Running hot. Thermostat or leak?
Asked by Kammie Jun 17, 2016 at 12:04 PM about the 2002 Ford Taurus SE
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
My 2002 ford taurus is losing water from
the reservoir area I'm not seeing any
noticeable leaks but I have to add water
pretty much.every time.I go somewhere it
just barely started doing this like today the
guy at auto zone said it's a thermostat and
it's running too hot at 204 while sitting
parked but 201/203 while.moving I'm not
mechanically inclined sold what to do
4 Answers
AutoDiscount_Edneil answered 7 years ago
i'm not a mechanic as well, but it happened to me before with a busted water pump. check leaks not from the radiator but from where the water pump is located. hope this helps...
follow the large upper radiator hose there should be a housing with two bolts on top of the engine near the front.... also check the water pump it has a weep hole on a water pump goes bad the weep hole will allow water to bypass the pump and flow into the ground. If it's another one of those check your oil see if it it looks milky if so that is where the water is going and you have a cracked head or a blown head gasket
To finish up what I was saying in the beginning follow the radiator hose down to the end of the neck that will be your thermostat housing
The coolant bottle is a common problem on your car. You need to replace it and go from there, 205 and 210 are normal temps, the thermostat from the factory is rated at 210 degrees.
