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What Color Antifreeze does a Ford F150 Use?

What Color Antifreeze does a Ford F150 Use?

Antifreeze in Ford F150 maintains the temperature. Many people do not know about the color of antifreeze in their trucks.

What Color Antifreeze does a Ford F150 Use? In general, the color of antifreeze in a Ford F-150 is orange for Dex-cool. Antifreeze coolant prevents the engine from extreme temperature, rust, and corrosion. Therefore, you should not use the green, yellow, or red-colored antifreeze in your Ford F-150.

Antifreeze, often known as engine coolant, is a colored liquid. It is blended with water to assist your engine in staying cool in hot weather.

It circulates throughout the engine assembly to prevent the temperature of your ford engine from increasing and decreasing.

What Color Antifreeze does a Ford F150 Use?

Antifreeze is available in a variety of forms for Ford F-150 trucks. You have condensed-ones and ready-to-use options. Engine coolant is a ready-to-use mixture that you can use in your truck for top-ups and replacements.

 If you acquire Antifreeze in a concentrated form, you’ll need to dilute it with water before using it. 

Typically, this would be a mixture of 50 percent concentrated coolant and 50 percent water.

You should mix 50/50 to give your vehicle the most protection against corrosion, freezing, and overheating.

How do you check the antifreeze color?

If you want to check the color of Antifreeze in your Ford F150, you need to open the hood.

Find the radiator reservoir or overflow tank location, and then you can check the color of the coolant by using a dipstick in the reservoir.

On the passenger side, bottom corner of the radiator, a petcock with a bit of drain line attached runs outside the frame rail (if the hose is missing, install one).

Place a big drain basin beneath the drain hose and remove the petcock with a 19 mm wrench until coolant drains.

How often and Why to replace Antifreeze in your Ford F150?

You should change the color of the coolant when it starts becoming rusty, as it indicates that the indicator that tells you about corrosion is destroyed.

It will be helpful for the engine if you change the coolant every 33000 miles.

Some manufacturer services will advise you not to change it for the first 60,000 miles. Then you can change it after every 30000 miles. 

The Ford F-150 requires 2.7 gallons of antifreeze and 2.7 gallons of water, for a total of 5.4 gallons. 

The cost is between $95 and $155 to replace the coolant, depending on the shop.

Once the antifreeze in your engine is eroded, the metal in the engine will start to corrode.

If you have some antifreeze kept for a longer time and you don’t know about its effectiveness, check its glycol to water ratio using a refractometer.

The most effective product has an equal balance of glycol to water in it. 

Benefits of using Orange Color Antifreeze in Ford F150

Let me explain the benefits of orange-colored antifreeze for your truck. I have been using this for a while, and the results are great.

Protection from extreme temperatures

It removes heat more effectively than other coolants. As a result, they keep cooling systems from overheating in warm weather and from freezing in the winter.

Prevent corrosion

Rust accumulates over time in a vehicle’s cooling system. It may result in a system failure of the truck.

It contains compounds that prevent rust and corrosion from forming in the first place, whereas ordinary products clean away rust and deposits.

Prevent the engine from failing

When an engine overheats, the system’s oil begins to thin. Over time, the unlubricated metals could crash into each other in the combustion process.

Increase the life of engine parts

It keeps metal components from rusting due to electrolysis. It also increases the life of cooling system plastic and rubber components, which frequently melt as the system overheats. You’ll also avoid some pricey repairs as a result of this.

More effective than water

Coolants address the limitations of water as a cooling medium. For example, water has low boiling and freezing temperatures, making it ineffective in regions where the weather is harsh.

On the other hand, most antifreeze liquids remain neutral despite temperature fluctuations to protect vital engine parts from freezing or overheating.

Some drawbacks of Dexcool

On the subject of Dexcool, you should keep in mind that this coolant has significant drawbacks for your Ford F150.

Dexcool levels to fall too low in some conditions can lead to severe corrosion in the radiator and throughout the engine.

It has been the subject of complaints for years, and though GM has attempted to resolve some of them, they tend to resurface.

It’s not something that every Dexcool user complains about, but it’s something to keep in mind just in case.

Why we prefer Orange antifreeze over Green? 

Green color coolant was initially used in the trucks, it was also effective, but it contains inhibitors that last for a short period.

They can work effectively in your engine for 30000 miles for about two years. After two years, you have to change it for better working of your truck.

On the other hand, orange coolant lasts for a longer duration of time. For example, it works effectively for 620000 miles for about five to six years.

Although green is currently in use for older automobiles, it is not advised for modern vehicles.

Green Antifreeze

Green coolant has Inorganic acid technology (IAT) technology in it. It is available in pre-diluted and ready to dilute forms.

In pre-diluted states, the additives are also already mixed in them.

You have to dilute it with water in an equal blend ratio. You have to change it every 30000 miles in two years. It is not recommended for new models of Ford F150.

Yellow Color Antifreeze

The yellow color coolant has hybrid organic acid technology in it. Usually, it contains a yellow dye, and I have never used this for my truck.

It forms when two or three technologies are mixes together and makes a new technology. This technology has nitrites and low silicate levels in it.

It works efficiently with organic acid and silicate inhibitors. However, it works effectively for a shorter time, and you have to change it every 26000 miles.

It needs some additives to protect your engine. You should not mix OAT coolant with HOAT because they have different formations.

Red Antifreeze

Red color antifreeze is extended life antifreeze; if your engine needs OAT antifreeze, you can easily use red color coolant for your engine. However, you should not use this on your Ford F-150.

You have to change it every 160000 miles for better performance. Please don’t mix it with any coolant that contains silicate or nitrite.

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