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Where are you? I'd say that you could just add water and be OK unless you're in the arctic... You're a little low, but I find it unlikely that little bit, which is basically in the overflow anyway, would be causing your issue.
Adding that little bit of water will dilute your coolant, and lower the freezing point, or.. Raise it, actually.. But, shouldn't be enough to cause a problem.
The Motorcraft green specialty coolant is likely the Ford version of Dex-Cool. In other words.. Don't add your normal run of the mill anti-freeze to it.
I'm in SC, so not dealing with too many extreme temps, might get some nights in the 20s/30s but not for too long.
Get it to the filled line with water. Technically, you're supposed to use distilled water, but..
Just don't add regular anti-freeze to it.. You'd have to get the equivilent.. And, I swear.. The different coolant types and so on now.. I can't keep them all straight in my head.. I just know you don't want to mix them.. And what you have in that vehicle is not 'standard' antifreeze.
Get it to the filled line with water. Technically, you're supposed to use distilled water, but..
Just don't add regular anti-freeze to it.. You'd have to get the equivilent.. And, I swear.. The different coolant types and so on now.. I can't keep them all straight in my head.. I just know you don't want to mix them.. And what you have in that vehicle is not 'standard' antifreeze.
Ah....ah....what????
I have been messing with motors for forty years, and I have NEVER heard of putting distilled water in a radiator. Battery maybe, radiator no.
Add a little water, or add a little anti-freeze (manufacturer specific, if called for). Where the OP is it's not critical. (Different story for me since Winter sometimes hits with 25 below zero.)
And get that thermostat changed, like a couple others said, it's probably stuck open. (Which is better than stuck closed, which happened to me...coincidentally with the dash lights blown out so I couldn't see the temp gauge...girlfriends don't appreciate getting stuck in the middle of nowhere on a freezing Xmas Eve when the whole top of the radiator blows off.)
2011 Ford Explorer Limited.
Live in SC, so weather isn't ridiculously cold, but lately getting some mornings in the 30's. I'll usually go out and start the car about 10 mins before I'm going to leave and turn the heat on high.
Recently though, the air coming out of the blowers isn't even warm and it doesn't get warm until I've been driving for about 30 mins. Then it's fine.
Anyone know what the issue might be?
Thanks.
If it's a low coolant issue, and the engine is actually warm, but the heater is blowing cold at idle, stepping on the gas and speeding up the engine a little, may quickly cause the heater to blow warm.
I'm not sure but a bad radiator cap could cause the cooling system to not be under proper pressure. That might affect coolant circulation into the heater.
If the thermostat is bad enough the engine might never get up to proper temperature.
OK guys, here's the deal. Went out and checked the coolant level (the car's been off for 3 hrs, so, not warm.)
The coolant level is about 1 inch below the bottom line of the 'cold fill range'. Is that low enough to be causing my issue?
Also, says "50% Motocraft specialty green engine coolant" "50% water".
How do I know how much it will take to get into the 'range' or should I just mix 50/50 with more then enough, pour it in until it hits the range and dispose of the rest?
Just buy a gallon of 50/50 and you don't have to worry about proportions or less than pure water. Just make sure what you get meets Ford specs.
What? Should it not idle for 10 minutes? Seriously, I'm not a car guy.
Not even in frigid temps is 10 minutes necessary. 2-3 minutes tops. That is unless you have a remote start and start the car from your home so that its nice and cool/warm once you get in.
Some people will tell you that 20 seconds is all you need but I would say against that. Maybe in warm climates but definitely not in sub freezing temperatures.
What? Should it not idle for 10 minutes? Seriously, I'm not a car guy.
It is wasteful but it is your choice to waste or not. It isn't going to harm the car. As long as it is secure and there is no risk of theft while it is unattended.
A stuck open.. Which is what thermostats are designed to do (Not that they always do that).. Would result in a similar situation.. Though, 30 minutes to warm up seems like a really, really long time. Somehow, I get the feeling that might be a slight bit of exaggeration?
Yeah they don't always stick open. I've had them stay closed right out of the box when I test them. I ding install it without testing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zymer
Ah....ah....what????
I have been messing with motors for forty years, and I have NEVER heard of putting distilled water in a radiator. Battery maybe, radiator no.
Add a little water, or add a little anti-freeze (manufacturer specific, if called for). Where the OP is it's not critical. (Different story for me since Winter sometimes hits with 25 below zero.)
And get that thermostat changed, like a couple others said, it's probably stuck open. (Which is better than stuck closed, which happened to me...coincidentally with the dash lights blown out so I couldn't see the temp gauge...girlfriends don't appreciate getting stuck in the middle of nowhere on a freezing Xmas Eve when the whole top of the radiator blows off.)
Not sure why you're so shocked. Tap water is the worse thing you can put in your cooling system. Simply because of the dissolved metals and minerals. It's fine to flush but to refill you use distilled water.
OP refilling with some distilled water wont harm the engine and he's not stuck with 3/4 of a bottle of coolant that may not be compatible with the ford coolant. I've never had a car not start to blow warm within a two minute window. By 10 minutes it's tropical in my trucks. Could be a clogged heater core.
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