The engine cooling system in the Ford Taurus, like all engine cooling systems, requires pressure to work properly. The radiator cap is the key component in keeping the system pressurized. Without the cap, the system will not function as designed. The system also requires clean coolant, a mixture of antifreeze and distilled water, in order to work well. While you may find it hard to rely on the engine cooling system without a radiator cap, you can flush it if you have some basic automotive-repair skill.
Open the hood on the Taurus and slide the catch pan underneath the passenger-side engine well until it’s directly below the heater hoses near the firewall.
Cut the outboard heater hose 1 foot from the firewall and aim the two cut ends down at the catch pan so the coolant in them pours into the pan.
Slide the two hose clamps from the flush tee kit over the two ends of the freshly cut heater hose. Connect the hose back together with the flush tee in between them. Tighten the hose clamps with the socket set.
Attach the garden hose to the flush tee inlet and then slide the catch pan over until it’s directly below the radiator filler neck. Turn the water on and let the system flush until clean, clear water is coming out of the filler neck. Shut the water off.
Disconnect the hose from the flush tee and put the cap on the tee. Loosen the hose clamp on the lower radiator hose where it meets the radiator. Pull the hose off the radiator by hand and allow the flush water to pour out into the catch pan.
Reconnect the radiator hose and tighten the hose clamp. Fill the radiator with a 50/50 mixture of Ford antifreeze and distilled water. Make sure the antifreeze you purchase is specific to your Taurus’s model year.
Dispose of the coolant and water in the catch pan in accordance with your local environmental laws and purchase a radiator cap for your Taurus before starting the engine.
