I'm looking for the temperature sensor that screws into the head right behind the thermostat housing/under the alternator. Its stamped on the side as part #1803082C1. Google results turn up nothing, and in reading up on it I've seen the sensor referred to by a couple different names- so I'm not even sure what to search for now. Fast idle sensor, high idle solenoid sensor, etc...

All my searching turned up some interesting info though. But I want the part. Its just one more thing I can rule out for why my truck won't start.

Symptoms: I turn the key on, WTS light flickers erratically & GP controller (solid state) clicks erratically- not rhythmic like it should. Well I looked under the hood tracing wires and found that this sensor was toast: the connector was still attached to the 2 spades, but it had shorted such that the plastic part of the sender w/ the 2 male spade connectors melted from out of the brass plug that screws into the head.

In my searching on this forum I came across this thread: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-a-sensor.html

Theres people debating whether or not this sensor needs to be plugged in for the GPs to cycle. And also some discussion as to the importance of the inline fuse. I'm starting my own thread because I've got the '87 F350 6.9 with the solid state GP controller and the OP of the thread I linked has the '84 with the older style GP controller.

My next step is going to be looking for the inline fuse on this circuit. Any hints as to where that is located?

I really appreciate the help. Right now its 7 degrees out and my truck is dead in someones driveway a couple miles from home- so I cant spend too much time messing around with it outside, and theres nowhere to take a break and warm up. The homeowners are gone for the winter, but the snow is almost too deep for me to drive out of there. I need to get her fired up ASAP so I can drive her in to a shop & take some time addressing other maintenance issues.

 

My understanding is that the glow plugs don't use any temp sensor. The controller senses the resistance through the glow plugs (which vary with temp) to determine how long to run the plugs. 1 or 2 bad plugs will make the controller think the motor is warm, and it won't turn on the plugs long enough to do any good.
That sensor is for the cold advance & high idle.
I'd probably disable the glow plugs & start it with ether to get it out of there...

Good luck!

 

on the 87 and newer glow plug system, that temp sensor is for the high idle and timing advance only. it does not effect the glow plugs. they tie in with the engine temp sensor i believe.
my idle sensor was disconnected for 12 years and the glow plugs worked fine.

 

When I turn the key past "on" the starter relay clicks, engine doesnt turn over. I think its the relay clicking anyway. Its a different click than the one produced by the GP controller. Hard to figure out working alone. Anyway- yesterday the truck turned over & almost started. I plugged it in and came back 2 hours later to the same problem. That was frustrating!

So I know that sensor works with the cold advance/high idle, but google searches I do don't turn up a part.

Also, the wire that goes to the sensor comes out of the GP wire harness- I'm suspicious that I've got some kind of electrical problem in that circuit- blown fuse, short or something. I ordered the 1987 elec & vac manual off ebay, but its not here yet. Time is of the essence though!

I'm also very much open to the possibility I have some bad plugs- but I need to get the truck running and into a warm place before I start looking at that. I should be able to get her to fire or turn over with bad plugs by plugging it in...but i cant even get that far because of this problem.

My truck shouldn't need any starting fluid. I've only ever used ether one time when I HAD to, and I've read a number of horror stories that have dissuaded me from ever using it again. Isnt WD40 a preferable alternative to ether? Anyway, I dont want to derail the thread talking about ether.

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042KYF50/...SIN=B0042KYF50 Does this look like it?

 

Lazy K-
ding! ding!ding! ding!ding! ding!ding! ding!ding! ding!ding! ding!
You won!

Yes that's the correct part. Pricey though! And here I'm reading from tjctransport that it doesnt even need to be connected for the GP system to work.
Is there any way I could have fried something while this was in the process of shorting out? The plastic is melted where it seats into the brass plug. The amazon.com picture makes it look pretty flush, but that piece with the 2 spade connectors coming out is a round piece of plastic that seats in there.
I'm gonna go down to the truck here in a minute and take another look under the hood. I'll check back later- thanks for the replies!

 

This is the International (IHC) part number.

This is the Ford part number: E8TZ-9E939-A

Pricey? That's an understatement! Amazon seems to have invented some prices. Take a gander at their so called $81.37 list price.

Qwist on a bicycle! Their "Ben Dover" discount price ($54.57) is higher than Ford's MSRP price!

FoMoCo: MSRP: $48.33 // FTE Ford Dealer Parts Dept sponsor PARTSGUYED.COM price: $34.80 / PartsGuyEd = Horizon Ford Truck Center in Seattle WA

 

Thanks so much. I ordered the part from partsguyed.com. Its great that they are in Seattle too- shouldn't have to wait so long for shipping.

 

That $81.37 price is what the IH dealer spouted off when they thought they would sell me one. I had 2 new ones and didn't know what they were worth. I thought the same thing so I sold mine for $20 with shipping. Some peoples kids I tell ya. . . . . .

 

I was totally wrong about the wiring of the engine temp sensor. I saw yesterday that its not wired in with the GP harness at all, but in my truck its zip tied to it and the wires are so greasy and bent they looked like they came out of the same piece of conduit together.
That throws me way of the scent because the trucks still not starting. I guess I have another problem and I discovered this problem in the process.

I spent a bunch of time following wires around under the hood and all my connections look ok. Next on my to do list is to check the ground on the gp controller because it looks pretty wimpy.

Big question: whats up with those wires that have sealed fusible links where you cant open them up to see the fuse? It looks like they cant be opened anyway...i've been wrong before! They all say 'fusible link' and then show the amps of the fuse inside. How am I supposed top know if the fuse is blown?

 

A fusible link is just a smaller gage of wire, such that when it passes too much current it burns out. I always check them with a meter...

 

If they burn out you can pull them apart, when i redid my alternator harness i pulled my old ones apart, under that chunk of rubber is both wires soldered together kinda weakly, its my understanding thats where they want it to burn.

 

Thanks for that. So if you find that one is burned out then you have to splice in a new fusible link, correct?

 

Thats correct.
Fusible links can be tricky because they may look just fine, but be busted. They have a high temp insulation to contain the melted wire when they burn out.

Supposedly there are some advantages of fusible links over fuses. In the past I had read a good page about them, but can't remember the specifics now. I think it might be that a fusible link can take the higher current for a period of time before going, kind of like a time delay fuse? Given that, a fuse is a lot easier to see if its burnt out, and faster and easier to fix on the side of the road.

 

I think my temp sensor switch (the two-prong temp sensor behind the alternator) is failing. Is there a way to test this? At what temp does this open or close the circuit to impact the high idle solenoid?