How do I Locate and Repair a Ford F-150 Temperature Sensor?

by Cayden Conor

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Depending on the year, make and model of your Ford F-150, the vehicle may have a temperature sensor and a sender: If the truck as a gauge, it will have both; if not, it will only have the sensor. The sender may be located in the radiator or near the thermostat housing. It reads and sends the temperature of the water/antifreeze mixture to the gauge. The sensor also sends the temperature of the water/antifreeze mixture to the computer, so that the computer can make adjustments in timing, air and fuel mixture, and other adjustments needed by the truck to run ai its optimum performance levels and get the best fuel mileage.

Step 1

Open the hood of the F-150.

Step 2

Inspect the front, center of the engine and locate the rear of the thermostat housing. Find the thermostat housing by following the top radiator hose from the radiator to the block.

Step 3

Place your hand on the sensor that is mounted in the intake manifold, just behind the thermostat housing. The sensor has a round plug, which has wires coming from the wiring harness plugged into it. If you remove it, the base will look like a large bolt that screws into the intake manifold.

Step 4

Push the plastic harness connector out and lift the wiring harness plug out of the sensor. Using the socket, unscrew the coolant temperature sensor from the intake manifold.

Step 5

Wipe a thin layer of anti-seize compound on the threads of the coolant temperature sensor. Screw the sensor into the intake manifold. Plug the wiring harness back in.

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