Cooling System: Description and Operation
Engine Cooling
NOTICE: The engine cooling system is filled with Motorcraft(R) Specialty Orange Engine Coolant. Always fill the cooling system with the manufacturer's specified coolant. Chemically flush the cooling system if a non-specified coolant has been used. Refer to Cooling System Flushing . Failure to follow these instructions may damage the engine or cooling system.
NOTICE: Use Motorcraft(R) Specialty Orange Engine Coolant. Use the same type of coolant that was originally used to fill the cooling system. Do not mix coolant types. Mixing coolant types degrades the coolant corrosion protection and may damage the engine or cooling system.
NOTICE: Stop-leak style pellets/products must not be used as an additive in this engine cooling system. The addition of stop-leak style pellets/products can clog or damage the cooling system, resulting in degraded cooling system performance and/or failure.
NOTE: During normal vehicle operation, Motorcraft Specialty Orange Engine Coolant may change color from orange to pink or light red. As long as the engine coolant is clear and uncontaminated, this color change does not indicate the engine coolant has degraded nor does it require the engine coolant to be drained, the system to be flushed, or the engine coolant to be replaced.
The cooling system components are the:
- block heater (if equipped).
- radiator.
- bypass tube.
- pressure relief cap.
- degas bottle.
- radiator draincock.
- coolant pump.
- coolant temperature indicator sender unit.
- thermostat housing.
- auxiliary coolant flow pump, refer to Heating and Air Conditioning for removal and for diagnostics.
The degas bottle has 2 reservoirs and 2 pressure relief caps. The front (larger) reservoir and pressure relief cap are part of the engine cooling system. The rear (smaller) reservoir and pressure relief cap are part of the Motor Electronics Cooling System (MECS). The 2 reservoirs are separate and both cooling systems are independent of each other. For information on the MECS (Motor Electronics Cooling System), refer to Transmission Cooler, A/T.
Engine coolant provides freeze protection, boil protection, cooling efficiency and corrosion protection to the engine and cooling components. In order to obtain these protections, maintain the engine coolant at the correct concentration and fluid level in the degas bottle.
When adding engine coolant, use a 50/50 mixture of engine coolant and distilled water. A coolant concentration of 50% provides freeze point protection down to -37°C (-34°F).
To maintain the integrity of the coolant and the cooling system:
- NOTICE: The engine cooling system is filled with Motorcraft(R) Specialty Orange Engine Coolant. Do not mix coolant types. Mixing coolant types degrades the corrosion protection of the coolant. Failure to follow these instructions may damage the engine or cooling system.
NOTE: During normal vehicle operation, Motorcraft(R) Specialty Orange Engine Coolant may change color from orange to pink or light red. As long as the engine coolant is clear and uncontaminated, this color change does not indicate the engine coolant has degraded nor does it require the engine coolant to be drained, the system to be flushed, or the engine coolant to be replaced.
Add Motorcraft(R) Specialty Orange Engine Coolant. Use the same type of coolant that was originally used to fill the system. Do not mix coolant types.
- Do not add or mix different coolant types. Mixing coolants degrades the coolant's corrosion protection.
- Do not add alcohol, methanol, brine or any engine coolants mixed with alcohol or methanol antifreeze. These can cause engine damage from overheating or freezing.
- Ford Motor Company does NOT recommend the use of recycled engine coolant in vehicles equipped with Motorcraft(R) Specialty Orange Engine Coolant since a Ford-approved recycling process is not yet available.
Coolant Flow Diagram
NOTE: Black arrows indicate hot, white arrows indicate cold.
