Just ordered some of the discontinued orange coolant. Car is approaching 90k miles and figured it's about time to change the coolant. Where is the drain valve on the radiator located? I've looked from the top and can't make out where it is. I assume I will need to take off the belly pan and should be able to see it then?
Radiator Drain Valve
- Thread starter Majestic
- Start date
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Ecoboost_xsport
SHO Member
Yeah I just drained mine. It's underneath, on the passenger side. I had to switch to that new FoMoCo yellow stuff as I couldn't find the orange anymore. Did they change the formula on us? Anybody know what specific changes, other than the color, that were made in the new coolant?
yaycandy
Aerospace Engineer
Couldn't get the file i have to send so I just screen shotted it. Should be last page.
A quick look online at Ford Yellow or Gold(I get them mixed up) coolant's SDS or MSDS will show you the differences when compared to Orange on its SDS.
I also have Ford's internal SDS for their yellow coolant. Its 7 pages....for me to probably screenshot if anyone needs it.
A quick look online at Ford Yellow or Gold(I get them mixed up) coolant's SDS or MSDS will show you the differences when compared to Orange on its SDS.
I also have Ford's internal SDS for their yellow coolant. Its 7 pages....for me to probably screenshot if anyone needs it.
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Ecoboost_xsport
SHO Member
Yeah, when I went to the dealership last week, they told me the orange was replaced with "dark yellow". I asked about the "old" yellow and they said it's different and that's why it went to code DY. So it's not the same as the yellow Ford used prior to the orange.
Thanks for the updated charts @yaycandy . I had been looking at older ones prior to my purchase, so I wasn't aware of the change until I went to go buy it.
Now, the question is...is it any better? Worse? Meh? I really dislike changing coolant types in a vehicle, even if they say it's "compatible for mixing" as you just never really know how they can react. It's just one less variable to worry about if you can keep it 100% the same. Anyway, I might be overthinking this...lol.
Thanks for the updated charts @yaycandy . I had been looking at older ones prior to my purchase, so I wasn't aware of the change until I went to go buy it.
Now, the question is...is it any better? Worse? Meh? I really dislike changing coolant types in a vehicle, even if they say it's "compatible for mixing" as you just never really know how they can react. It's just one less variable to worry about if you can keep it 100% the same. Anyway, I might be overthinking this...lol.
yaycandy
Aerospace Engineer
There is a Gold now, wonder if its that.
Ecoboost_xsport
SHO Member
Actually now that you mention it, the guy did say the old stuff is now called Gold...
yaycandy
Aerospace Engineer
Ecoboost_xsport
SHO Member
yaycandy
Aerospace Engineer
Haha this whole coolant color changing thing got me all lost. Ill just start finding some more normal orange and stock up
Ecoboost_xsport
SHO Member
Tell me about it...I'm super confused now, lol..
6500rpm
Quality Always Shoots Straight
The question is that they changed it why....hopefully it didn't have any of the same properties as the GM Dex cool.
Ecoboost_xsport
SHO Member
Yeah, I was at the counter, dealing with one of those fateful life choices when they dropped the news on me...do I go with it or find some orange stuff still out there...I pulled the trigger on purchasing the new stuff, but kinda wondering if I should've held out. I still have it sitting on my work bench as I was going to fill it this evening. But I kinda second guessing myself...
@Majestic Where did you order it from?
Found it on Amazon. I ordered two gallons of the non-premixed stuff.
yaycandy
Aerospace Engineer
I thought the orange already shared the same as dexcool. Not like its a copper radiator anyway
Ecoboost_xsport
SHO Member
That Bob Is The Oil Guy post I linked to might provide some insight. It sounds like Ford added some phosphates to their OAT. It actually sounds like it's better, but I'm still concerned about the mixing aspect and what long term effects it may have. I wasn't able to get all the orange stuff out. These XSports have a known issue with water pumps failing and it's a PITA to fix. Don't want to exacerbate an issue.
Here's a quote from a poster in that BITOG thread...not mine:
"....It makes sense that Ford superseded their VC-3-B orange OAT (aka Dexcool) coolant with the improved VC-13-G yellow P-OAT (aka Prestone Cor-guard), it's the same chemistry with some phosphate added to get around the brazed aluminum heater core issues in the Transit vans"
yaycandy
Aerospace Engineer
Yea I think its best to do a total flush of the system with water a couple times before switching over just incase.
Orange and Yellow are both OAT so unless some additives with react, really beats me. I aint no chemist, and if i was id be making Meth.
The non Motorcraft coolant for my sho comes up as OAT but motorcraft still shows their orange as the older type.
I can ask Ford tomorrow, not sure on a trustworthy answer though.
Oil is easy, why can't coolant be easy
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luigisho
SHO Member
I switched to the yellowish stuff for my F150. I think I found Prestone Cor Gaurd will work. I read it somewhere on the interwebs. That's what I've been putting in it recently. I hate that orange stuff.
Ecoboost_xsport
SHO Member
Yeah, according to what I've been reading, the yellow stuff is essentially Prestone CorGuard. The more I read about it, the better I feel about making the switch, just think I should completely flush the old stuff out.
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