I have a 2001 5.4 F150 that has about 12k miles. It has sat for most of the winter so i went out today and drove it to the car wash and home again. The temp gage is half way blowing good heat I lifted the hood and the coolant resevoir is below the cold mark with the engine running. There is no coolant leaking under the truck and no coolant smell. The upper rad hose was soft does this mean the thermostst didnt open yet? I filled it to a little above the cold mark with it running. Whats the story here,do i have a major problem. The truck runs great ???????
Thanks

 

I would guess the cooling system wasn't fully up to operating temperature. I see the same thing after my drive to and from work. On the weekends I frequently take a 90 mile run and the coolant level shows higher and the radiator hoses are hard.