Like @ford390gashog we use Rotella fluids in all diesels, ELC and T4 in IDIs or T6 in DIs. That fussy litmus strip test kit malarkey got old quick way back with my 2000 Excursion (which is still running strong on ELC with +300k on the clock, sold it to a buddy who drove it up the Alaska Highway).

I still have 60k miles to go before servicing the coolant in my 2018. I reckon I'll use ELC then, unless Furd bleats something about it invalidating my extended $2300 warranty. Has anybody here switched from yellow to Rotella ELC?

 

So I’m sitting at the dealership as I type this, getting the oil changed
in my ‘15 6.7 F-250. I inquired about changing the coolant over to the POAT at the next oil change. Not just a drain and fill, but a complete flush of the original OAT, and fill with the new POAT. He told me it would be $169.95 plus tax for both the primary and secondary systems. I truly was expecting it to be a lot more than that, considering the price of the POAT. Can anyone comment on what they paid to do the same or if that even sounds right? I’m only at 99k miles right now, so my next oil change will be right at the recommended initial flush.

 

I'm fairly certain mine was $309 for both systems in late 2014 and I remember requesting distilled water. However, I cannot find the paperwork in my file for that repair for whatever reason.

Edit: correction, for the old coolant.

 

I have a call in to my dealer inquiring about the cost of flushing and refilling both systems with the POAT coolant and will post the cost when she returns my call. I have to take my truck back in for an oil leak in mid December and will have the coolant flushed and swapped at that time.

 

$229.95 flush both cooling systems with a BG cleaner and refill with the new yellow coolant and distilled water.

 

Thanks for getting back to me about that. I just figured it would be a lot more expensive seeing as how both cooling systems hold around 40 quarts of coolant, and adding in the cost of labor. $169.95 sounds like a great deal on that. I’ll just have to make sure they’re using distilled water. With what it costs to test the OAT with the strips every time, this is a no brainer.

 

Wow that's really not a bad price at all. I was expecting a much higher price.

 

No problem.....and I agree with your train of thought about switching to the new coolant, it's less hassle and worth the small expense to switch to the yellow POAT coolant and not have to worry about testing the orange stuff any longer.

 

Just to be sure before I order anything, 5 gallons of vc13 concentrate plus 5 gallons of distilled water for the refill, 20 gallons of distilled to try to flush out as much of the old as possible filling and draining twice?
Assuming that I will only get out 2/3rd of the final flush of distilled water (or about 13 quarts) should I adjust the final mix to compensate for those 3 gallons?
I dont want to have it to thinned out or to heavy of a mix.

 

If I remember correctly, the price of the vc13 coolant was around $20 a gallon. I’m thinking that distilled water is around $1 per gallon, so that would put you around $125 right there. To save the hassle and make sure it’s done right, why not check with the dealership? They told me $169.95 to do the complete flush and change over to the new coolant. I would much rather them do it and be done right for the slight difference in cost.

 

I'm more of a do it myself kind of guy. I totally get going to the dealership for service, But coolant flushes are very time consuming to do thoroughly. $169 is definitely a good price, but I'd question how thorough they are with the flushing process at that price, and absolutely make sure they use Distilled water. It could take 3-4 fills of distilled water to get all the old coolant out. Distilled water is also a must with POAT. You don't just Want to let it Run with a garden hose like you could on older systems to flush. several Drain and fills are necessary if you want to get all the old stuff out. Fortunately orange and yellow Can mix so the flush isn't mission critical but its still a good Idea.


For me personally I get the most peace of mind knowing something is done Right when I do it myself.

 

Just wanted to touch back with the group on this, as I just had the flush done at the dealership. I came to pick it up and popped the hood on it. Low and behold...dark pink coolant in both reservoirs. I pulled the SA out and told him they either didn’t use the right coolant, or they didn’t flush it good enough. They just pulled it to the back and are going to re-do the whole service.

 

I just changed mine to the yellow about a week ago. Flushed 3 times with hose water then 2 times with distilled. Ended up using 5 gal of concentrate.
Used PTT A-rod advice about pulling the hose off the trans cooler to drain sec rad.

 

Well, in typical sh%t show fashion, I’m still dealing with what they did/didn’t do. When I got the call to come back and pick the truck up the second time, I was told that they “let it sit on the rack for an hour, letting any and all fluid drip out.” My response: Well therein lies your problem. You guys did a drain and fill...not a flush. They even charged me $20 for a “flush kit” on the ticket. He told me to drive it around for a day and if it still looked pink, to bring it back and they would do it again. With that issue in my head, it wasn’t till I had gotten home that I realized that had forgotten to do the state inspection on it. I asked for that to be done twice. Sigh...

 

I just got this response from the SA: I don't recall the state, If I missed it I apologize but it was not on the write up. As far as the coolant, yes its an exchange but we still get out the majority. If you actually do a diesel flush the workshop manual way like if replacing an egr tube, the process is about 6 hours long, and would cost upwards in the 1000.00 plus range.