the idiot lights and the fuel guage, so, the gauge's movements are under the large face plate mounted (formed) to the gauge's body.

I put the Bronco's fuel guage up to the old face plate to make a scoring of where to cut the plastic, to remove the old plastic face plate for the new gauge. Then, put the old face plate minus the old fuel gauge cut out, and fit it in so the idiot lights face plate can go over that. The idiot lights face plates have the designation pictures on it, otherwise one woulden't know what light is for what. (Oil, Temp, amps)

While playing with it the first time I put 20 bucks of gas in it, needless to say it should be full. It's a small tank.. Yes, the fuel gauge does go past full now...

I drive it around to see if the fuel goes down like it should. I pick up some special cat food (we have three cats). Went to dollar general and pick up some groceries, and while I was out I took the long way to each, basicly crusing a bit. And YES, it is working correctly. I still have a full tank, but the duage is now resting right on the last line that says FULL!!!.. Fixed, Ta-daaaa!

Now I have a amp, Temp, Oil gauge that I have no use for unless I deside to change over to gauges. But I allready have aftermarket gauges... I plan on "T'ing" off the oil connection and locate another place for the temp senders, so The idiot lights and the aftermarket gauges are all working. Thats a project for the summer.

So, all is good here in South Jersey with the bad fuel gauge, and the Bi-Metal/ Heater Thingy...

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1985 A very good year. Made in the USA, that's why it's running today!. It's a antique, although some people don't think it's old enough to be a "Antique"..

Good to see you got it working. I love that truck! Take care of her..



GB

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2001 Edge Regular cab, auto 4.0L 4x4 4.10LS 8.8

1987 standard cab w/92 5.0/T5Z 31 spline 8.8 w/Torsen

1989 Regular cab longbed, manual 2.9 4x4 - Parts BroncoII's x 3

Yes sir!.. She's one of a kind these days. I do get looks crusing, even though it's a "New Oldie"... I'll be putting pictures up when I get the interiour finished. Got almost new seat (Exact as origional) and new rubber floor and better dash. Although I haven't ordered the new vinyl dash covering yet... Still undesided on the type and make.

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1985 A very good year. Made in the USA, that's why it's running today!. It's a antique, although some people don't think it's old enough to be a "Antique"..