2020MY Coolant confusion

[fiveohchris]

Found a similar thread for gt350 but not for GT.

I have a 2020MY GT with PP1. 3k Km(1,900 miles). Car was built in December 2019, I understand Ford switched coolants around that time.

Yesterday I noticed coolant level was below min mark, didn’t even think to check it sooner. Car was purchased new in May from the dealer, so I’m surprised that it came this low from the factory!! I’ve had no problems with cooling, head temps and oil temps are always normal, and there’s no smell, puddles, or leaks that I’ve been able to detect. Just happened to notice the level when I checked the oil.

Anyways, the printed manual that came with my vehicle calls for Motorcraft Yellow VC-13DL-G/CVC-13DL-G(Canada). Another online PDF manual for 2020MY calls for Orange (VC-3DIL-B/CVC-3DIL-B). The parts geniuses down at the big box retail chain recommended OEM brand Orange, and to my eye the coolant from the factory appears to be green in colour (pic attached below)

She’s going in to the dealer on Monday for a tire issue anyway, so maybe I’ll just see what they say and let them top it up. Not that I fully trust them to put the right fluid in either lol.

I’m inclined to believe the printed manual, and the fluid does look a yellowish green in the light. What’s the deal with this?

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[JJSSI]

Mine was built 1-29-2020 . The manual says orange, the Ford coolant chart says yellow after 1-2-2020 and the color is green.
How could anyone be confused?
Don't forget to report back.

 

[ORRadtech]

I ran into this a few months ago. I needed orange and all the dealer had was yellow. Your is the "yellow btw. Had to try 3 dealers before I found one with orange. None of them knew for sure if orange and yellow are compatable but everything I found online at the time said don't mix them

 

[Soulja4187]

I bought a 2020 GT Premium on April 28th and the level was below the minimum mark so dont get worry. Just last week I bought more yellow coolant from the dealer. I also got the shark fin for the gps.

 

[Elp_jc]

Yep, you got the yellow coolant. My 2019 Bullitt still has the orange, and it too was well below the MIN mark when I was going to take it for a test drive, with 66 miles on the clock. Ask service dept to top it off before firing up the engine, since I was going to drive it home after the test drive (if all went well, which it did). There ALWAYS are air pockets in the cooling system that no factory bothers to take out, so you really have to keep an eye on coolant level the first few weeks of ownership. Since my car already had several cold-hot-cold cycles, most of the air was already out. Since topping off the reservoir (to the MAX) at the dealer, it's still there at 860 miles. Just top it off asap, and keep an eye on it, since if it sucked air due to the low level, reservoir level might get lower after topping it off. I bought a gallon of the 50/50 Motorcraft orange coolant, in case it needed more, but so far, it hasn't.

By the way, you can mix both orange and yellow coolants if needed (Ford says that too)... but then you'd have to change it according to the orange specs, which is sooner than the yellow. Both are OAT-based.

 

[fiveohchris]

Yep, you got the yellow coolant. My 2019 Bullitt still has the orange, and it too was well below the MIN mark when I was going to take it for a test drive, with 66 miles on the clock. Ask service dept to top it off before firing up the engine, since I was going to drive it home after the test drive (if all went well, which it did). There ALWAYS are air pockets in the cooling system that no factory bothers to take out, so you really have to keep an eye on coolant level the first few weeks of ownership. Since my car already had several cold-hot-cold cycles, most of the air was already out. Since topping off the reservoir (to the MAX) at the dealer, it's still there at 860 miles. Just top it off asap, and keep an eye on it, since if it sucked air due to the low level, reservoir level might get lower after topping it off. I bought a gallon of the 50/50 Motorcraft orange coolant, in case it needed more, but so far, it hasn't.

By the way, you can mix both orange and yellow coolants if needed (Ford says that too)... but then you'd have to change it according to the orange specs, which is sooner than the yellow. Both are OAT-based.

Thanks for the info! I’ll let the dealer top it up on Monday, I won’t be driving before then anyway, and buy a bottle of the yellow to have on hand.

