What coolant do the previous gen Ford Taurus use? A guy at work asked me to check his cars coolant because the interior heater is blowing lukewarm. I took off the overflow tank cap and the tank is full of sludgy brown soup. It didn't look as orangey or clumpy as the huge dexcool mess that wrecked my Northstar engine. I have never owned a Ford. The Taurus radiator appears to have no cap at all, or maybe you have to remove a crossmember to access a well hidden one.
Ford Taurus all crudded up
- Thread starter keith
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I'm not sure about sludgy brown soup. Has the coolant ever been changed? I believe the early 2000's all use G05.
This generation Taurus has a reputation of somehow producing fine coolant sediment that plugs the heater core (very small passages). Google Taurus plugged heater core and there are lots of links for easy ways to back flush the heater core through the heater hoses.
There is a coolant pipe manifold on the firewall that gets internal corrosion and tends to fail also. Look into replacing that as preventative maintenance ($55 at O'reilly).
That's my stab at an answer, based on working on my daughter's 2002 Taurus. Frequent coolant monitoring and changing (every 2 years?) is all that I can think of to manage the problem.
Take care.
This generation Taurus has a reputation of somehow producing fine coolant sediment that plugs the heater core (very small passages). Google Taurus plugged heater core and there are lots of links for easy ways to back flush the heater core through the heater hoses.
There is a coolant pipe manifold on the firewall that gets internal corrosion and tends to fail also. Look into replacing that as preventative maintenance ($55 at O'reilly).
That's my stab at an answer, based on working on my daughter's 2002 Taurus. Frequent coolant monitoring and changing (every 2 years?) is all that I can think of to manage the problem.
Take care.
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The coolant recovery bottle/reservoir is a pressurized cap, there is no cap on the radiator. The system is filled/bled from the bottle.
Ford used the conventional green coolant in the 4th generation Taurus until about 2002 1/2 until they switched to the MC Gold or G-05.
Many including myself have completely flushed the system and switched to the green (in my 2007). Perhaps someone at one point topped off the coolant with green and they mixed?
Ford used the conventional green coolant in the 4th generation Taurus until about 2002 1/2 until they switched to the MC Gold or G-05.
Many including myself have completely flushed the system and switched to the green (in my 2007). Perhaps someone at one point topped off the coolant with green and they mixed?
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Thanks for the tips, I will let the owner know. At a minimum, he needs to flush the brown mess and refill with whatever the manual calls for, plus maybe the heater core is blocked.
It's got the 3.0 Vulcan, does't it? My 2000 Vulcan used conventional Green coolant. On the vulcan the coolant ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE CHANGED EVERY OTHER YEAR. The vulcans have a HUGE problem with turning the coolant cruddy brown.
Depending on how long it's been bad, you may still have a chance of saving the water pump and heater core.
Unfortuantely, if it's been in there too long you're going to be looking at a new water pump and heater core
Depending on how long it's been bad, you may still have a chance of saving the water pump and heater core.
Unfortuantely, if it's been in there too long you're going to be looking at a new water pump and heater core
Originally Posted By: Miller88
It's got the 3.0 Vulcan, does't it? My 2000 Vulcan used conventional Green coolant. On the vulcan the coolant ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE CHANGED EVERY OTHER YEAR. The vulcans have a HUGE problem with turning the coolant cruddy brown.
Depending on how long it's been bad, you may still have a chance of saving the water pump and heater core.
Unfortuantely, if it's been in there too long you're going to be looking at a new water pump and heater core
Those Vulcans can be hard on coolant. I agree with flushing it regularly. If you do it yourself I would recommend mixing some cascade dish detergent with some hot water when you flush. It does a great job at de-gunking and de-greasing engines. Diesel mechanics have been using this for years. Flush it and refill with G-05. Also try replacing the thermostat if you have not recently.
It's got the 3.0 Vulcan, does't it? My 2000 Vulcan used conventional Green coolant. On the vulcan the coolant ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE CHANGED EVERY OTHER YEAR. The vulcans have a HUGE problem with turning the coolant cruddy brown.
Depending on how long it's been bad, you may still have a chance of saving the water pump and heater core.
