Hi gang, i just wanted to know what type of coolant does our 2001 4.6 e150 use? any particular type/brand? is it a 50/50 mix? i have "universal" (green) fluid i can use. I just want to gradually, "drain and fill" reservoir till it's all changed out. Is this a good procedure?
i looked at the fluid tonight, seems a dark orange color. I'm not sure if there was a git of oil mixed in there as well.
thanks
fab

 

Check your dipstick for any sign of water/oil mix, it will look milky, also under the oil fill cap. I would just drain/flush and change if you are concerned. Any 50/50 universal green antifreeze will work fine. If your loosing enough to have to keep filling the overflow, you have another problem.

 

Orange coolant is probably a sign someone added Dex-cool into the system.

 

Hey gang, well, I emptied out the coolant reservoir with (siphoned it with clear hose). I looked inside once emptied and was surprised to see a lining of black sludge inside the reservoir. Is this normal? If not how can I remove this? I filled it up with a 50/50 mix of green coolant. Thanks
​​​​​​​fab

 

Take the reservoir out of the van and fill it with hot soapy water. Shake it up. Then try to scrub as much as you can with a bottle brush. Then reinstall it and drain the whole system. Fill it with a couple bottles of cooling system cleaner and water. Drive it 2-3 days and then drain it. Repeat as necessary until water draining is clear. Then fill the system with 50/50 MotorCraft Green Coolant/distilled water.

 

what ever coolant you use, flush the system and use one type from now on

 

I saw that if someone mixes dexcool with the green stuff it creates a sludge, I hope that wasn't done to yours, flushing that is a nightmare, will require thermostat replacement.

 

if they are mixed it makes "jello" in your cooling system
as said above, a nightmare

post pics for a better diagnosis