93 Ranger heater Help needed

[Spoons]

Got a 93 Ranger 2.3l 4 cyl, 5 spd. no temp gauge and.....
Can't seem to get any heat into cabin. Checked anti-freeze...ok
Took out thermostat, put it in boiling water, and it works ok..

1)Is the temp sender in the heater hose line?? I noticed a plug in terminal connecting the heater hose lines. It is inline from water neck tube to Heater core.
2) Are heater cores a problem with the Ranger?? Would a good back flush help it or m I wasting my time...

Spoons


Been working on cars for many years and have never seen this issue before



Update...Flushed heater Core and it wasn't plugged. Came out nice and clean..
I guess the plug terminal is for the engine so it can read the temp for the air/fuel mixture

Put it all together and still NO heat..........

Need some direction........

[mrmikey]

Is it possable that it could be the blend door not working correctly and it's not allowing the warm air to flow in the right direction? Just clutching at straws here.....mike

[Spoons]

Originally Posted by mrmikey

Is it possable that it could be the blend door not working correctly and it's not allowing the warm air to flow in the right direction? Just clutching at straws here.....mike

Not sure..I took out the glove box and moved the handles and saw the vac. servo move up and down. Slid the temp control handle and could feel the door move....

Other than taking the dash out, I'm lost...

[Earlyboomer]

If you can get to the heater core, one way or another, feel it to see if it is getting warm or hot. Even the mounting bracket under the dash could tell you if there is any heat in the core area. This will help you figure if its coolant circulation or if it is a damper or door that controls the air flow as suggested by others on this thread. With factory air, it could be also be a vacuum problem as other are indicating, because vacuum is used to control air doors for A/C and heat.

[Spoons]

Originally Posted by Earlyboomer

If you can get to the heater core, one way or another, feel it to see if it is getting warm or hot. Even the mounting bracket under the dash could tell you if there is any heat in the core area. This will help you figure if its coolant circulation or if it is a damper or door that controls the air flow as suggested by others on this thread. With factory air, it could be also be a vacuum problem as other are indicating, because vacuum is used to control air doors for A/C and heat.

You can feel coolant moving thru the system by feeling the hoses. They're not very hot, but not cold either. I'll check surrounding brackets, etc. to see what I find.
It's a Non-AC truck, so It should be rather simple...

[Earlyboomer]

I am curious, did you just recently buy this Ranger? I am now wondering if a previous owner somehow just connected the hoses under the dashboard where you wouldn't have noticed them rather that just changing the heater core, because what you describe is not likely, meaning there is coolant flow but no heat unless you have a clogged system somewhere. I don't think it likely but could the heater core be plugged up also? It really isn't that much of a job to remove it and give it a good physcial inspection. If you have owned it a long time and it used to put out heat the way it is, then its a weird one. If this is the case, I would start inspecting everything from the coolant pump to the heater and back. If the engine is cooling properly then the pump is probably OK, barring a clog? No heat in this weather?, I would have torn the whole heater circuit out of there to find the problem. But, you say there is flow but no heat? Is there a thermostat in this engine? that will definitely give you NO heat. Hope all of this helps.

[Spoons]

Originally Posted by Earlyboomer

I am curious, did you just recently buy this Ranger? I am now wondering if a previous owner somehow just connected the hoses under the dashboard where you wouldn't have noticed them rather that just changing the heater core, because what you describe is not likely, meaning there is coolant flow but no heat unless you have a clogged system somewhere. I don't think it likely but could the heater core be plugged up also? It really isn't that much of a job to remove it and give it a good physcial inspection. If you have owned it a long time and it used to put out heat the way it is, then its a weird one. If this is the case, I would start inspecting everything from the coolant pump to the heater and back. If the engine is cooling properly then the pump is probably OK, barring a clog? No heat in this weather?, I would have torn the whole heater circuit out of there to find the problem. But, you say there is flow but no heat? Is there a thermostat in this engine? that will definitely give you NO heat. Hope all of this helps.

Thanks for the Help and Idea's Boomer...

