I have a 2000 ford windstar no heat still

Flush the radiator with stp radiator flush.

The whistling noise is steam. The problem is you never attacked the source of the problem. What you need to do now is drain your radiator completely at opening T-spicket at the bottom of the radiator. While you drain with engine off, run your water hose on top, to flush out the radiator. Then run to the Auto store and buy "radiator flush" -- follow directions. After flushing out the radiator flush, close the T-spicket, and fill with NEW anti-freeze. By enough to fill to the very top. Mix the anti-freeze with water per instructions to your environmental weather.
Buy a new radiator cap which could have caused the problem in the first place by not allowing the correct pressure to blow off. Being a 2000 car is a little early for radiator problems, but an incorrect anti-freeze solution causes radiators to fail prematurely.. Better to have more than less because anti-freeze keeps the radiator from corroding.
Your radiator never cooled the water sufficiently, and boiled much of the water out, hence it got so hot that it would melt the water tank. The Thermostat could well have been the cause because it got corroded from the inept ant-freeze mixture. Did you find rust on the Thermostat ? If so it was the case. If not the radiator has lost cooling either by low water or the cores have become plugged up, in that case you will need a new radiator. See if the flush loosens the rust within the cores before buying an expensive radiator. Check the water hoses if leaking cooling. Run the car allow the engine to become hot before accepting that your water hoses are fine. Because heat expand everything, and may not leak until after the expansion.

Hey Tyler,

Your posting does not indicate if you have a good clean mixture of antifreeze coolant in your heat & cool exchanger ( ie. radiator ), this valuable component of the vehicle coolant & heating system alway's need's a good supply of 50% water to 50% antifreeze which is under pressure and could hurt you or anyone standing too close to your vehice in question.

Purchase the anti-freeze in either full mixture (100%) or 50% water 50% anti-freeze just about anywhere out there with a vehicle repair isle.
Personally speaking I mix 50% water 50% anti-freeze since this is much cheaper than buying the already 50% water to 50% anti-freeze simply due to economic reasons.
After filling this radiator container, remember to alway's follow your vehicle manufacture's safety guidelines, remember there are many moving parts in the engine compartment that could hurt you or people standing around your vehicle while the engine is running.

Hope this helps!

Has the radiator been checked for rust? bet it is red with rust right now from a leaking engine cylinder head gasket, very common in this van. Remove the radiator and have it professionally cleaned and replace the thermostat and flush the engine block and put a can of head gasket sealer in the system on refill with clean new coolant mixed 50/50 with low alkaline water like drinking water from the store..

SOUND LIKE ENGINE OVERHEATING.USE A INFRA THERMOMETER ENGINE TEMPERATURE SHOULD NOT EXCEED 104 CELSIUS WHICH IS 220 DEGREES IF ENGINE EMPERATURE GOING OVER 230. THERMOSTAT STICKING PARTIALLY CLOSED,WATER PUMP FAILING CHECK WEEP HOLE IF LEAKING REPLACE WATER PUMP.FLUSH RADIATOR ,HEATER CORE, AND ENGINE BLOCK. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE 50 / 50 ANTI FREEZE AND WATER.MAKE SURE ENGINE EXHAUST NOT STOPPED UP BECAUSE EXHAUST SYSTEM ALSO TAKE HEAT AWAY FROM ENGINE.

WATER PUMP FAILURE COULD BE CAUSED BY WRONG COOLANT USE DEX COOL ANTI FREEZE.REPLACE THERMOSTAT AND BOTH RADIATOR HOSES TOP HOSE AND BOTTOM HOSE.SOFT HOSES COLAPSE LIKE PUMP HOSE.IT WILL COLAPSE FROM PUMP VACUUM CLOSING OFF SOME COOLANT FLOW.MAKE THE HEATER CORE NOT STOPPED UP IF SO IT WILL RESTRICT WATER PUMP BYPASS CAUSE EARLY PUMP FAILURE.YOU NEED 50/50 COOLANT MIXTURE YOU HALF WATER AND HALF DEX COOL DONT USE GREEN ANTI FREEZE USE ORANGE DEX COOL.I HAVE 3.4L ENGINE AND 3.1L ENGINE BEEN USING DEX COOL ANTI FREEZE SINCE I HAD BOTH VECHICLES. HAD NO WATER PUMP PROBLEMS.

Hello and Welcome to FixYa.com

ok you will need to thaw the radiator. either remove it or find a garage to put it in with heat. then flush and add the 50/50 mix of anti freeze and water.

Thank you for using FixYa.com

Regards, Lee Davidian

Your FixYa Expert

well depend on if is loosing coolant or not if not the first and cheaper is replade termostat . next may the catalyctic convertor is cloge i hope not expensive. if the van was over hot before may the water pump and termostat together

thermostat or heat sencer on the radiator flush it with coolent flush. and use 50/50 coolent

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Does the engine temperature climb too high? She may need the radiator core blown out with compressed air from the inside to get rid of the bugs and other debris. Does the anti-freeze look clean or rusty? Flush and clean the system if it looks rusty--fill with fresh 50/50 water/anti-freeze. Check the action of the cooling fan(s). They should turn freely by hand when cold. Check the fuel pump pressure and replace the fuel filter. Does the check engine light come on? The O2 sensor(s) may be getting tired. Replace if a lot of miles on it (them).