I have a 2001 F250SD w/ 5.4L. I know that there are two different types of anti-freeze on the market. The good old glycol type and some new "enviro-friendly" stuff. Which type does the 2001 5.4L use?

 

My understanding is that you can use pretty much whatever you want to as long as the boilover and freeze protections are adequate. Just that the newer ones are not toxic or are less toxic. About 1 tablespoon of the ethylene glycol antifreeze is enough to kill a good size dog and ruin most of what kidney function you have if ingested. It supposedly has a very sweet flavor, so animals/kids will keep sucking it down if they get a taste, and a taste is about all it takes.

 

I thought that there were some that you couldn't combine with other types. Chemical reasons or because of metals or whatever.

 

dont use dex cool. its for newer gm's mostly. that stuff is not what you want in your cooling system. it'll turn into mud in your radiator. as for the enviro friendly stuff i've heard of sierra-it willwork for ethly glycol (green )coolant. supposed to be "less toxic", but not non toxic. i go with walmart stuff- its like 3.35 a gallon. its a real good idea to change all the antifreeze every 2 years. it turns acidic and will corrode the metal of the cooling system. you can test your antifreeze acidity with a voltmeter. with engine cold, take the radiator cap off and put the negative electrode on negative terminal of battery. then put the positive electrode in the coolant, but dont let it touch anything but coolant. if your reading is more than .2 volts, the system needs flushing. you need a digital voltmeter for this test.

 

Our company trucks have the golden-yellow coolant in them;who makes this coolant?

 

wgm114, certain types of antifreeze are preferred for diesels. i dont have much first hand experience with diesels but check the ford diesel sites for specific recommendations. Antifreeze that is ideal for gasoline engine is not necessarily what you want for the diesel.

 

wgm114,
Check out these sites for detailed information:

http://www.frontierequip.com/library/lowsilicate.htm

http://www.fleetchargeantifreeze.com/newtech_a1.htm

http://www.cam2.com/c2antifreeze.htm

Toxicity of Ethylene vs Propylene Glycols
Hmm, don't know why this url doesn't work. I found it by typing "propylene glycol" in the webcrawler prompt.

http://www.eetcorp.com/lts/RecyclingEngineCoolant.htm

Yeah, I know, a whole lot of reading, but you wanted information, right? R.A.

 

I found this while browsing a link posted in another thread, on the ALLDATA TSB's for Rangers....http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PR...77033/89491681

Engine Coolant - Propylene Glycol Recommendations


Article No.
01-23-6

11/26/01

^ ENGINE COOLANT - PROPYLENE GLYCOL - FORD
MOTOR COMPANY POSITION ON ENGINE
COOLANTS MADE FROM PROPYLENE GLYCOL

^ ENGINE COOLANT - PROPYLENE
GLYCOL-BASED - FORD MOTOR COMPANY
POSITION ON PROPYLENE GLYCOL-BASED
ENGINE COOLANTS

FORD:
1989-1993 FESTIVA
1989-1994 TEMPO
1989-1997 PROBE, THUNDERBIRD
1989-2002 CROWN VICTORIA, ESCORT, MUSTANG, TAURUS
1994-1997 ASPIRE
1995-2000 CONTOUR
2000-2002 FOCUS
2002 THUNDERBIRD
1989-1990 BRONCO II
1989-1996 BRONCO
1989-1997 AEROSTAR, F SUPER DUTY
1989-2002 ECONOLINE, F-150, RANGER
1991-2002 EXPLORER
1995-2002 WINDSTAR
1997-2002 EXPEDITION
1999-2002 SUPER DUTY F SERIES
2000-2002 EXCURSION
2001-2002 ESCAPE, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, EXPLORER SPORT
2000-2002 F-650, F-750

LINCOLN:
1989-1992 MARK VII
1989-2002 CONTINENTAL, TOWN CAR
1993-1998 MARK VIII
2000-2002 LS
1998-2002 NAVIGATOR
2002 BLACKWOOD

MERCURY:
1989-1994 TOPAZ
1989-1997 COUGAR
1989-2002 GRAND MARQUIS, SABLE
1991-1994 CAPRI
1991-1999 TRACER
1995-2000 MYSTIQUE
1999-2002 COUGAR
1993-2002 VILLAGER
1997-2002 MOUNTAINEER

MERKUR:
1989 SCORPIO, XR4TI

This article is being republished in its entirety to update the model year coverage.

ISSUE
This TSB article describes Ford Motor Company's position on the use of propylene glycol-based engine coolants.

ACTION
Ford Motor Company does not recommend nor endorse the use of engine coolants made with propylene glycol in Ford vehicles. Ford Motor Company currently recommends the use of ethylene glycol-based engine coolants.

Published information suggests that engine coolants made with propylene glycol may provide engine cooling performance equivalent to engine coolants made with ethylene glycol. However, different brands of engine coolant provide varying corrosion protection for the cooling system. Ford does not have performance data for the multitude of engine coolants available in the aftermarket and therefore cannot recommend the use of any coolant except those sold by Ford Customer Service Division. Consult the vehicle's Owner's Guide to determine the appropriate Ford Customer Service Division coolant for the vehicle.

Furthermore, claims of toxicological and environmental advantages of propylene glycol over ethylene glycol may be misleading. When significant new information is developed, Ford will review this policy.

Ford Motor Company specifications recommend that vehicles be maintained using certain ethylene glycol-based engine coolants. Those specifications do not refer to engine coolants made with propylene glycol. Although the Ford New Vehicle Limited Warranty is not automatically voided upon the use of a coolant made with propylene glycol, if such use results in damage to the vehicle or its components, the cost of repairing the damage would not be covered by the Ford New Vehicle Limited Warranty.



I had just bought some propylene glycol based antifreeze and put a little in my truck (91 ranger 4.0L engine) before I read this, as there seems to be a coolant leak somewhere (every now and then I have to add a little coolant to the reservoir), and I don't want my pets finding little puddles of antifreeze!
How would you all interpret this? Is this just Ford covering their behinds in a legal sense, or should I give my jug of coolant to my brother and his mazda, and go buy some kitty-killing ethylene glycol based coolant??

 

ranger_punkin,
To my way of thinking, the TSB was like you said, a disclaimer.
For years, Ford never aknowledged the cavitation problem in their diesel engines, particularly prevalent in the 7.3L because of the thinner cylinder walls. They finally made available a chemical (nitrite) fix called FW-15 which has been improved to the current FW-16. I think, but am not sure, that they did this in response to other aftermarket company's doing research on cavitation and coming up with products of their own.
The TSB you linked in is a little over 11 years old. I would think technology in the effectiveness of propylene glycol would have improved since. Afterall, the companies which pervay propylene glycol antifreeze products can't maintain a customer base if their product doesn't work effectively and without highly risky side effects. I'm sure their products have also improved in 11 years. Below are a couple of well known companies and their PG product literature.

Sierra Antifreeze Products



Amsoil Antifreeze Products

On a personal note, I will soon be changing out my antifreeze. I have decided to go with ethylene glycol for several reasons. 1. I can't find the PG locally. 2. I have no coolant leaks. 3. I plan to recycle the old antifreeze by taking it to a recycling facility.

In my area it is difficult to find someone to recycle antifreeze. I went online a while back and found the email address for my state's EPA so I could find a recycler in my area. Still, that recycling company is about 80 miles away.
Just my 2cents, R.A.