The Ford Taurus first rolled off the assembly line in 1985 for the 1986 model year. The Taurus has remained Ford's best-selling sedan through the current model year. Replacing the coolant in your Taurus will take about 30 minutes to accomplish and requires little in the way of technical expertise and no specialized tools.
Cool the engine. Make sure your Taurus has been sitting for at least an hour, as you should never change the coolant in a hot or warm engine.
Drain the old coolant into a drain pan. You can purchase a drain pan for auto fluids at your local auto-parts store. Remove the radiator cap and open the lid on the coolant overflow tank. Then remove the plug at the bottom of the radiator and let the used coolant run into the bucket. After the coolant has completely emptied, transfer the old coolant from the drain pan into the five-gallon bucket.
Flush the cooling system. You should flush the radiator with water from a garden hose until the water runs clear. Catch the water in the drain pan and transfer it into the five-gallon bucket as needed.
Fill the cooling system with new coolant. Replace the plug on the bottom of the radiator and pour fresh coolant into the opening on top of the radiator, making sure not to fill past the markings on the radiator. Make sure to fill the overflow tank to the fill line as well. After you have filled the cooling system with fresh coolant, replace the caps on the radiator and overflow tank.
Recycle the old coolant. You can recycle used engine coolant free of charge at your local auto-parts store. Do not dump the used coolant on the ground or in waterways, as this contaminates the water.
