Could be a worn T-stat, if you have a 4.7L then get yours from the dealer.

Also you can ensure that your E-fan is working.

hydra, yes i have the 4.7L and i plan to call a reputable dealer in the upcoming weeks to ask if all the recall work has been done to my particular D and to try and get a spec sheet as well. as for the E-fan, is that the big one between the radiator and the engine? don't mind me as i am not as mechanically minded as far as vehicles go, but i have vowed to learn a thing or two this time around with this particular vehicle! waiting for my brother to send me the haynes manual he promised me and i do have a copy of the service manual i found from this forum plus i have a couple mechanically minded friends and the advice of some of the mods on this forum as well!

That big fan-like thing is the clutch fan. It's attached to the engine and it should spin and make noise. What hydra is describing is a smaller fan that is attached to the radiator BETWEEN the rad and clutch fan. If you hold a flashlight and stand where the battery is and point the light at the radiator, you'll see a black plastic shroud with a fan inside. That's the e-fan. A sure way to check if it's working is to turn on your a/c and listen for the cycling of the compressor. As the compressor turns on, you'll be able to see if the e-fan is working. It's pretty dark there, hence the flashlight to help see the blades. There's a write-up on that as well in the DIY section. HTH.

Yes, all this info helps! Thanks again Dan, i'll be sure to check when I get a chance.

OK... So E-fan is not coming on. Hence my sudden temp gauge jump. So is this a one solution type of deal or can the fan not being on come from a few different things being wrong? And on a different note, when I got in this morning I turned it on and now my CEL is off... How?

No most likely just an electric fan problem, theres a few places that could be the problem culprit. First off I'd check the ground as that will cause the fan to just not come on. Next I'd check the relay and ensure it's working by replacing it with another similar relay. If that works just go to the parts store and get a new identical relay. Don't worry about the temp sensor because this is bypassed by the A/C switch, so if it doesn't come on with that, sensor ain't the problem.

There's also a fuse that controls it all, I'd check and ensure that's in working order because that will also ultimately cause the electric fan to stop working.

As for the CEL, the problem may have gone away because if the vehicle notices the problems gone for 10-15 cycles, it will turn off the light on its own.

Thanks widow, i'll be sure to check the relays and fuses as well. I don't know why that never ocurred to me! As for the ground, where would that be located?

There should be a green connector under the truck in the fan area that you can follow the wires and find the ground. HTH and you find the problem!

Well then that is the most likely issue. Many people have had that same problem and fixed it after fixing the E-fan.

...and now CEL back on, this time throwing the same code PLUS a P0480 as well. Is that for the E-fan not working properly?