Coolant change

[Glenn Brown]

I had my wife take the ST in to get the coolant flushed and refilled today. Came home and looked at the receipt.

Wynns Coolant Flush with new antifreeze:

Radiator system flush chemical, radiator flush and 2 gallons antifreeze.

So I look in the overflow tank and there is hardly and antifreeze in the bottom. Usually it is on the cold fill mark.

I check the owners manual and it states the capacity is 14 qts!

I'll wait for the engine to cool off and see if anymore antifreeze goes back to the overflow tank from the radiator. But in the morning I'm going back for more antifreeze!

Should be another 1.5 gallons?? Is that correct? If they flushed it all out should of taken that much! Think they are gonna charge me for the extra gallon?? :huh:

 

[Todd Z]

First of all those numbers that are on the receipt are GARBAGE !!!! those are numbers the idiot behind the counter enters, or the stupid computer puts there....



What happens is they did not count for some loss when they filled the radiator and overflow...



Just check the level when the truck is COLD, and if needed top off the rad, then add to the cold line on the bottle...



They should top it off for free for you...

Todd Z

 

[Michael Cacioppo]

GlennB, 2 gallons of antifreeze (8 qts) + 6 qts of water will fill your Trac. You do not need more pure antifreeze. Tell them to fill overflow with a 50/50 solution. As ToddZ said that 2 gallon number is just for the receipt. They probably already have a 50/50 solution mixed and just use it to fill the system.

 

[Glenn Brown]

Ok Thanks! Yea I waited and checked the levels last night and when the engine was cool, there still isn't any fluid in the overflow tank! The radiator is filled to the top! So I'll just ask them to add some to the reservoir! Mike that makes sense with the 2 gallons plus water! Thanks!

 

[Eric Pennal]

Speaking of coolants, I've noticed that Prestone is now making antifreeze that can be added to any color antifreeze: "NEW formula! ALL makes, ALL models, add to ANY color antifreeze."



I assume this is safe to use on our Tracs that specify "green (or yellow) color only?"

 

[Eric Pennal]

bump

 

[Glenn Brown]

They added some extra coolant to the reservoir tank! Said that there must of been an air bubble/pocket in the system! Maybe they didn't have the engine idling when they were checking to make sure all the air was out of the system....:unsure:

 

[Dre L]

Quick question along these lines... My water pump was replaced, and my resevoir was overfilled (I guessed to account for any air in the system).



The other day I popped the hood with the engine off and the noticed that my upper radiator hose was collapsed...



Never mind, I answered my own question:

My '93 Ford F250 diesel has about 50,000 miles. For the past few days, the upper radiator hose has been collapsed whenever the engine was cold. If I remove the radiator cap, it expands back to its original shape. Also, it expands when the engine is warm. Why?



TERRY SWANSON

VIA INTERNET



There's a 1-way check valve in the radiator cap that lets the cap vent into the overflow tank only after the cooling system reaches its rated pressure. But as the cooling system cools down, it allows atmospheric-pressure coolant to return to the system through the overflow hose. It's stuck. Replace the radiator cap.