Temperature Gauge Not Working

On my 1990 Bronco 5.8L the temperature gauge was not responding even after the motor was hot. I immediately thought it was the thermostat and so did everyone else. Well, we replaced the thermostat and that didn't change a thing.

It was the coolant termperature sender. NAPA sold the part for about $7 and it looked like some little brass screw with a plug on top. Noone could tell me exactly where it went.

I searched and found the darn thing on the front of the intake manifold in plain sight on this 5.8L. It had a black wire that snapped onto the plug and the wire runs through the firewall to the temperature guage. I put some Teflon tape on the new sender's threads and screwed it in carefully with a quarter inch deep socket (you can tell the threads won't hold much torque). Well, the gauge worked after that. One less problem to deal with and avoided the shops again.

My gas gauge still doesn't work, but it's not as important and cheap as fixing the temp gauge!

Good luck.

My broncos temp guage isnt working either i may try that and see if it fixes the problem. From what ive heard all fords from back then have guage probs so who knows

My gas gauge still doesn't work
Good luck.

That's your sending unit, from the tank. There are 2 fuel pumps, and the sending unit. This particular problem is solved by replacing the in-tank Fuel Pump / Sending Unit as apiece. (you can buy the pump without the Unit, but not the Unit without the Pump.)

My buddy's Bronc did the same thing, and he told me: "Just wait until the pump goes, then replace them both together." I checked parts dealers, and the Pump/Unit combo runs about $120. So I took his advice. (Then I bought a 'parts truck' which still has the sending Unit working, and I'll replace them that way.)

Thanks for the advice. My speedo is fairly accurate so relying on the odometer is working fine. By the way, I love my Bronco...it's the 3rd one I've had and the best. This 5.8 is a great motor.

My 5.8 does the same thing, so It is really just a matter of not straying from the gas stations once you get to "a certain mileage"-which, in my case, is 250-280...