Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Ford F-Series: Best Engine Coolant for Your Truck

In simpler times, all a cooling system ever needed was a 50/50 mix of water and green antifreeze. Rinse and repeat every couple of years and you were good to go! In recent years; however, new engine designs built with varying materials have seen manufacturers producing their own specific antifreeze coolant formulas to keep these engines running at peak performance. Unfortunately, this has led to a lot of confused consumers and incorrect coolant mixtures being used.

By Brett Foote - May 6, 2019

This article applies to the Ford F-Series Trucks (1948-Present).

In years past, choosing the correct antifreeze coolant for a Ford truck was a rather straightforward process as it was only a matter of deciding which brand of ethylene glycol to purchase, but recent advances in coolant technology can now make choosing the best coolant for your particular F-Series Pickup a rather confusing ordeal. This confusion can be further amplified if the coolant in your truck has been changed out at some point and is not the same type as outlined in the vehicle's manual. Fortunately, Ford has provided us with a recommended coolant usage chart and several coolant options that will work in all Ford F-Series trucks since their introduction in 1948 all the way up to their current year model vehicles.

Coolant Breakdown

Motorcraft Premium Antifreeze Coolant (Green) - Inorganic Additive Technology

Figure 1. A green coolant color typically indicates a traditional IAT antifreeze.

Ford trucks built prior to 2001 came from the factory filled with a traditional ethylene glycol antifreeze that has become known as Inorganic Additive Technology (IAT) coolant. Typically green in color, IAT coolant contains silicates that offer the engine a high level of fast acting protection from corrosion, but generally last for only two years before corrosion protection diminishes, thus requiring coolant replacement on a semi-regular basis. In general, this is a great functioning coolant but has a relatively short service life.

Motorcraft Orange Antifreeze Coolant - Organic Additive Technology

Figure 2. Not only is color indicative of the coolant type, but also prevents the accidental mixture of incompatible coolants

Organic Additive Technology (OAT) coolant, often referred to a propylene glycol, was introduced around the turn of the century as a more 'environmentally-friendly' coolant that featured extended service intervals compared to traditional IAT coolant. This is achieved by removing the silicate compounds and replacing them with organic corrosion inhibitors ( such as carboxylate, sebacate, etc.) that are not chemically consumed over time. That said, OAT coolant can quickly break down if contaminated and not offer the necessary engine protection required. Generally, these coolants should be replaced every five years or 150,000 miles.

Motorcraft Gold Antifreeze Coolant - Hybrid Organic Additive Technology

Figure 3. Coolant quick reference chart

Although many other manufacturers made the switch directly from IAT to OAT coolants, Ford opted to use Hybrid Organic Additive Technology (HOAT) coolant in their trucks between 2002-2010. As the name indicates, a HOAT coolant is a mixture designed to benefit from the long service life of an OAT coolant while providing great corrosion protection with a small dose of silicates added. This type of coolant is commonly known as a 'Global' antifreeze with its G-05 designation, but the specific formula may vary slightly depending on the vehicle manufacturer. As with OAT coolant, HOAT antifreeze also has extended service intervals and protects against electrochemical degradation of cooling system components.

Scheduled Maintenance

The following are general replacement intervals for the various types of coolant; however, refer to your owner's manual and the coolant specifications for service intervals applicable to your vehicle.

IAT (Green) - Every two years or 48,000 miles (Ford Spec ESE-M97B44-A)
OAT (Orange) - Five years or 150,000 miles (WSS-M97B44-D)
HOAT (Yellow/Gold) - Five years or 150,000 miles (Ford Spec WSS-M97B51-A1)

Common Questions

How do I know which antifreeze coolant goes in my truck?

Generally speaking, trucks built prior to 2002 will use green IAT coolant. 2002 to 2010 models were factory filled with yellow HOAT coolant whereas 2011+ F-Series trucks are using orange OAT coolant. That said, ALWAYS examine what coolant is in your vehicle prior to replacing it as it may have been changed at some point to something different than the factory fill. See Figure 4. for Ford recommended coolants based on your truck's model year.

Figure 4. Coolant recommendations based on model year

Do I have to use 'Motorcraft' brand coolant?

No. Any brand of coolant that meets Ford coolant specifications (typically found on the back label) for your particular vehicle will be suitable. That said, if you have a newer truck that is still under warranty, it is highly recommended that Motorcraft coolant be used in order to meet warranty requirements.

Can I mix different types of coolant?

Coolant types should never be mixed, especially IAT and OAT coolant formulas as it will cause a chemical reaction that essentially turns the coolant into sludge and can allow the engine to overheat and damage cooling system components. If accidentally mixed, the cooling system should be flushed and filled with the proper coolant.

Can I use a different type of coolant than what is suggested for my vehicle?

If the vehicle originally used green IAT coolant, it is recommended that the same formula continue to be used as newer OAT-based products will not provide the same level or corrosion protection for some of the older materials used in the cooling system. Conversely, it is not uncommon to see newer vehicles having been switched back to IAT coolant without any ill-effects, but the service interval will be considerably shorter than with an OAT/HOAT formula.

Related Discussions