I've heard about a new breed of coolants such as DEX-COOL and Prestone Extended Life. Both manufacturers claim that it can be used for 150k miles with no problem in any vehicle.

I found an article in Popular Mechanic's web site that recommends not switching to these new coolants in systems that have always used traditional green coolants.

Is it wise to switch? Does Ford approve of them in their trucks?

 

Ford uses them sometimes (I believe it's included when the heavy duty cooling system is ordered) and they can be differentiated by their orange color, vice green of normal anti-freeze. I asked Valvoline this very question awhile back, as they manufacture and market Zerex, and they say it's okay. Just flush out the old conventional green anti-freeze. The orange and green can be combined without any adverse effect, but the orange is degraded to the same level of protection as the green.

 

Never use the extended life coolant (orange) or Dex-cool in the F-150 (or a cooling system not designed for them)...the F-150 owners manual is very specific about this (P.199 April 2000 printing). You can void your warranty if you do this and damage the engine and cooling system. Use only the "yellow" coolant as FORD printed in the owners manual.

The extended life coolant is acidic..and the regular coolant is not. No, you can NOT mix them.

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2000 F-150 XLT, 4x2, 5.4L Supercab, LEV, Superchip, Styleside, Black with silver two-tone, 3.55 rear, class III towing package with heavy duty cooling package, Heavy duty shocks, 4 wheel disk ABS, overhead console, sliding rear window, keyless entry, dark graphite interior, in dash CD, factory leather wrapped steering wheel, FORD bedliner, K&N air filter, rubberized undercoating (soon), cabin filtration system - not yet installed, Bugflector II, Build date 7/00

 

NEGATIVE!!! Ford's F150 factory shop manual states: WHERE THE ******* does it say an F150 cannot use Dex-Cool?!! Valvoline and Prestone have indicated that Ford has made their recommendation based on the assumption that most people will only drain and refill their system without flushing out the half-a-gallon still remaining in the block. If you're interested in upgrading to Dex-Cool, you need to flush your sytem out with water, possibly several times, until it's clear. Valvoline has also indicated that the two types of anti-freeze are FULLY compatible, but conventional green will degrade Dex-Cool to its level.

[This message has been edited by kilroy (edited 08-06-2000).]

 

Note the "ethylene glycol based" quote. Know what that means? Means it's compatible with conventional GREEN anti-freeze which is also ETHYLENE GLYCOL based.

[This message has been edited by kilroy (edited 08-06-2000).]

 

And this from Prestone's site:

 

"WHERE THE ******* does it say an F150 cannot use Dex-Cool?!! "]...you ask? (*Your "shop manual" post answered your own question 100%*)

As I indicated above..read your owners manual..under maintenance and care. The owners manual supercedes a shop manual...especially when they turn you down for warranty work (The dealership/FORD will not ask you if you followed your shop manual) !! Also, look under the hood..it is specific on the "Coolant and Service Instructions sticker".

P 199 (4/2000), under Maintenance and care states:

"Use only FORD G05 Engine Coolant (yellow in color) or a premium coolant that meets FORD specification WSS-M97B51-A1"

"DO NOT USE Ford extended Life Coolant F6AZ-19544-AA (Orange in color)"

"DO NOT USE a DEX COOL® engine coolant or an equivalent engine coolant that meets Ford specification WSS-M97B44-D."

The sticker under the hood of my truck states: "Engine requires special coolant. Use FORD coolant E2FZ-19549-AA or in Canada use CXC-8-B or equiv to FORD specs #ESE-M97B44-A".

"Zerex Extreme Life 5/150 has been tested and meets or exceeds the following industry coolant specifications: ASTM D3306, D4985; SAE J1034, J1941, J814; TMC of ATA RP-302B; Cummins 90T8-4; Federal Spec. A-A-870A." And I know it is very good stuff..in the right cooling system! Most GM cars ARE USING THIS...not everyone is...and the F-150 is one of them!!!

Where does it meet the FORD F-150 silicate specification though? I just picked this truck up a few days ago...FORD is still using the green/yellow silicate coolant. I have the latest copy of the owners manual...FORD does not allow the use of DEX-COOL® in the F-150 or any other silicate-free coolant.

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My wifes car (2000 model) uses DEX-COOL® (silicate free) extended life coolant..and the owners manual states:

"If coolant other than DEX-COOL® is added to the system, premature engine, heater core or radiator corrosion may result. Damage caused by the use of coolant other than DEX-COOL® is NOT covered by your new vehicle warranty."

If the engine came with the extended life coolant (Orange) then that is what you use. If it came with the green/yellow coolant..then the same thing applies..unless the owners manual states differently. I think this is why they are different colors..so owners can easily identify the different types of coolants. You are 100% correct on the point...Zerex® Extreme Life 5/150 Antifreeze Coolant
meets the silicate-free requirements...I agree...but that is NOT what our trucks use..we use the SILICATE coolant...the green stuff!

Take care....



[This message has been edited by Dustoff (edited 08-06-2000).]

 

Dustoff, Nickdj,

Dustoff, we seem to agree in many areas and we seem to agree on antifreeze types too.

