Coolant change. Which color?

[Mbrooks420]

They’re compatible coolants. Looks like they just did a drain and refill, and didn’t flush it well.

 

[WallaceMI]

They’re compatible coolants. Looks like they just did a drain and refill, and didn’t flush it well.

That what I thought as well. They charged me $224 for flush which is quite premium for such a poor "flush".

 

[Odrapnew]

Poor flush or drain and fill, either way, you didn't get what you paid for if you ask me.

 

[ProjectSHO89]

For current (these things evolve over time and older recommendations are updated) recommendations, visit FCSD Chemicals and Lubricants Go to the "Quick Reference Charts" to download the current information.

Current (8/28/20) listing is at https://www.fcsdchemicalsandlubricants.com/quickref/coolantsUS.pdf and covers pretty much everything up through the 2020 model year.

 

[peterk9]

So I'm wondering about coolant since I'll be hitting my 5 year mark this winter so I might as well change it over the summer. What kind of coolant do I need? I know there are orange ones and then there are green ones, but which coolant do I actually use? and is there a difference between any of them?

Owner's Guide says to change it every 6 years or 100k miles which ever comes first. The fluids are also identified in the Guide for both the U.S. and Canadian models.

Peter

 

[J_C]

Yeah I don't think they flushed it, or at least not the reservoir. Yellow VC13G is what they're (supposed to be) using now.

What does freeze/boil 60% mean, that it detected a 60:40 Coolant:Water ratio?

 

[DeluxeStang]

Hello all,

We have a 2017 explorer, with just over 25k on it. As most of you know, the 3.5 duratec is extremely reliable, but the one thing you need to keep an eye on is the water pump. I don't expect ours to have issues in the near future, if at all given the extremely low mileage we've put on it over the last 8 years.

But I've heard keeping the coolant topped off is a good way to prolong the life of the water pump. I recently found out that my dealership hadn't been topping it off during oil changes. So I'm probably just going to start doing it myself. What sort of engine coolant do you use for 2017 explorer's with this engine? It's like this orange fluid.

 

[timothym]

It was probably filled from the factory with motorcraft orange vc-3.
However, Ford has replaced that with vc-13 (yellow), which is supposed to be fully backwards compatible. So I believe you should be able to top up with that without a problem.
In my case it has 70k. So I did a full flush and put in the vc-13.

 

[timothym]

That said, have you checked the level? Is it low? I don't think it should need topping off much unless you have a leak or the pump seal is wearing out.
If you're looking to prolong the pump life, some recommend changing the fluid out (it's generally recommended to change coolant every 5 years anyway). In that case you'd be looking at a drain and fill (replaces about half the fluid) or a full flush to replace all of it.
There are some other threads with more info on changing the coolant.

 

[peterk9]

Hello all,

We have a 2017 explorer, with just over 25k on it. As most of you know, the 3.5 duratec is extremely reliable, but the one thing you need to keep an eye on is the water pump. I don't expect ours to have issues in the near future, if at all given the extremely low mileage we've put on it over the last 8 years.

But I've heard keeping the coolant topped off is a good way to prolong the life of the water pump. I recently found out that my dealership hadn't been topping it off during oil changes. So I'm probably just going to start doing it myself. What sort of engine coolant do you use for 2017 explorer's with this engine? It's like this orange fluid.

Welcome to the Forum.
Your thread was merged with this one on coolant type.
I'd be very surprised if the coolant level, has much of an effect on whether the water pump fails or not. It has never been discussed here before that I can recall. The pump is a mechanical item and as such is prone to failure. There are many threads on the water pump itself, some with pictures of the inside. The main culprit seems to be the failure of the gasket. Topping up is a good idea but shouldn't be required often as it is a closed system.

Peter

 

[boominXplorer]

A compatible coolant you can use to top off or replace with orange / yellow or gold coolant that you can find on the shelf is Zerex G05. It's HOAT compatible.