Does the V6 Escape engine have an antifreeze drain plug on the engine block? If so, where? Thanks.

 

I cant find anything in the shop manual but I'm pretty sure they don't have a drain plug.

 

The Haynes manual shows it just above and to the left of the oil filter. Looks like it would take a 3/8" socket extension to remove it. Because it's a V6, there is another one on the back side of the block.

 

Thanks for that info

 

Yes, I see it...them. Looks like a big silver-colored set screw. 'Bout the size of a quarter or half dollar. The one on the back side looks to be a little more accessible than the one above the oil filter. I haven't got an allen wrench big enough. Looks like it takes one about 12mm or so. Off to the hardware store. Thanks a bunch guys.

 

Bringing this back from the dead a little....

Does anyone know the exact size of these plugs? I will be draining my brother's escape in the near future and need to know what size to buy. Thanks.

 

It takes a 14mm 6-point allen wrench, or drive to fit that big set screw.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. 14mm it is!!! Did your plugs come out easily? This will be the first time on an 02. I am hoping this will remove most all the old coolant (it's kinda rusty).

 

"kinda rusty??" Then I'd suggest you drain and flush as much of the old coolant as you possibly can.

Learned a lot since 1st posting this topic 5 years ago. My plugs were not easy to get out the very first time. Tight factory fit. Had to use a pry bar with extension to get leverage. Rear one is easiest to remove/reinstall due to good access once you are under the vehicle. I found front one harder to reinstall after draining than it was to take off. Had to remove oil filter to get proper alignment of screw when turning it back into the threaded block. Used Permatex thread sealant on the setscrews ... much easier 2nd time.

I also pulled bottom radiator hose to drain, and pulled heater hoses to back flush heater core. Filled with clean water and repeated radiator/drain plugs/hoses process to get as much of my old coolant out as possible when I did the job. Then finally refilled with new coolant (actually replaced traditional green coolant with GO5).

Fyi, here is a pic of the allen wrench I had cut and glued into a socket so I could use a ratchet to remove the block plugs instead of a simple allen wrench. Got better leverage that way. Homemade because I was unable to find a 14 mm socket like this in any local store.
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Man, you really know your stuff. I've done a job like this on the family's 78 Chevy truck when I replaced the radiator, and I thought the steps might be similar.

Is GO5 the gold coolant? Is there any gain to using it over the green?

BTW thanks for the picture of your homemade tool.

 

G-05 is actually Zerex's brand name for it's long life coolant. Ford's version of the same stuff is Ford's Premium Gold Engine Coolant (Ford spec ESE-M97B51-A1) that Ford commonly refers to as "yellow" coolant. I have a 01 Escape, which came with Ford's Premium Engine Coolant (ESE-M97B44-A) or their "green" coolant. Both Xerex and Ford will tell you that the yellow coolant is backward compatible with the green as long as you completely remove the green coolant from the system (which is why I went to such work to flush the old coolant from my radiator). G-05 is good stuff ... higher quality coolant, stays cleaner and lasts longer which is why I converted 4 years ago. It is expensive and hard to find. Bought mine at NAPA, but still 1/2 the price the Ford dealer wanted for Ford Gold. I suspect (but do not know) that Xerex is the oem supplier of Gold Coolant for Ford.

Ford used the green coolant in the Escape until 7/15/02 before switching to the yellow coolant at that time. If you have an 02 Escape you need to check your owners manual to see which is spec'd ... or else just do a good flush and convert to yellow.

If you want to research this, go to FCSD Chemicals and Lubricants and download the 2009 Printed Catalog (PDF) link. Read the footnote on the bottom of the Service Coolant Usage Chart (page 71).

 

Thanks for that link, lots of good information there. I'll check out the owner's manual and see what it's spec'd for. I am really considering flushing everything and switching to the Zerex if it can be found easily and it is reasonably priced.

 

Hey, new here, My name is Jordan, and I'm from Ontario, Canada. My escape is a 2003 XLS v6 4wd

anyways...

I've been looking all over for instruction on how to flush my escape's coolant... This thread is the only one i've found where someone seems to actually know how to do it.

I got a check up at the ford dealership, and was told that my escape needs a coolant flush..
What I've tried so far is draining out of the bottom passenger side of the rad, with that plastic screw. Not much coolant came out, not even after opening the reservoir. People on Escape-City were saying just pull the bottom rad hose, but I've also read this method doesnt remove all the coolant.

Sorry if I'm asking a lot of questions, but this could help a lot of people.

Where are the coolant drain plugs exactly?
-I think I've found the one by the oil filter but there is a hose going into it, not a screw or plug.
-Not sure on the rear one, I've read its near the oil drain plug??

Do I have to remove both drains in the block?

After The coolant is drained from the block screws, or lower rad hose, how do I go about flushing water through?

Any help would be awesome

2Fords2 If you (or anyone else) could make a quick guide that would be awesome!

 

I haven't actually done this procedure yet, on my brother's 02 V6 2WD, but I have a game plan.

I'm gonna pull the radiator drain and catch what coolant comes out, then I will pull the block drain plugs (both front and rear), and after that I will loosen any coolant hose I see, and try to get everything out.

At this point I'm gonna dump out my drain pan into old milk jugs and see how much coolant I've removed, and hopefully I will be close to the 10._? qts.

Then I'm gonna fill it back up with water and run the engine for a while, finishing by draining the water out and refilling with a 50/50 mix.

Viewing the vehicle from the front, the front engine drain plug is located to the left and slightly above the oil filter and is about the size of a half dollar (mine does not have a hose to it, it's just a 14mm hex head screw).

I have never been under a 4WD escape so I don't know how everything is laid out under there, but the rear plug should be fairly visible. It looks the same as the front one on mine.

 

It's been awhile since I've done this, so please don't hold me to the figures I throw out here. The V6 '01 Escape coolant capacity is 10.6 quarts. And a fair amount of that is retained in the crooks and crannys of the engine. Your owner's manual will show capacity figures for later models.

When I drained both engine plugs I recall capturing about 6 qts. Draining the radiator stop **** produced another quart or so. Not much as I recall. Removing the bottom radiator hose (I found the clamp hard to get a grip on) drained even more coolant from the radiator than just opening the valve. I also disconnect and clean out the coolant recovery tank. When I put in the G05 coolant, I also removed the air filter housing so I could get at the heater core hoses that are connected to the engine below that assembly. Easier to get at there than behind the engine against the firewall. Back flushed one of those hoses with the garden hose to clean out the heater core ... then cupped my hand around the end of the heater hose and blew on it to force all the fluid out of the core ... yes, I was serious about getting all the old fluid out!

Then reconnected all the hoses and filled the engine with distilled water. Ran the engine until the thermostat opened. Let the engine cool off a bit. Then repeated that long, laborious drain process I just described. It was a job ... a whole Saturday afternoon! But when I was done, I figured I had 99% or more of the old coolant out with just a wee bit distilled water left in the guts of the engine as the new coolant was added. I added 5 quarts of 100% new concentrate, not the 50/50 premix. Topped off with distilled water and tested at better than -34 freeze point.

I found the rear drain plug by putting the Escape up on ramps and crawling under the vehicle on my back from the front. Once I crawled back past the engine and looked up at the back side of the engine, the half-dollar sized, silver-colored drain plug is toward the top of the engine in the middle under the valve cover. I thought it was very easy to see and get at.

So anyway, this is the hard way to do the job right. Lots of guys I know simple drain the radiator once a year and refill with 50/50 premix, and spend the rest of their Saturday's watching the big game drinking beer! And their Escapes run great.