Coolant change from green to yellow

[ultravorx]

Hey guys, i currently have the green coolant in my car 06/02 build. Is it possible to flush the whole system to put in the new yellow coolant? I know in my older gm cars, i could switch from green to red, but never go back to green because it can "gel" up the entire cooling system.
Im due for a coolant chage in about 7k miles, so i was wondering if its possible to use the long life coolant. Plus, its a good excuse to change my t-stat! thanks,
Frank

[BillyGman]

HMMMMM, I don't know if this will be of any help to you, but for what it's worth, my Marauder came w/the yellow long-life coolant (03 300A, build date 10/02). But if you don't get any definate answers here, then maybe you should call the service deprtment at your dealer to ask them.

But now that I think of it, last year I bought coolant for my car (I had to change the thermostat) at a parts store, and when I picked up a gallon of the yellow coolant and placed in on top of the checkout counter, before the guy would ring it up, he asked "Do you have a 2003 Ford car?". And then when I said "Yes, I have a 2003 Mercury Marauder" he then said, "Okay" and proceeded to ring it up.

But I really don't understand why it mattered if I had a Ford product that came out that year only. So I wonder if using the yeallow coolant also has something to do w/the type of metal that the radiator was made out of. I know that sounds like a stretch, but I don't know why he asked me that, and I had so many things on my mind that day(especially an upcoming gear change) that I didn't bother to ask.

[RF Overlord]

Frank:

I'm not aware of any reason why you can't switch from green to the Premium Gold...just be sure you COMPLETELY flush the old coolant, as any contamination will result in reduced life expectancy of the Gold.

Ford says you CAN mix the two, but you then have to change the coolant at the "green" interval, so that pretty much negates any advantage of using the Gold. It's also recommended to use only distilled water in the final mix. Tap water would be OK for the flushing process, though.

*edit*
One other thought...the Premium Gold coolant is not as readily available on the road as the green. If you travel a lot, you may want to keep the green in there...it's cheaper and easier to find, and you don't have to worry about the mix if you ever need to add coolant in an emergency.

[BillyGman]

I'm not trying to take this discussion off-topic, but I have two things to bring up that come to mind that are kind of related:

#1. I remember reading on a coolany container that it said "distilled water" just as you've mentioned, but the first thing that comes to my mind when I read that is........can we really believe that when the dealer changes the coolant, they use purchased water, rather than tap water? Perhaps I'm over looking something simple here, but I just cannot picture any dealer having water delivered for no other reason than to use in radiators. And I highly doubt that they take it from the water cooler.

#2.Another thing is, that I remember reading somewhere on a coolant bottle that if your radiator is aluminum, that you must use a Propylene Glycol based coolant. What confuses me is that I thought that all coolant is Propylene Glycol based. I don't think that our radiators are aluminum, but I'm not even sure about that, since I haven't even noticed. I guess that was the furthest thing on my mind whenever I was working on my car performing modifications.

[RF Overlord]

What confuses me is that I thought that all coolant is Propylene Glycol based.

Gman:

No, most coolant is Ethylene Glycol-based. Both the green and the Premium Gold are EG coolants...the Motorcraft Specialty Orange coolant is PG-based and most definitely should NOT be used in the Marauder, or any vehicle with an aluminium radiator, block, intake manifold, or heads.

[Ross]

My 300A came with green coolant. Recently, at my 30K service, I told them to flush the system and add new coolant. They added green coolant instead of the newer yellow. Maybe they didn't really change it at all but just charged me for a change?

[RF Overlord]

Maybe they didn't really change it at all but just charged me for a change?

More than likely they simply flushed and refilled with the same type coolant...

Alternatively, some communities/states require that coolant be recycled. There's a machine that pumps out the old coolant, filters it and replenishes the additives, then adds the necessary amount of make-up coolant to refill the system. If yours wasn't too bad to begin with, that may be what was done...

[carfixer]

This is a copy and paste of a TSB Ford released for coolant colors, in its entirety...

Article No.
02-23-7 COOLING SYSTEM - MOTORCRAFT PREMIUM GOLD ENGINE COOLANT - SERVICE TIPS

Publication Date: November 18, 2002

FORD: 2002-2003 ESCORT ZX2, FOCUS, MUSTANG, TAURUS, THUNDERBIRD
2003 CROWN VICTORIA
2002 EXCURSION
2002-2003 E SERIES, ESCAPE, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, EXPLORER SPORT, EXPLORER, F-150, RANGER, SUPER DUTY F SERIES, SUPER DUTY F-53 STRIPPED CHAS.
2003 EXPEDITION, WINDSTAR
2002-2003 F-650, F-750
LINCOLN: 2002 CONTINENTAL
2002-2003 LS
2003 TOWN CAR
2002-2003 BLACKWOOD
2003 AVIATOR, NAVIGATOR
MERCURY: 2002-2003 SABLE
2003 GRAND MARQUIS
2002-2003 MOUNTAINEER


Article 02-17-7 is being republished in its entirety to update the text and part numbers.