Just bought the truck less than 60 days ago and It's my 1st Ford (other than my Hot Rod 49' F-1). It's only got 95,000 miles and runs and shifts well. I needed to replace my S-10 when my Nephew Kicked the rods out of it.....
I've been thru everything except tearing out the dash and replacing the Core. I took the Hoses off and ran water thru the core..As soon as I put it in the top (core) hose, it came out the bottom(core) hose clean and clear. I put the thermostat in a pan of boiling water and watched it open and close...It works fine
Temp gauge does not work at all (neither does the gas gauge). I drove it Sunday to work @ 8:00 am and it never warmed the cab up. It drove fine and didn't over heat... Just a Chilly ride.
I don't have a Manual to look over the process of Heater core Removal, but it sounds like it's not too hard. Just not sure where to start tearing things out..
I took out the glove box and saw the Vacume line and vacume diaphram. It moves freely , up and down. I moved the Temp. selector from cold to Hot (ha-ha) and could feel the trap door open and close but no change in cab temp until i put it on the cold side. COLD
I still need to go thru your earlier suggestions to see if anything gets Hot inside the cab....

Kurt

[Earlyboomer]

Did you have any way to tell at what temperature the thermostat was opening, like a meat thermometer for instance. At this point from what you have said, I would try a new thermostat with the temperature called for by Ford for your engine. The thermostat opening too soon could be why there is no heat. After warming up the engine the top radiator hose should be pretty warm, it would be hot in the summer. At this point from what you have done so far, I suspect the thermostat is faulty.

[Spoons]

Originally Posted by Earlyboomer

Did you have any way to tell at what temperature the thermostat was opening, like a meat thermometer for instance. At this point from what you have said, I would try a new thermostat with the temperature called for by Ford for your engine. The thermostat opening too soon could be why there is no heat. After warming up the engine the top radiator hose should be pretty warm, it would be hot in the summer. At this point from what you have done so far, I suspect the thermostat is faulty.

I had no idea what the temp the was on the boiling water in the pan.
I'll get another thermostat and change it this weekend to see what happens..

[ukrkoz]

well, appears rangers have funny sense of what heat is for.
mine has only 68 000 miles, runs like a champ - but temp gauge never gets past maybe a fifth of the range. takes some extra time to warm up, and it is quite warm after about 5 minute drive - but that gauge surely should be some up higher in the range. asked my pal who has a v6 trim - same, sits down there at the bottom.
well, we all have viscous clutch cooling fan, right? y'all ever paid attention that it ALWAYS spins? you expect WARMTH from that system?:sarcasm1:

donno about y'alls engines, but in mine 99 2.5L, thermostat is all the way down on the RETURN hose. i had quite a few cars, and this is one and only i have ever seen with it there. everything else has it in the upper radiator hose housing, BEFORE the engine, not after the engine. every single other car we owed - temp gauge is in the mid range, maybe slightly above the midline. i start getting that feeling that that's the cause, the design. at least, in my case. mazda designers been smoking something...

anyhow, i quick fixed mine. i am not removing thermostat, to drain the whole entire coolant, at 11 degrees outside. screw that. i simply placed 2 pieces of cardboard in front of the radiator. just like we did back in ukraine winter time. they even made russian cars with air blinds type thing, so that you could control air flow to radiator. heats up twice as fast, gauge is now in 1/4 mark, not 1/5th. will do.

[serge_saati]

It's weird, cause normally coolant flow in permanence in the heater core, even when thermostat is closed. When you touch the upper front radiator hose, it is hot?

If not, maybe it's a leak in the thermostat. Even when it's closed, maybe coolant flow and cool the engine, and it doesn't warm up.

You can also have air trapped in the system that prevent coolant to flow properly in heater hose. Remove air valve/cap to remove air.

Replace ECT sensor. It may not repair the problem, but maybe show the temp.

[Spoons]

Thermostat change made no difference. There is no air/valve cap in the system. I've done the cardboard thing before, but it's not gonna help. I drove it for a 1/2 hour to work and it never got warm in the cab. Thank God I've got another car to drive because this is beginning to Irritate me....

[serge_saati]

Ok, but when you touch the upper main radiator hose, it's hot or cold? Test if after driving 3 miles.

I don't know if your engine overcool or insufficient flow in heat core.

[worm6]

I also have a 93 ranger and was having problems with my heat a few weeks back. I changed thermostat and nothing. I checked my hoses and felt like water was going through. Then i took hoses off and blew out with my aircompressor and my heat is back and good as ever. Good luck hope you get your heat back.

[serge_saati]

Nice technique.
Yes, maybe there's dirt inside heater hose or core that block coolant flow.
You can try also a coolant replacement with a full flush.