i know this was talked about acouple times over the winter but i was wondering if anybody actually cured the problem of the 2.3 never running above the cold \ on the gauge. since gas is 2 bucks a gallon and it is about 80 degrees out here i was thinking i should probalby go ahead and get my block to hold some heat so i can get 25 mpg instead of the 19 i get now

 

If you are going by just the lousy temp gauge, well, that's not the best way to judge engine temp at all in Rangers.

Try a tune-up, but if WA still has winter gas mix out, that's a bummer for mpg's.

It's getting semi-warm in So Tex, but since I work on a harbor, I haven't bothered to pull the CE code since I only drive to and from work every two weeks. I might need an O2, but mine isn't smelling rich anymore. Strange. Check your t-stat andECT sensor, but even with my temp gauge at the mark you noted, that upper hose gets real hot when I pop the hood and cop a feel....and I get plenty of heat with the heater on to check, so that seems fine.

Our 2.3L holds as much oil as either Ranger v6 and many v8's out there and oil cools as well as that radiator which gets a lot of air from that grille. Oh, it's not exactly the heatmaker that a PSD is.