According to the 1998 Ford Contour Owner Guide it came with ( green color antifreeze ) meeting Ford specification ( ESE-M97B44-A )
your heater core is leaking i would replace it.
I'm not a mechanic / technician but it sounds like your heater core is leaking Have you noticed if your engine coolant level is going down ?
You probably have a leaking heater core.
It has to be leaking from somewhere if not hoses,try to locate what area the leak is coming from,could be numerous things from heater core,radiator,intake,head gasket,etc.
Blown Head Gasket or Warped Head from Overheating
find the leak could be any of the breaking system its a ford
repair the heater hose.
The COOLANT SYSTEM CAPACITY ( 50/50 mix of antifreeze and preferably distilled water ) is 10.2 quarts ( 9.6 liters ) for a 1998 Ford Ranger 3.0 L V6 WITH air conditioning
According to the 1998 Ford Escort Owner Guide : It came from the factory with a 50 / 50 mix of distilled water and ( GREEN color antifreeze , meeting Ford specification ESE-M97B44-A )
probly leaking at the y pipe coming off of the water pump it is adealer only part,its a steel pie that is leaking at crimp welds or a pin hole,its a common thig with wind stars
According to the 1998 Ford Ranger Owner Guide : The 2.5 liter four cylinder engine ( with air conditioning ) has an engine coolant system capacity of 7.2 U.S. quarts So a 50 / 50 mix of antifreeze and preferably distilled water would take : ( 3.6 quarts of antifreeze ) * Ford shows not to exceed 60 % antifreeze