| General Procedures Special Tool(s) | | Battery/Anti-Freeze Tester 014-R1060 or equivalent | WARNING:To avoid personal injury, do not unscrew the coolant pressure relief cap while the engine is operating or hot. The coolant system is under pressure; steam and hot liquid can come out forcefully when the cap is loosened slightly. Failure to these instructions may result in personal injury. CAUTION:Check the coolant level, engine oil and transmission fluid, top off the coolant if needed, if there is engine coolant in the engine oil or transmission fluid the cause must be corrected and oil/fluid changed or major component damage may occur. | | -
Inspect the coolant color: - If premium Engine Coolant E2FZ-19549-AA or equivalent meeting Ford specification ESE-M97B44-A has a clear, light green or blue color, this indicates higher water content than required.
- Dark brown could indicate unauthorized stopleak may have been used. Use Cooling System Stopleak Powder E6AZ-19558-A or equivalent meeting Ford specification ESE-M99B170-A only.
- On Zetec engines only, a light or reddish brown color indicates that rust may be present in the cooling system. Flush the system and refill with the correct mixture of water and Premium Engine Coolant.
- A milky brown color may indicate that either engine oil or transmission fluid is entering the cooling system. If transmission fluid is suspected the cause may be a leaky radiator, pressure test the cooling system. For additional information, refer to component tests in this section. If engine oil is suspected the cause of the leak may be internal to the engine. For additional information on engine diagnosis, refer to Section 303-00 Engine System - General Information.
- If transmission fluid is contaminated with engine coolant the cause may be a leaky radiator, pressure test the system. For additional information, refer to the component tests in this section.
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If engine coolant appearance is good, test the engine coolant range with the battery and antifreeze tester: | | | -
Adjust coolant range and level if necessary: - If coolant is low, add specified coolant mixture only.
- If the engine coolant tests to weak, add straight engine coolant until the readings are within acceptable levels.
- If the engine coolant tests strong, remove some of the engine coolant and add water until the readings are within acceptable levels.
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