- Joined
- May 14, 2018
- Messages
- 1,790
- Reaction score
- 1,090
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Western Mass.
- Vehicle Year
- 1994
- Make / Model
- Ford/Ranger XLT
- Engine Type
- 3.0 V6
- Transmission
- Manual
- 2WD / 4WD
- 2WD
- Tire Size
- 225/70/R15
- My credo
- If it's not broken Don't Fix It!
OK before I get into what I have observed some times I swear that I have OCD when it comes to my vehicles so I need more than one symptom to be sure there is actually some thing wrong. Even my mechanic buddy had mentioned this about me before so this is why I'm here before tearing into the cooling system to alleviate my OCD issues and try to confirm what the issue is. Just throwing this out there could also be a thermostat stuck open, best way to stick but harder to diagnose.
Symptoms observed: not to hot heat during winter and the gauge stays around the "N" in normal on the gauge cluster.
The gauge works as the other day after climbing the mountain, back down and partially back up a different part I shut it off. When I fired it back up the gauge shot up to the "L" in normal and went quickly down as the fluid circulated but it was proof the thing actually works properly.
Since I have owned this truck I have had one leak or another off and on in the cooling system so parts have been replaced giving even more opportunity to trap a bubble in there.
MY question is other than the symptoms I have mentioned what else will an engine do when there is an air bubble trapped in the system? It does not overheat, hell some times I really think thermostat since I can still press the hoses in a little but can feel pressure.
I feel like an idiot asking this but it has been around 20 years since I have had to diagnose a cooling issue like this.
Edit: unlike other vehicles I have owned the gauge does not show the stat opening it just goes to that temp and stays there no dropping when the stat opens and then settles. it just goes up to "N" and stays there. Not having one of these before I don't know if these gauges are sensitive enough to read the stat opening.
Symptoms observed: not to hot heat during winter and the gauge stays around the "N" in normal on the gauge cluster.
The gauge works as the other day after climbing the mountain, back down and partially back up a different part I shut it off. When I fired it back up the gauge shot up to the "L" in normal and went quickly down as the fluid circulated but it was proof the thing actually works properly.
Since I have owned this truck I have had one leak or another off and on in the cooling system so parts have been replaced giving even more opportunity to trap a bubble in there.
MY question is other than the symptoms I have mentioned what else will an engine do when there is an air bubble trapped in the system? It does not overheat, hell some times I really think thermostat since I can still press the hoses in a little but can feel pressure.
I feel like an idiot asking this but it has been around 20 years since I have had to diagnose a cooling issue like this.
Edit: unlike other vehicles I have owned the gauge does not show the stat opening it just goes to that temp and stays there no dropping when the stat opens and then settles. it just goes up to "N" and stays there. Not having one of these before I don't know if these gauges are sensitive enough to read the stat opening.
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