•
Do not use alcohol, methanol, brine or
any engine coolants mixed with alcohol
or methanol antifreeze (coolant). Alcohol
and other liquids can cause engine
damage from overheating or freezing.
• Do not add extra inhibitors or additives
to the coolant. These can be harmful and
compromise the corrosion protection of
the engine coolant.
Unscrew the cap slowly. Any pressure will
escape as you unscrew the cap.
Add prediluted engine coolant meeting the
Ford specification. See Capacities and
Specifications (page 336).
Whenever coolant has been added, the
coolant level in the coolant reservoir should
be checked the next few times you drive the
vehicle. If necessary, add enough prediluted
engine coolant to bring the coolant level to
the proper level.
Recycled Engine Coolant
Ford Motor Company does not recommend
the use of recycled engine coolant since a
Ford-approved recycling process is not yet
available. Used engine coolant should be disposed of
in an appropriate manner. Follow your
community’
s regulations and standards for
recycling and disposing of automotive fluids.
Severe Climates
If you drive in extremely cold climates:
• It may be necessary to have a Ford
authorized dealer increase the coolant
concentration above 50%.
• A coolant concentration of 60% will
provide improved freeze point protection.
Engine coolant concentrations above
60% will decrease the overheat
protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage
If you drive in extremely hot climates:
• It may be necessary to have a Ford
authorized dealer decrease the coolant
concentration to 40%.
• A coolant concentration of 40% will
provide improved overheat protection.
Engine coolant concentrations below
40% will decrease the corrosion/freeze
protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage. Vehicles driven year-round in non-extreme
climates should use prediluted engine
coolant for optimum cooling system and
engine protection.
What You Should Know About Fail-Safe
Cooling
If the engine coolant supply is depleted, this
feature allows the vehicle to be driven
temporarily before incremental component
damage is incurred. The “fail-safe
” distance
depends on ambient temperatures, vehicle
load and terrain.
How Fail-Safe Cooling Works
If the engine begins to overheat, the engine
coolant temperature gauge will move to the
red (hot) area and: A high engine temperature
message will appear in the
information display.
The service engine soon indicator
will light.
286
MKC (TME), enUSA Maintenance
Your vehicle is equipped with the Intelligent
Oil-Life Monitor system, which displays a
message in the information display at the
proper oil change interval. This interval may
be up to one year or 10000 miles (16000
kilometers).
When the oil change message appears in
the information display, it is time for an oil
change. Make sure you perform the oil
change within two weeks or 500 miles (800
kilometers) of the message appearing. Make
sure you reset the Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor
after each oil change. See Oil Change
Indicator Reset (page 284).
If your information display resets prematurely
or becomes inoperative, you should perform
the oil change interval at six months or 5000
miles (8000 kilometers) from your last oil
change. Never exceed one year or 10000
miles (16000 kilometers) between oil change
intervals. Your vehicle is very sophisticated and built
with multiple, complex, performance systems.
Every manufacturer develops these systems
using different specifications and
performance features. That is why it is
important to rely upon your dealership to
properly diagnose and repair your vehicle.
Ford Motor Company has recommended
maintenance intervals for various parts and
component systems based upon engineering
testing. Ford Motor Company relies upon this
testing to determine the most appropriate
mileage for replacement of oils and fluids to
protect your vehicle at the lowest overall cost
to you and recommends against
maintenance schedules that deviate from
the scheduled maintenance information.
We strongly recommend the use of only
genuine Ford, Motorcraft or Ford-authorized
re-manufactured replacement parts
engineered for your vehicle.Additives and Chemicals
This owner's manual and the Ford Workshop
Manual list the recommended additives and
chemicals for your vehicle. We do not
recommend using chemicals or additives not
approved by us as part of your vehicle
’s
normal maintenance. Please consult your
warranty information.
Oils, Fluids and Flushing
In many cases, fluid discoloration is a normal
operating characteristic and, by itself, does
not necessarily indicate a concern or that the
fluid needs to be changed. However, a
qualified expert, such as the factory-trained
technicians at your dealership, should
inspect discolored fluids that also show signs
of overheating or foreign material
contamination immediately.
452
MKC (TME), enUSA Scheduled Maintenance
