[rdavid8221]

Originally Posted by thechief

[font=arial] The coolant temperature of my 1995 Ranger 3.0 L w/ 100,000 miles has always run right in the middle of the gauge at operating temperature. If after the engine is up to temperature, I stop for 5 minutes (like to get gas), when I restart the engine, the temperature is at HOT, and stays there for about 1 minute, then suddenly drops back to the middle of the gauge. It has done this a couple of times a year for a few years, but in the past few months, it has been nearly every time I stop for 5 minutes. I have flushed and changed the coolant, changed the thermostat and the temperature sensor, and none of these things have had any effect on this problem. There are no other symptoms, coolant doesn't push out into the reservoir when this happens. I pulled the wire from the sensor and measured resistance, and it drops when the temperature increases, indicating that the increase is real, nothing to do with the gauge or associated circuitry. Anyone have any idea what may be causing this?

It is normal for the temp to rise when the vehicle is just shut off. This is do to the fact the coolant is not circulating. This is normal.