Dealer put in wrong coolant (Gold instead of Orange) -- a problem?

[empowah]

Hi there,

A few days ago, I noticed my coolant was below the "minimum" line, about a centimeter below. Today, I stopped by the dealer to have it topped off. The service advisor poured in some coolant slightly past the "minimum" line, and when he had finished, I noticed it was Ford Motorcraft Gold coolant.

I looked at my owners manual, and checked the coolant reservoir label, and it says that my 2012 Focus uses Motorcraft Orange coolant, and that these two fluids shouldn't be mixed.

Is this a problem? Does it need to be drained now, or is the small amount of Gold coolant that the dealer put in acceptable? It's really irritating how a simple trip to the dealer can end up being a potential headache.

Thanks,

Michael

[Sponsor]

[Kabigon]

Originally Posted by empowah

Hi there,

A few days ago, I noticed my coolant was below the "minimum" line, about a centimeter below. Today, I stopped by the dealer to have it topped off. The service advisor poured in some coolant slightly past the "minimum" line, and when he had finished, I noticed it was Ford Motorcraft Gold coolant.

I looked at my owners manual, and checked the coolant reservoir label, and it says that my 2012 Focus uses Motorcraft Orange coolant, and that these two fluids shouldn't be mixed.

Is this a problem? Does it need to be drained now, or is the small amount of Gold coolant that the dealer put in acceptable? It's really irritating how a simple trip to the dealer can end up being a potential headache.

This doesn't surprise me.

http://www.fordparts.com/Products/Ch...-Coolants.aspx

(referring to Motorcraft® Gold Antifreeze):

Do not mix different colors or types of coolant in your vehicle. Make sure the correct coolant is used. Mixing of engine coolants may harm your engine’s cooling system. The use of an improper coolant may harm engine and cooling system components and may void the warranty

Do not use this product in systems originally equipped with the orange-colored Motorcraft® Orange Antifreeze/Coolant

My suggestion is to have the dealer flush the cooling system and refill with the correct coolant. If they are uncooperative, contact Ford directly and escalate your issue with them.

[leh0825]

exactly, id get it flushed as soon as possible!

[Strix]

Another clueless dealership service department doing things wrong and messing up people's cars.

I wonder if Ford will ever do anything about this...

Originally Posted by empowah

It's really irritating how a simple trip to the dealer can end up being a potential headache.

Yeah... I'm still regretting my fateful trip to the dealership service department last October. My car has never been the same, and I doubt that it will ever be fixed correctly.

[Squareleft]

If your antifreeze is ethylene glycol based then its fine to mix with others that are the same however things like dexcool will turn things into gel or something other. Chemicals react in mysterious ways.

[empowah]

Thanks for the input, all.

I don't have much confidence in the same dealer to flush the system correctly, make sure it's properly bled, etc. I've PM-ed FordCustomerService to see what they can do. Luckily in the Southern California region, there are at least a handful of other dealers to choose from.

At the moment, I've stopped driving the car and will pedal around in my bicycle until the system is flushed.

[suss6052]

Originally Posted by Squareleft

If your antifreeze is ethylene glycol based then its fine to mix with others that are the same however things like dexcool will turn things into gel or something other. Chemicals react in mysterious ways.

Motorcraft Orange coolant is OAT (organic acid technology) based for extended drain intervals, and it doesn't mix well with basic green/ gold coolant in terms of the protection, nor the relationship to the metals inside the cooling system.
https://www.fcsdchemicalsandlubrican...us187175us.pdf

https://www.fcsdchemicalsandlubrican...ing%20Products

[empowah]

What's interesting is that the recommended coolant replacement intervals are 6 years/100K for the first time, then 3 years/50K thereafter.

I wonder if this is because coolant filled from the factory has a lower risk of contamination and can last longer. In that case, if I get the car flushed out, should my next change interval be 3/50?

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by empowah

...I've PM-ed FordCustomerService to see what they can do...

Michael,

Thanks for the heads up; I’ll shoot you a reply by the end of the day.

Originally Posted by Kabigon

...My suggestion is to have the dealer flush the cooling system and refill with the correct coolant. If they are uncooperative, contact Ford directly and escalate your issue with them.

Originally Posted by leh0825

exactly, id get it flushed as soon as possible!

It’s great to see these recommendations, guys.

Originally Posted by Strix

...My car has never been the same, and I doubt that it will ever be fixed correctly.

Strix,

I still have your info from before, so drop me a line via PM and I’ll help.

Cory