Temperature gauge not working
 

Hi, i have a 1992 Aerostar 3.0L end my temperature gauge on the dash doesnt move at all. Stays all the way to the left. I read on other forums that to make sure the gauge and the wiring are ok, i need to connect the wire that goes to the sensor unit to the negative of the battery. Gauge should go all the way to hot when the ignition switch is put to on position. That was exactly my results. So, i replaced the temp sensor unit but still gauge doesn't move. I didn't use any sealant on the threads when i installed the sensor. Connector looks ok. The engine warms up fine. I really don't know what else to think or do. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. :)

Which sensor did you replace, you realize there is more than one temperature sensor on an Aerostar. Alternatively, you may have a grounding problem.

re: temp gauge not working
 

hi,
it could be something as simple as corroded pin connectors on the back of the gauge, but to check the connectors requires dismantling the dash panels to get to and remove the gauges pod. (a very long and tedious job which starts at the plastic panel in front of the knees).

I had a similar problem with my '92, which was resolved by pulling / removing the entire gauges pod, then removing the clear cover, and then each gauge section. (there are 3 sections: the left section with 2 gauges, center section with speedo and miles counter, and right section with 2 gauges assuming yours is not a digital display). the non-working gauge came "alive" after cleaning the corrosion off the pins on the back of each section.

Thank you both for the reply. I replaced the sensor in charge of the gauge (water temp sender) The connector has only one wire and its in front of the engine, maybe just above of the water pump. The engine coolant temp sensor, the one next to the thermostat housing with the two wire connector, i haven't touched it. I believe that one has nothing to do with the gauge, right? I made sure to clean off all the corrosion on the connector that goes to the sensor that controls the gauge, but i will take another look at it. I believe if when i short it to the neg of the batt the gauge works, it means the wiring and gauge are ok, right? Please if im wrong let me know. Anyway, I decided to try changing the thermostat which i havent in 6 years. I went straight to the dealer to get a Motorcraft one this time. My heater doesnt blow good heat just kinda warm air, so i believe its all connected somehow. Changing the thermostat seems like a good idea. Oh btw, before replacing the coolant temp sender, the gauge needle was stuck all the way to the left, before the letter "C". Now it moved barely past it but wont go any further. At least it moved. This motivates me even more to replace the thermostat. I'm going to be doing this tomorrow or the day after since today i need to stop a bad leak on my tranny. I will update with the results, Thanks! :-roll

also reverse flush the heater core with a garden hosed turned on to less than 30psi. they plug easily on the Aero especially if tap water is used or if coolant isn't changed often.

many auto parts stores carry the Motorcraft thermostats at less than 1/2 the price of an overpriced dealer.

change the radiator cap also, if they don't hold pressure, won't get heat and won't warm to specs 195d F.

DO NOT put a 180d non spec thermostat in these, kills the fuel mileage and gums up the engine.

Florida, you're in a wet high moisture climate, salt water coastal air only makes wiring electronics corrosion worse.
clean and spray the displace connectors with an electronics corrosion protector.

I agree that "generic parts stores" carry thermostats and a zillion other parts at less than dealers. Also many Motorcraft parts are now made in China so it does not matter, the Chinese make very good quality parts. Being "patriotic" about auto parts is pointless.

in the case of the thermostat, it doesn't matter, buy the cheapest, you need to replace it every 2 years anyway, or as soon as the heater's air temperature becomes lazy. I paid $2.99 for as thermostat 2 years ago and it is still working.

the sensor in question is near the thermostat housing, those need to be replaced at least once in the life of the van.

Yes, i agree too. Normally i just install parts from my local auto part store whenever they need to be replaced. But some times i get frustrated and just use original parts or from the dealer to make sure i'm doing it "right". I guess makes me feel better. I believe my heater core is working fine since both in and out hoses get hot. Lets see how everything goes after i change the thermostat maybe tomorrow. I will update with the results. Thanks.

I finally replaced the thermostat yesterday and flush the system three times with plain distilled water.When i pulled the old thermostat i notices it was installed wrong and it was blocking the hole for the heater. Anyway now i have good heater and the temperature gauge works excellent. Thanks you all for the input. :-drink

my 93 serv. cd is not working.

try Autozone online, they have an electrical schematics section.

I have never seen a Motorcraft part made in China. I have seen many made outside the US, namely Mexico, Brazil, Germany, and England. I have never seen one from China.

China CAN make good parts, but you have to emphasis the CAN. In order to get good parts out of China, you need a quality control agent on site to oversee stuff, because of the ethical structure in China, money and profits are everything to them, and if you don't supervise and leverage them, they can and will cheat you. To leverage them, you just have to enforce that if they do not do exactly as instructed, you can easily replace them. I have dealings with China through multiple venues, so I know this directly.

In the case of thermostats, it does matter, a lot. Price is not the issue. I have bought Stant, both cheap and expensive, they don't work, Napa doesn't work, generic doesn't work. Every single non-Motorcraft thermostat I used in one of my Fords, and I have literally used everything out there, either did not last long before it either failed to open, or opened prematurely. Simple fact of the matter is that the aftermarket thermostats I have seen and tested do not open at the rated temperature under pressure. They open at the right temperature in a pan of heater water, but that is not a pressurized cooling system. When you put them under 15 psi pressure, they will usually start opening much sooner than the factory 192 degrees. Try opening at 160.

Every single time I decided to try my luck with an aftermarket thermostat, I was reminder why I fell the way I do about them. Every single time I then spend only a couple extra dollars to put the right one in, and I NEVER have an issue again. I've had similar experiences with fuel pumps, power steering pumps, and starters. I have had good luck with aftermarket alternators, suspension parts, transmission parts, etc. But the other parts I used were advertised as better than OEM. As far as who makes Motorcraft thermostats, based upon a trend I have seen in many Ford cooling systems, I suspect that AC Delco makes most of Ford's cooling system components.

In my case, a part that might last you two years will last me about 3 months, I drive about 40,000 miles per year, and I NEED reliability. Repairs and downtime cost money, a lot more than good parts do. If you don't want to pay dealer prices and you aren't in a hurry, you can get genuine Motorcraft online for reasonable prices.

temp gage instal
 

need to find placement for after market temp gage any ideas ,, have a 1977 f-150 with inline 6 300 cidlook forward to any input

Usually the temperature sensor is mounted on the thermostat housing. Can you see if yours has a boss for a sensor to screw into?