Coolant gauge a little high -- question

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James Hatch

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Howdy all,



First, apologies if this is in the wrong category.



GF took our daily driver '02 ST to work this AM (with no complaints sent to me) and then on the way back home she said the temp gauge was running a little high, somewhere about 5/8ths to 3/4ths, a little more than the normal 1/2 it is at. She said it seemed to be running fine other than that.



So when she got home, I checked the large hoses going from radiator to block, and the one on the passenger side of the radiator was hot, and the one going from the block to the radiator on bottom (driver's side) was cold.



Does this mean I need to change out the thermostat?



Also, my coolant fluid is a little on the brown/black side, no longer green. Maybe time to change that? Where would I get rid of the fluid?



Appreciate any help. Work at 4am tomorrow (8hrs from now) so I'm hoping I can make it to work to then stop by autozone on the way home with a new thermo and fluid if I need it.







EDIT: editing to add that when I drove to work at 0330 this morning, it didn't go to same level on gauge for me.

not sure if this changes anything?

 
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James H wrote:



"my coolant fluid is a little on the brown/black side, no longer green"



This is concerning! When was the last time you checked or flushed the coolant to where it was still green?

What level is the coolant at when you remove the cap (cold)?

Have you been adding fluid? to the Overflow container?

What's your transmission fluid look like?
 
Tranny fluid is red, haven't added any coolant to overflow tank as it is just about at the cool level on the overfliw where it should be.

I haven't changed/flushed it in the 2 years I have had it, which is bad, and is my fault, I will look into doing that this weekend.

Will respond with more details if needed when out of work, just got in.
 


Thanks, that should give others a bit more to go on for ideas.



You're coolant shouldn't be brown/black in two years. Changing the thermostat sounds like a good idea then with a flush because that's a cheap option for now. You should stick with a Motorcraft thermostat replacement as it has a small by-pass pin to prevent an abrupt overheat.
 
Since you live in the far northeast, your ST should not be running warmer as the weather gets colder. This may not be an emergency issue now, but may get worse with time.



Things that could cause overheating are:



Radiator (outside front) plugged up with bugs and leaves.

Radiator (inside) starting to get plugged up with dirt and corrosion caused by using the wrong coolant, or interior deteriation of hoses. (hoses deteriorate from the inside)

The wrong thermostat installed, installed wrong, or the old one is starting to stick.



All of these can be cured with a little TLC maintenance. Flush the cooling systems, replace the thermostat, check upper and lower radiator hoses, and the heater hoses..replace as necessary...especially if you see black sooty residue the hoses. Be sure the outside of your radiator core is clear of bugs, leaves, paper and other road debris.



...Rich





 
Check your vehicle build date on your 2002 using the VIN linked below. Prior to 7/15/02 calls for green coolant, gold colored after. Zerex G-05 gold is Ford approved and usually stocked at NAPA.
 
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SWs, the gf picked up some prestone 50/50 yesterday at the store yesterday. I looked at it, and it says it works with any color. Should I not be using the Prestone?
 
Did you check the build date? Many brand name "universal" coolants claim compatibility with all vehicles although Ford is very specific.

Mixing types, or using the wrong coolant can lead to serious long term issues. If it were me, I would use only what meets Ford's spec.
 
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Your member profile says 2002 ST 4WD Navy Blue. Sounds like you need a coolant system flush in addition to a thermostat replacement. The green Prestone should be fine. GL
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sws, correct on profile, it is listed as '02 since auto manufacturers started the trend a while back of saying next model year instead of actual build year.



Looks like flush and replacement will be happening this weekend.



Thanks all for the help.
 

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