Unfortuantely, if it's been in there too long you're going to be looking at a new water pump and heater core
Those Vulcans can be hard on coolant. I agree with flushing it regularly. If you do it yourself I would recommend mixing some cascade dish detergent with some hot water when you flush. It does a great job at de-gunking and de-greasing engines. Diesel mechanics have been using this for years. Flush it and refill with G-05. Also try replacing the thermostat if you have not recently.
first things first for me: you say "previous gen Ford Taurus" , then people start giving advice assuming it's 2-3 gens back.
Taurus is Currently on a facelifted 6th gen.
which of these does it look most like?
Current "face lifted" 6th Gen(2013)
6th Gen (2010-2012)
5th Gen (2008-2009)
Ford Five Hundred (2005-2007)
"Face lifted" 4th Gen(2004-2006)
4th Gen(2000-2003)
3rd Gen (1996-1999)
Taurus is Currently on a facelifted 6th gen.
which of these does it look most like?
Current "face lifted" 6th Gen(2013)
6th Gen (2010-2012)
5th Gen (2008-2009)
Ford Five Hundred (2005-2007)
"Face lifted" 4th Gen(2004-2006)
4th Gen(2000-2003)
3rd Gen (1996-1999)
Flush and use G-05. It will be fine whether or not it had G-05 from the factory.
Originally Posted By: earlyre
first things first for me: you say "previous gen Ford Taurus" , then people start giving advice assuming it's 2-3 gens back.
Taurus is Currently on a facelifted 6th gen.
which of these does it look most like?
I was going off of the coolant crud. The 3.0 Duratec offered in the 3rd, 4th and 5th generation isn't prone to coolant sludge at high mileage. It's the 3.0 Vulcan engine that sludges up it's coolant.
first things first for me: you say "previous gen Ford Taurus" , then people start giving advice assuming it's 2-3 gens back.
Taurus is Currently on a facelifted 6th gen.
which of these does it look most like?
I was going off of the coolant crud. The 3.0 Duratec offered in the 3rd, 4th and 5th generation isn't prone to coolant sludge at high mileage. It's the 3.0 Vulcan engine that sludges up it's coolant.
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Based on the pictures and my fuzzy memory, it was a 3rd gen Taurus.
I also completely forgot that I owned a 1st gen Taurus Wagon in the last 80's. Nice car until it wore out, at about 75K miles. Then every week after that, something broke.
I also completely forgot that I owned a 1st gen Taurus Wagon in the last 80's. Nice car until it wore out, at about 75K miles. Then every week after that, something broke.
Originally Posted By: keith
Based on the pictures and my fuzzy memory, it was a 3rd gen Taurus.
I also completely forgot that I owned a 1st gen Taurus Wagon in the last 80's. Nice car until it wore out, at about 75K miles. Then every week after that, something broke.
like most Fords
Kidding! I am a GM guy
Based on the pictures and my fuzzy memory, it was a 3rd gen Taurus.
I also completely forgot that I owned a 1st gen Taurus Wagon in the last 80's. Nice car until it wore out, at about 75K miles. Then every week after that, something broke.
like most Fords
Originally Posted By: keith
Based on the pictures and my fuzzy memory, it was a 3rd gen Taurus.
I also completely forgot that I owned a 1st gen Taurus Wagon in the last 80's. Nice car until it wore out, at about 75K miles. Then every week after that, something broke.
Other than sheet metal, and interior there's not much difference in the 3rd and 4th generation. Mechanically the same car.
Based on the pictures and my fuzzy memory, it was a 3rd gen Taurus.
I also completely forgot that I owned a 1st gen Taurus Wagon in the last 80's. Nice car until it wore out, at about 75K miles. Then every week after that, something broke.
Other than sheet metal, and interior there's not much difference in the 3rd and 4th generation. Mechanically the same car.
Taurus' are very susceptible to brown sludge due to use of Dexclones. I've seen it many times first-hand.
Your supposed to use only original green coolant in older Fords. The green will turn brown/black and sludgy too if not changed regularly. It is only rated for 2 years/30k miles. Well Zerex claims up to 5 years for their green but that is just pushing it to the absolute limit.
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