betteroffroad

Hi i have a 1993 ford ranger she been through alot me being a teenager and what not but just resently i was driving home from south center in wasington to my home in west seattle about a 20 min drive about 13 mins into the drive on the high way smoke started coming through the air vents i quickly pulled over popped the hood and let her cool off i later found out i had no coolant at all my dad came filled it with water and we got it home no problems well now when ever i start it up and let it idle it goes for c on the water heat gauge to H very very fast but if i rev the engine it cooles down fast and when i drive normally it stays cool its just when it sits and idles that it over heats... thanks guys if you have any info pls let me know i need this fix ASAP and i have the time and money to get new parts/work on it/take it in but would prefer to fix it my self again thanks

Johnny Mullet

If it gets hot when sitting still only, then either the cooling system has an air pocket in it or the water pump may be deteriorated and not moving the water.

Does the cooling fan work?

cf3232

I bet you just need a new fan clutch for the fan behind the radiator. I had this same problem once changed everything, thermistat, coolant, and it just turned out to be a bad fan clutch. I changed it in 2005 and the truck was a 1989. Could be an Air pocket as well, but I bet it is a fan clutch, because it cools when you are moving doesn't when sitting.