Radiator/Coolant Issues; Need some advice

bttf · 04-11-2012, 07:02 PM

2000 Ford Ranger 3.0L V6 Vulcan engine

The other day driving to work, the engine got real hot. I just got the whole radiator replaced last summer so this the first time I've seen any issues since then. I pull over to find the coolant reservoir totally empty. I go in the gas station, and find that they have only concentrate, nothing pre-diluted. So I grab a jumbo styrofoam cup, fill it up with water and walk out the store with the coolant.

I first poured the water down into the reservoir and then followed it up with a jumbo cup full of coolant. I continued driving that day to notice that the heat pretty much stayed the same (I had to go to work so I had no choice but to keep driving); every now and then the temp gauge would drop down a quarter of the way, but still on the hot side.

This all happened yesterday, and since then this is how it has been behaving. It gets real hot after driving for about 5 minutes and then cools down just a little at random times. Today, I got to thinking, maybe because I poured in water first, it's using almost 90% water heavy mixture of coolant and thus when it pulls some more from the coolant reservoir, that concentrated coolant I poured after the water is making its effect on the radiator... So today, I drained out what was about two-water bottles worth of radiator fluid out from the radiator, and put it back into the reservoir. I let it run for 15 minutes with the radiator cap off, but didn't spot any bubbling or nothing... I closed the cap, shut the car off; drove it around the neighborhood, and although it did not go to the very hottest as usual, I did see it rise, a little over the halfway mark...

I have to drive it to work again tomorrow, and I'm crossin' my fingers that it's fixed. I am real ignorant of the radiator and coolant system in this truck and would like to hear some advice from you guys on what the problem may be, and if I was correct in any of ideas concerning the issue.

Thanks a bunch,
bttf

bttf · 04-12-2012, 12:22 PM

Well this morning I drove it to work, and it did not heat up as usual. It stayed pretty cold, and then slowly moved up to the halfway mark. After about ten minutes, slowly but surely it rose up to the high heat level; I definitely heard some engine pings when I gave it too much gas. It then stayed between top quarter length of the temp gauge, going back and forth.

How can I get the radiator to cool this engine like it used to?

04-11-2012, 07:02 PM	#1
bttf Wannabe Elite Explorer Tallahassee, FL 2000 Ford Ranger Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 4 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	Radiator/Coolant Issues; Need some advice 2000 Ford Ranger 3.0L V6 Vulcan engine The other day driving to work, the engine got real hot. I just got the whole radiator replaced last summer so this the first time I've seen any issues since then. I pull over to find the coolant reservoir totally empty. I go in the gas station, and find that they have only concentrate, nothing pre-diluted. So I grab a jumbo styrofoam cup, fill it up with water and walk out the store with the coolant. I first poured the water down into the reservoir and then followed it up with a jumbo cup full of coolant. I continued driving that day to notice that the heat pretty much stayed the same (I had to go to work so I had no choice but to keep driving); every now and then the temp gauge would drop down a quarter of the way, but still on the hot side. This all happened yesterday, and since then this is how it has been behaving. It gets real hot after driving for about 5 minutes and then cools down just a little at random times. Today, I got to thinking, maybe because I poured in water first, it's using almost 90% water heavy mixture of coolant and thus when it pulls some more from the coolant reservoir, that concentrated coolant I poured after the water is making its effect on the radiator... So today, I drained out what was about two-water bottles worth of radiator fluid out from the radiator, and put it back into the reservoir. I let it run for 15 minutes with the radiator cap off, but didn't spot any bubbling or nothing... I closed the cap, shut the car off; drove it around the neighborhood, and although it did not go to the very hottest as usual, I did see it rise, a little over the halfway mark... I have to drive it to work again tomorrow, and I'm crossin' my fingers that it's fixed. I am real ignorant of the radiator and coolant system in this truck and would like to hear some advice from you guys on what the problem may be, and if I was correct in any of ideas concerning the issue. Thanks a bunch, bttf

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04-12-2012, 12:22 PM	#2
bttf Wannabe Elite Explorer Tallahassee, FL 2000 Ford Ranger Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 4 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	Well this morning I drove it to work, and it did not heat up as usual. It stayed pretty cold, and then slowly moved up to the halfway mark. After about ten minutes, slowly but surely it rose up to the high heat level; I definitely heard some engine pings when I gave it too much gas. It then stayed between top quarter length of the temp gauge, going back and forth. How can I get the radiator to cool this engine like it used to?