Engine Cooling

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2006 Mercury Montego, 2006 Ford Freestyle, and 2006 Ford Five Hundred. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

CAUTION: All vehicle cooling systems are filled with Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant VC-7-A or equivalent meeting Ford specification WSS-M97B51-A1 (yellow color). Always fill the cooling system with the same type of coolant that is present in the system. Do not mix coolant types.

The cooling system components are:

Engine coolant temperature (ECT) sensor
Radiator
Degas bottle
Radiator draincock
Coolant pump
Thermostat
Variable speed fan motor assembly
Fan control module (FCM)
The coolant pump circulates the coolant.

The thermostat:
controls the engine coolant temperature.
allows quicker engine warm-up.
The degas bottle:
provides a location for fill.
contains coolant expansion and system pressurization.
provides air separation during operation.
replenishes the engine coolant to the system.
The fan motor:
operates only when the ignition switch is in the RUN position.
has variable speeds and is controlled by fan control module.
The engine coolant flows:
from the lower radiator hose to the coolant pump.
from the coolant pump to the engine block and the cylinder heads.

A closed thermostat returns the engine coolant to the coolant pump; an open thermostat allows the engine coolant to flow to the radiator.

Engine coolant provides freeze protection, boil protection, cooling efficiency and corrosion protection to the engine and cooling components. In order to obtain these protections, the engine coolant must be maintained at the correct concentration and fluid level in the degas bottle.

When adding engine coolant, use a 50/50 mixture of clean distilled water and engine coolant.

To maintain the integrity of the coolant and the cooling system:

Add Motorcraft Premium Gold Coolant VC-7-A (in California, Oregon and New Mexico VC-7-B, in Canada CVC-7-A) or equivalent meeting Ford Specification WSS-M97B51-A1 (yellow color). Do not mix coolant types.
Do not add/mix orange-colored Motorcraft Specialty Orange Engine Coolant VC-2 or equivalent meeting Ford specification WSS-M97B44-D or green colored Motorcraft Premium Engine Coolant VC-4-A (in Oregon and California VC-5) or equivalent (green color) meeting Ford specification ESE-M97B44-A. Mixing coolants may degrade the coolant's corrosion protection.
Do not add alcohol, methanol or brine, or any engine coolants mixed with alcohol or methanol antifreeze. These can cause engine damage from overheating or freezing.
Ford Motor Company does NOT recommend the use of recycled engine coolant in vehicles originally equipped with Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant since a Ford-approved recycling process is not yet available.