Who am I to believe? (Heads up 2019 owners)

[Traneman]

I am July build, and I got the yellow coolant.

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[Samranger19]

I’m colorblind and can’t make that distinction. Is the build date the key?

 

[BButah]

This is off thread, but I could not help but noticing that substantial looking device hanging from your garage wall. What is it?

Aloha Jeff! Man, you sure pay attention to details! That "substantial looking device" hanging on the wall is our hitch/receiver bike rack. It's a KUAT NV 2.0. We also have the add-on kit so we can carry 4 bikes. You are correct, it is SUBSTANTIAL and the best bike rack I have found! I'd attach a photo.... but I don't have one and we're in the middle of Winter out here! Maybe in the Spring!
Cheers!

 

[harringtondav]

Putting a roadside emergency kit together in which I want to include a gallon of coolant. The printed and online 2020 Ranger owners manual says to use Motorcraft Orange coolant, yet the attached chart put out by Motorcraft says to use Motorcraft Yellow coolant.
It also notes a running change for MY 2019 from Orange to Yellow on 7/8/19, heads up on this 2019 owners.
The Motorcraft site cryptically warns not to mix the 2 different color coolants, the actual coolant in the reservoir on my truck kinda looks yellow, in a psychedelic sort of way.
Who would you believe in this situation?
Personally I believe the chart and my eyes more than the asinine manuals...

From the owner's manual:
Motorcraft® Orange Prediluted Antifreeze/Coolant
VC-3DIL-B WSS-M97B44-D2

Reservoir:

I understand the dangers of mixing OAT (yellow - orange) with green ethylene glycol. A gooey mess that can ruin a cooling system.
But I'm not aware of problems mixing OAT brands or formulations. I research and purchase the aftermarket brands that meet the OEM spec. Same for engine oil.

 

[Blue Power Ranger]

I have a November build for an XLT with tow package that was delivered to the west coast in California. Mine is yellow, and until I read this post, didn't know there was any other kind. Good to know that it is rated for 200,000 miles. Other than what the possible weather conditions could be where the truck was delivered to, I have no idea why there would be different grades or colors of coolant. Why would they arbitrarily assign some trucks will only get 100,000 miles on their coolant and others 200,000? There has to be a better reason than "that's just what they put in there." Possibly how each truck was equipped, or by model?

 

[quirkybar8]

Based on that video, I can answer the second question - the color has to do with the formulation and for the most part it seems like how long the coolant lasts. The Orange has a 100k initial service life and 50k after that. The Yellow has a 200k initial service life and 100k after that.

I don't know why they would change mid year like that though. That seems weird, unless they got a better deal on the longer lasting coolant (yellow)??? Seems like it should be more expensive.

Seems as though the better question is why they went with the older orange in the first place. Didn't the video say that they changed from OAT to hybrid in 2018? Possibly another example of the compromises made to get the Ranger in production. Focus RS that it's supposedly based on likely was still orange? If only we had more Ford engineers on here .

My asinine 2020 manual calls for Orange coolant.
I've never seen any such manual so riddled with mistakes to the point where I do not believe anything it says.

I just checked v4 of the 2019 manual and it's up to date in there:

Engine coolant (U.S.): WSS-M97B57-A2 Motorcraft® Yellow Prediluted Antifreeze/Coolant VC-13DL-G
Engine coolant (Canada): WSS-M97B57-A2 Motorcraft® Yellow Prediluted Antifreeze/Coolant CVC-13DL-G

 

[quirkybar8]

I’m colorblind and can’t make that distinction. Is the build date the key?

Yes, according to https://www.fcsdchemicalsandlubricants.com/quickref/coolantsEN.pdf, the production change occurred on 7/8/19. My September build is also yellow. Guess the engine guys have a different schedule since Job 2 started on June 3, assuming we can believe the order guide.

 

[Mokume]

Aloha Jeff! Man, you sure pay attention to details! That "substantial looking device" hanging on the wall is our hitch/receiver bike rack. It's a KUAT NV 2.0. We also have the add-on kit so we can carry 4 bikes. You are correct, it is SUBSTANTIAL and the best bike rack I have found! I'd attach a photo.... but I don't have one and we're in the middle of Winter out here! Maybe in the Spring!
Cheers!

Thanks for clarifying, I thought it was some sort of 21st. century updated medieval torture device!
And yes, in my career as a firefighter we we're taught to be very observant, especially my last 4 years as a fire inspector...

 

[MannyS]

Hi Jay,

Yep...Brother-in-law had the same problem...Normal... Brother will not drive anything but a Subaru. Did I say my brother-in-law is a piece of work?
He hates Ford, but has never owned one and I can give him Z plan to save a ton of money... Oh well...his loss.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

I'll take it if he doesn't want it.

 

[Mokume]

Seems as though the better question is why they went with the older orange in the first place. Didn't the video say that they changed from OAT to hybrid in 2018? Possibly another example of the compromises made to get the Ranger in production. Focus RS that it's supposedly based on likely was still orange? If only we had more Ford engineers on here .



I just checked v4 of the 2019 manual and it's up to date in there:

Engine coolant (U.S.): WSS-M97B57-A2 Motorcraft® Yellow Prediluted Antifreeze/Coolant VC-13DL-G
Engine coolant (Canada): WSS-M97B57-A2 Motorcraft® Yellow Prediluted Antifreeze/Coolant CVC-13DL-G

Isn't that the online version of the owner's manual?
My point is that Ford made a running change during MY 2019 to switch to the yellow coolant, yet my 2020 printed manual (supplied with the vehicle) still calls for the orange coolant, now do you see my beef with the printed owner's manual?
Ford is obviously not updating the publication.

 

[quirkybar8]

Isn't that the online version of the owner's manual?
My point is that Ford made a running change during MY 2019 to switch to the yellow coolant, yet my 2020 printed manual (supplied with the vehicle) still calls for the orange coolant, now do you see my beef with the printed owner's manual?
Ford is obviously not updating the publication.

I checked my Sept '19 packet that came with the truck and here's the page from the v4 owners manual.

 

[Mokume]

Well, here's mine:

 

[quirkybar8]

Never doubted you, Jeff . Obviously a dumb oversight on the part of the docs team not to manage the changes properly. But it's probably why I've become conditioned to just accept the reality of electronic iterations. In the tech world it's all you get a lot of times.

 

[Mokume]

Never doubted you, Jeff . Obviously a dumb oversight on the part of the docs team not to manage the changes properly. But it's probably why I've become conditioned to just accept the reality of electronic iterations. In the tech world it's all you get a lot of times.

Spot on sir,

I had started a thread about the absurdities of the printed owner's manual, just one mistake in the publication leaves doubt as to its credibility.
Trouble is that there are multiple mistakes within the blasted manual and FoMoCo does not see fit to correct any of them.

For what it's worth, I researched my brother in law's owner's manual for his 2019 Chevy Silverado with regards to bypassing the auto start/stop system (which I call "ASS") and found the manual to be much better written and presented. Pity GM does not manufacture vehicles to match the quality of their owner's manuals.

 

[caprtaineddie]

The coolant in the tank of my 2020 looks like it is the gold type, but the owner's manual calls for the orange! Jeff, you're absolutely correct about the owner's manual. It's definitely not only lacking in accuracy, but in clarity. GM manuals are much easier to read and understand.

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