ISSUE:
A new, extended-life engine coolant, yellow-colored Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant, meeting Ford Specification WSS-M97B51-A1, service part numbers VC-7-A and VC-7-C (for use in the U.S., except California and Oregon) and VC-7-B (for use only in California and Oregon as it contains a bittering agent), has been equipped in all of the vehicles noted above. The initial-fill life for this coolant is 100,000 miles/5 years. Due to variations in water quality, the replacement interval is 50,000 miles/3 years.

ACTION:
Any time the addition of coolant or a coolant change-out is required, USE ONLY THE TYPE OF ENGINE COOLANT WITH WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED. DO NOT MIX COOLANT TYPES. To determine the type of coolant required, check the color of coolant in the coolant reservoir of the vehicle or refer to the applicable vehicle's Owner's Guide or Workshop Manual for service parts and specification information.

SERVICE INFORMATION
Except for heavy-duty vehicles equipped with the Caterpillar 3126E engine, the use of a supplemental coolant additive (SCA) such as Motorcraft Heavy- Duty Cooling System Additive, service part number FW-16, is not required in conjunction with this coolant.

Testing is currently underway to determine the backward compatibility of the Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant in vehicles equipped with the green-colored Motorcraft Premium Engine Coolant, service part numbers VC-4-A, VC-4-B, and VC-5. Until the final test results are available, vehicles should ONLY be serviced with type of coolant with which they were originally equipped.

Please note that Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant is not compatible with any orange-colored, extended-life engine coolants such as Motorcraft Specialty Orange Engine Coolant, service part numbers VC-2 and VC-3. DO NOT MIX COOLANT TYPES. USE ONLY THE TYPE OF COOLANT WITH WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in degradation of corrosion protection and potential engine damage.

Coolant Discoloration:

The current Motorcraft Cooling System Stop Leak Pellets, service part number VC-6, used in both Production and Service, cause the yellow-colored Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant to change color ranging from a light golden brown to dark brown, depending upon the amount of pellet material in the coolant reservoir. This discoloration does not adversely affect the coolant or the vehicle's cooling system components. No repairs are required for this condition. To avoid confusion with regard to coolant contamination, a new formulation of stop leak pellets will be implemented in Production and Service in the near future.

PART NUMBER PART NAME
VC-7-A Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant - For Use In U.S. (Except For California and Oregon) - (6) U.S. 1 Gallon Containers
VC-7-B Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant with Bittering Agent - For Use Only In California and Oregon - (6) U.S. 1 Gallon Containers
VC-7-C Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant - For Use In U.S. (Except For California and Oregon) - (1) 55 Gallon Drum



OTHER APPLICABLE ARTICLES:
NONE

SUPERSEDES:
02-17-7

WARRANTY STATUS:
INFORMATION ONLY

OASIS CODES:
402000


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: The information in Technical Service Bulletins is intended for use by trained, professional technicians with the knowledge, tools, and equipment to do the job properly and safely. It informs these technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or provides information that could assist in proper vehicle service. The procedures should not be performed by "do-it-yourselfers". Do not assume that a condition described affects your car or truck. Contact a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury dealership to determine whether the Bulletin applies to your vehicle.

Copyright © 2002 Ford Motor Company

[BillyGman]

good info. Thanks Carfixer.

The thing that surprises me is that how it listed all of those types of vehicles EXCEPT for Marauders. I didn't see our cars listed there. Did I miss something? Another thing that's interesting is the reason for that "bittering agent". That's so that animals don't drink it!!!! It's my unbderstanding that Cats and some Dogs LUV the stuff, and that it tastes great(atleast to them anyway). That might explain why I caught Marty ocasionally taking a swig of the green stuff betwen runs at the track last year. He said that it helps quicken his reflexes at the tree.

But seriously though, you might find it hard to believe, but a very good and long time friend of mine claims that while working on his car one day, upon pulling the lower radiar hose off after a breif wrestling match w/it to free it loose from the bottom of the radiator, a small drop of coolant splashed up on the corner of his lip w/out him realizing it at first, and he only noticed what it was when he happen to drag the tip of his tongue across his lip. He says that it was the best thing that he had ever tasted in his life.

I didn't believe him at first, but he emphatically insisted that he was dead serious about that, and also stated how surprised he was when he tasted how great it was. .....okay okay, I know what you're saying..."Gee Billy's got a lot of time on his hands today"...........

[carfixer]

The thing that surprises me is that how it listed all of those types of vehicles EXCEPT for Marauders. I didn't see our cars listed there. Did I miss something?

Billy, on Ford's TSB's, they group the Marauder with the Grand Marquis. They only list Marauder if the TSB is Marauder specific.

Does Ford assume that cats and dogs outside of CA and Oregon don't like the taste of antifreeze? :lol:

[BillyGman]

That's a good point. I was wondering about that too. I bet it has something to do w/some law that was likely passed due to some radical group who payed their lobbyists to put pressure on the Law makers in California. Knowing how the political climate is in CA I wouldn't be surprised to hear that there's some anti-freeze Law to "protect" and "preserve" the California pet population.