I don’t feel great about having driven 2000 miles with the level this low and wished I had checked it sooner At least I didn’t beat on it at all during the first 1000 miles and I always keep an eye on the temp levels when driving and haven’t noticed any high temps at all. Hoping this didn’t damage the cooling system or rad In any way though.

 

[WildHorse]

Hoping this didn’t damage the cooling system or rad In any way though.

It's gonna be fine. Top up as long as it meets WSS-M97B57-A2 specs, ur good. Or just let the dealer eff it up. Where'd you buy it? Vickar? Birchwood? River?

 

[ice445]

Thanks for the info! I’ll let the dealer top it up on Monday, I won’t be driving before then anyway, and buy a bottle of the yellow to have on hand.

I don’t feel great about having driven 2000 miles with the level this low and wished I had checked it sooner At least I didn’t beat on it at all during the first 1000 miles and I always keep an eye on the temp levels when driving and haven’t noticed any high temps at all. Hoping this didn’t damage the cooling system or rad In any way though.

You'll be just fine. The last 3 of these cars I've looked at all had "low" coolant levels. The factory fills with an accurate amount each time, so i think some small change is causing that pre fill to look inadequate. The bottle has been the same since 2015.

Your bottle would have to be straight empty to even potentially cause an issue.

 

[fiveohchris]

It's gonna be fine. Top up as long as it meets WSS-M97B57-A2 specs, ur good. Or just let the dealer eff it up. Where'd you buy it? Vickar? Birchwood? River?

River

You'll be just fine. The last 3 of these cars I've looked at all had "low" coolant levels. The factory fills with an accurate amount each time, so i think some small change is causing that pre fill to look inadequate. The bottle has been the same since 2015.

Your bottle would have to be straight empty to even potentially cause an issue.

Thanks that's reassuring. I was almost wondering if they'd filled for the non PP rad capacity or something but I suspect it's just trapped air being forced out after a few cycles.

 

[Zathras]

Once you/the dealer fills the reservoir to the desired level, you might want to keep an eye on it to make sure you don't have a slow leak somewhere. My 2018 mysteriously loses about one ounce of coolant per 500-750 miles of driving. Which doesn't sound like a lot, but it basically means after a year I'll have to add 10-12 ounces to make it full again.

 

[ORRadtech]

Once you/the dealer fills the reservoir to the desired level, you might want to keep an eye on it to make sure you don't have a slow leak somewhere. My 2018 mysteriously loses about one ounce of coolant per 500-750 miles of driving. Which doesn't sound like a lot, but it basically means after a year I'll have to add 10-12 ounces to make it full again.

If you're still under warranty I'd be taking it to a dealer and asking for a leak down test. It doesn't take much coolant getting into a cylinder to cause damage. If there is a tiny head gasket leak it won't get better on its own. A slow, mysterious coolant leak like that is what killed my old Ridgeline.

 

[Rapid Red]

Car received, 4-15 was ordered, it has green .

 

[obspsd]

Motorcraft yellow coolant has replaced the orange. You can also mix them.

Here is the TSB
http://www.fcsdchemicalsandlubrican...Antifreeze-Coolant Backward Compatability.pdf

 

[WildHorse]

But in the same PDF "Important do not use Motorcraft® Yellow Antifreeze/Coolant to service Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles factory-filled with any other Motorcraft® antifreeze/coolant. In the case of these vehicles, Motorcraft® Yellow Antifreeze/Coolant is not compatible and therefore is not approved for use. Continue to service these vehicles using only the correct recommended antifreeze/coolant"

 

[obspsd]

But in the same PDF "Important do not use Motorcraft® Yellow Antifreeze/Coolant to service Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles factory-filled with any other Motorcraft® antifreeze/coolant. In the case of these vehicles, Motorcraft® Yellow Antifreeze/Coolant is not compatible and therefore is not approved for use. Continue to service these vehicles using only the correct recommended antifreeze/coolant"

Does make it kind of confusing.
Orange coolant is gone though. Use the yellow. (Looks kind of green)

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