SECTION 303-03: Engine Cooling
2014 Flex Workshop Manual
DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION
Procedure revision date: 05/02/2013

Engine Cooling

NOTICE: The engine cooling system is filled with Motorcraft® Orange Antifreeze/Coolant. Always fill the cooling system with the manufacturer's specified coolant. Chemically flush the cooling system if a non-specified coolant has been used. Refer to Cooling System Flushing in this section. Failure to follow these instructions may damage the engine or cooling system.

NOTICE: Use Motorcraft® Orange Antifreeze/Coolant. Do not mix coolant types. Mixing coolant types degrades the coolant corrosion protection and may damage the engine or cooling system.

NOTICE: Do not use stop-leak style pellets/products as an additive in this engine cooling system. The addition of stop-leak style pellets/products can clog or damage the cooling system, resulting in degraded cooling system performance and/or failure.

NOTE: During normal vehicle operation, Motorcraft® Orange Antifreeze/Coolant may change color from orange to pink or light red. As long as the engine coolant is clear and uncontaminated, this color change does not indicate the engine coolant has degraded nor does it require the engine coolant to be drained, the system to be flushed, or the engine coolant to be replaced.

The cooling system components are the:

The coolant pump is located under the engine front cover mounted to the block. A weep hole is provided on the front left side of the engine behind the generator, adjacent to a 13.5 mm (0.531 in) cup plug. The plug and the weep hole create a reservoir for normal coolant seepage and evaporation. Every coolant pump will have some leakage past the dynamic mechanical seal. Dampness and crusting around the weep hole is acceptable and an expected result of normal engine operation. Address any coolant spray or leakage amounts large enough to puddle.

Engine coolant provides freeze protection, boil protection, cooling efficiency and corrosion protection to the engine and cooling components. In order to obtain these protections, maintain the engine coolant at the correct concentration and fluid level in the degas bottle.

When adding or topping off the engine coolant:

  1. measure the coolant concentration in the vehicle using Coolant/Battery Refractometer 300-ROB75240 or equivalent.
  2. determine the concentration desired based on the vehicle duty cycle of extreme hot or cold operating conditions.
  3. add/top off or adjust the coolant as follows:
    1. for concentrations measured 48/52 to 50/50 (equates to a freeze point between -34°C (-30°F) and -37°C (-34°F)), use Motorcraft® Orange Antifreeze/Coolant Prediluted to maintain a coolant concentration in this same range.
    2. for all other concentrations, use Motorcraft® Orange Antifreeze/Coolant Concentrated and/or distilled water to get to the desired concentration. Refer to Cooling System Draining, Filling and Bleeding .

When refilling the engine coolant after a flush procedure, use a mixture of Motorcraft® Orange Antifreeze/Coolant Concentrated and distilled water to get to the desired concentration.

To maintain the integrity of the coolant and the cooling system:

 

Coolant Flow Diagram — 3.5L Ti-VCT

NOTE: At 38°C (100°F) ambient temperature, green arrows indicate coolant temperature below 90°C (194°F), amber arrows indicate coolant temperature approximately 90°C (194°F), red arrows indicate coolant temperature above 90°C (194°F).


Item Part Number Description
1 18B539 Auxiliary heater core
2 18B539 Heater core
3 18663 Heater hose assembly
4 18B553 Auxiliary heater hose assembly
5 8101 Pressure relief cap
6 8A080 Degas bottle
7 8W005 Degas bottle-to-coolant inlet pipe hose
8 6A642 Oil cooler
9 6010 Engine block
10 8501 Coolant pump
11 6049 Cylinder head — RH
12 9N271 Coolant pump inlet pipe
13 9K461 Lower intake manifold
14 8B541 Thermostat housing-to-degas bottle hose
15 8A586 Thermostat housing
16 8B273 Lower radiator hose (engines with an oil cooler)
17 8B273 Lower radiator hose (engines without an oil cooler)
18 6050 Cylinder head — LH
19 8B274 Upper radiator hose
20 6A715 Oil cooler coolant hoses
21 8005 Radiator
 

Coolant Flow Diagram — 3.5L Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection (GTDI)

NOTE: At 38°C (100°F) ambient temperature, green arrows indicate coolant temperature below 90°C (194°F), amber arrows indicate coolant temperature approximately 90°C (194°F), red arrows indicate coolant temperature above 90°C (194°F).


Item Part Number Description
1 18B539 Auxiliary heater core
2 18B539 Heater core
3 18663 Heater hose assembly
4 18663 Auxiliary heater tube assembly
5 18696 Auxiliary heater hose assembly
6 8101 Pressure relief cap
7 8A080 Degas bottle
8 8W005 Degas bottle-to-coolant inlet pipe hose
9 8B274 Upper radiator hose
10 6010 Engine block
11 8501 Coolant pump
12 6049 Cylinder head — RH
13 9N271 Coolant inlet pipe
14 9S455 Intake manifold
15 8K579 Turbocharger coolant outlet tubes
16 9V427 Turbocharger coolant inlet tubes
17 6K682 RH turbocharger
18 9G438 LH turbocharger
19 8005 Radiator
20 8B273 Lower radiator hose
21 8B273 Lower radiator hose
22 6050 Cylinder head — LH