I specifically asked this question here and to the Ford dealership some time ago and was told "replace ONLY with what came with your vehicle." (just like my owner's manual states). I also asked specifically why I couldn't change to the extended life coolants and was told exactly what you stated.

Guys, please note that my truck was ordered with HD cooling and electrical and it came with green antifreeze. Now I am not about to argue the point with Ford/dealership as it's not that important to me. I don't know why some 4.6s (Lincolns and others) come with extended life coolant but that's how it is and the warnings in my F150 owner's manual are good enough for me.

You would be surprised at the good information that is printed in the owner's manual .........

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Dunbarton "The Middle Aged Kid" '99 XLT SC SB 4x2 4.6 auto 3.55 ls The occasional Z-71 Eater! Wedgewood & Denim, SuperChipped, Airaid FIPK, HD electrical and cooling, power seat, Rhino Liner, Extang Classic tonneau cover, Mobil 1. Man, I got it all! (New Jersey)

 

The owners manual is the first place I go looking for information when I have a question on what to use or how much. I just wish more owners would leave there owners manual in the car where it belongs. I really shouldn't complain thou. The more people who fail to follow under hood decals an owners manuals the more work it generates for me.

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2000 XLT Bright red, Flareside,extended cab,sport,5.4,bedrug,Extang tonneau.

 

Owner's manuals are written for non-mechanical type people in Neanderthal, second-grade school terms so that only the most basic information is disseminated. They are not updated and are not used by technicians. These idiots who've undertaken to argue the point have completely and unequivocally ignored any service information provided by Ford and anti-freeze manufacturers. Real smart.

 

So Kilroy if we ain't mechanics we must be Neanderthals or boneheads.

[This message has been edited by stephen muscio (edited 08-06-2000).]

 

Kilroy,

Show me a notorized statement on Ford Motor Company letterhead stating the using extended life, "Dex-cool", orange, or what ever else you want to call it, antifreeze in an F150 will not void the warranty, then there's no problem. Extended life antifreeze has been around for at least 5 years, and that's longer than the new F-series trucks so there's been plenty of time for them to update the manuals.

Since you're such a fan of reading, ou may want to re-read your second post, too. You pretty much proved your point to be wrong. Here's the relevant material if your memory has slipped:

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For vehicles with green coolant:
Use Premium Engine Coolant E2FZ-19549-AA or an equivalent engine coolant that meets Ford specification ESE-M97B44-A.
Refer to the Service Guide for the proper engine coolant replacement interval.
Properly recycled engine coolant may be used in vehicles originally equipped with green coolant.
Do not add orange coolant to your vehicle if originally equipped with green coolant.

Pay very close attention to that last line.

 

Uh, dumbass, I guess you've put yourself into the same category as the other asinine, argumentative morons, huh? Didn't read ANY of the information posted from Valvoline, Prestone, or Ford's very own shop manual, huh? The owner's manual is written for non-mechanically inclined people (that would be YOU) and it's easier for Ford or any other manufacturer to make short, general statements as to basic car care and maintenence rather than get into a long technical explanation that would likely be lost on those of your ilk. Dex-Cool and conventional anti-freeze are ethylene glycol based, GET IT? That's been pointed out, yet you and that other bonehead keep missing this, GET IT? Dex-Cool and conventional anti-freeze have the SAME pH and conductivity, GOT IT? AM I GETTING THROUGH?!! To say that Dex-Cool is acidic is COMPLETELY ABSURD!! Because of the heat and pressure involved in an automobile's cooling system, the pH is raised above 7.0 so as to minimize corrosion in that environment, GET IT? Conductivity is kept at minimum for the same reason and to reduce the formation of scale. Prestone even goes so far as to recommend the use of distilled water for mixing with their anti-freeze; that means it has almost NO conductivity, GET IT? How many of you use distilled water when refilling a cooling system? Or do any of you KNOW what a cooling system is?

 

Let me give you morons another round room into which you can look for a corner to ****: Ford's shop manual is written for draining and refilling the cooling system ONLY, NOT FLUSHING, GET IT?

 

Read Prestone's recommendation, bonehead. Shop manuals carry the service recommendation, not the stupid owner's manual that you've so plainly misinterpreted. Where THE ******* does it say that stuff is acidic?!! Prestone makes it fairly clear that Dex-Cool is compatible with ALL anti-freezes. Get it? ALL anti-freezes. Ford's service recommendation is based on the assumption that most will simply drain and refill and not flush out their system. Extended life anti-freezes are then degraded to the service level of whatever was already in there. I have yet to hear of a denied warranty claim because using a different type of anti-freeze: THEY HAVE THE SAME CORROSION RESISTANT AND HEAT DISSIPATING CHARACTERISTICS. Get it? Did you happen to READ in Valvoline/Zerex' statement that Dex-Cool is also ETHYLENE GLYCOL BASED?!! Do you have ANY idea what is used as the BASE for ALL anti-freezes?!!! ETHYLENE GLYCOL (except the low-tox stuff which contains propylene glycol and is also COMPATIBLE). Since you NEGLECTED to READ the statement from Prestone, I've included this quote that I found on their FAQ page. Perhaps you can read it and SEE that it meets your beloved owner's manual specification.