I have a 1996 2.3 liter 5 speed Ford Ranger. It runs great except it has a lot of electrical problems.......The gas gauge doesn’t work, instrument panel lights don't work, the heat only works when it wants to, wind shield wipers don't work sometimes, dome light doesn’t work sometimes. I would really like to fix the heat and wiper problem. The rest I can live with. I can turn the heat on and it will blow cold air most of the time, sometimes it will just all the sudden kick in. It is something electrical for sure because the temp control **** doesn’t do anything once it on. I can turn it to cold or hot and it will all be the same temperature. The A/C will only work on Max A/C and the temperature control **** doesn’t work when it's on either. The wipers and the dome light are some how linked. If one doesn’t work, neither will the other? Anyone got any advice?

Thanks,
Darrell
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Regarding the heater issue, it sounds like your blend door is broken. Check out: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...-door-fix.html

 

I agree with rockledge could be a blend door issue......you can get a kit at heatertreater.net to fix it. you probably have 2 or 3 other seperate elctrical issues.....try to start isolate them looking for damaged wires.......a common problem is the door latch switch. on my truck it keeps my dome light on..... i spray the latch area on the door with electrical cleaner and it works for 4 or 5 months......

 

Welcome to FTE.

I agree on the heater problem that the blend door is a good suspect.

The winshield wiper & dome light thing could be a coincidence, or maybe a problem with the GEM module, the steering colum mounted multifunction switch, or as powersmoked sugested, a problem with the door latch dome light switch sticking, in which case a dose of WD-40 is also known to work in many cases.

There is a "how too" in the Tech Info thread, on removing the instument cluster to replace burned out lamps. But first make sure the instrument panel "dimmer" switch hasn't inadvertently been set to turn the instrument panel lights off.

On the fuel gauge, if you've used a fuel with a higher than allowed sulphur content, Shell & those it sells to, did let some bad gas get to market & wipe out fuel pumps & gas gauge sending units.

BUT, Chevron claims it's Techon Cocentrate Plus can remove the corrosion on the sending unit & wake up a faulty fuel gauge.

So you might consider running most of the current tank out & trying some Techron at the prescribed dose rate, in the 20oz bottle, in the tank BEFORE fillng up with Chevron, Texaco, or CalTex gas.

As those brands already have Techron in them, the additional Techron will raise the treat rate 10X above pump gas alone. So if it's a corrosion problem, maybe it'll wake that sending unit up!!!!????

Of course if it's a mechanical problem, or open wire it won't, but the Techron will clean up the fuel injectors, intake valves & combustion chamber & thats always good. So it wouldn't be a dead end expenditure!!!!

A bunch more thoughts for pondering, let us know how it goes.

 

Thanks for all the help. I'll start to work on some of the things you all mentioned.

 

If two things stop working at the same time could be a ground problem