Temp gauge and heat quit working, OD issue

[bdubyah]

So i was on my way to town the other night and I realized my temp gauge had died apparently. It was sitting under the 100 mark, where it usually starts when the truck is cold. I just figured the gauge had died. Then when I switched on the heat I realized it wasn't working either. The blower works and everything, it's just cold air.

Also seems at the same time my truck has quit shifting into OD like it's supposed to. Wouldn't think it's related, but who knows. I tried shifting from OD back to D while going down the road and it definitely shifted down, but I can just tell it's not going into OD by the sound of the motor. It's just staying in third.

 

[poncho62]

Sounds to me like your coolant level is low, no coolant in heater core....and none at temp sensor

 

[thunderstruck]

Are you sure it's not going into fourth gear, rather than the torque converter just not locking up?


Sent from my Nintendo 64

 

[bdubyah]

I honestly haven't checked the coolant level yet, but we did not terribly long ago so I wouldn't think it's that. I'll check it and I'm gonna try grounding the plug for the sensor to make sure the gauge works. If so, I guess I'll get a new sensor.

And about OD, it just doesn't shift when I get to 50mph or so like it should. Usually I could poke real slow and at 45 or so it would shift, very noticeably. Now it isn't shifting, there's no rpm drop or anything.

 

[SCOTTYINWV]

You are low on coolant and your thermostat is probably stuck open. That and the od issues are probably unrelated. I would also check your trans fluid level. Have you changed tire size with your drop or anything.

You have to keep and eye on your vehicles fluid levels. They are the life blood of the vehicle.

 

[bdubyah]

I had thought about the thermostat. If it is stuck open, how cool would it keep the motor? It's been in the upper 30's here the past week. The gauge does move a tiny bit after the truck's been running a while, but is still no where close to getting up to even 100.

I checked the coolant, it's completely full. So that isn't the issue. Outside of the thermostat, I guess it might be the heater core clogged or something. Which I am not looking forward to as the heater box is cracked and I'm sure I'll destroy it trying to get the core out.

I'll have to check the trans fluid. The weather here just won't cooperate the past few days. Thanks for the help guys.

Oh, and Scotty, I did change wheels when I dropped it, but it's been over 3 years since I did that. I have 255-55-18s now, but I can't remember the size I had before but the overall height didn't change much.

 

[BoxerPitMix]

You may try flushing your heater core. I used to have nearly no heat coming from mine. I pulled both lines off of the core in the engine bay, then took an old water hose with the end cut off and clamped it onto the input of the heater core and turned it on. Looked like pure mud coming out of it at first. Had awesome heat after that.

 

[bdubyah]

Alright. So I finally got around to checking the thermostat this past weekend. Turns out it had broke almost in half. So we had a 195 thermostat on hand to replace it. Seemed okay at first, but it still isn't warming up properly. It gets warm enough so that OD works again, and it will almost get hot enough that the heat works correctly, but then it cools back down. I can watch the gauge drop like 30 degrees in a few seconds. I thought maybe it wasn't the correct thermostat or something so I went to the parts house and bought a new one. Same thing. It gets warmer than it did but not as warm as it did before the old one broke.

What gives?

 

[Half Assed]

Did you feel the rad hoses to see if the coolant is getting warm?