Filling and Bleeding without RADKITPLUS

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2006 Mercury Montego, 2006 Ford Freestyle, and 2006 Ford Five Hundred. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Engine coolant provides freeze protection, boil protection, cooling efficiency and corrosion protection to the engine and cooling components. In order to obtain these protections, the engine coolant must be maintained at the correct concentration and fluid level. When adding engine coolant, use a 50/50 mixture of engine coolant and clean, distilled water.

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

Add Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant or equivalent meeting Ford specification WSS-M97B51-A1 (yellow color). Use the same coolant that was drained from the cooling system. Do not mix coolant types.
Do not add Motorcraft Specialty Orange Engine Coolant or an equivalent meeting Ford specification WSS-M97B44-D. Mixing coolants can degrade the coolant's corrosion protection.
Do not add alcohol, methanol, or brine, or any engine coolants mixed with alcohol or methanol antifreeze. These can cause engine damage from overheating or freezing.
Ford Motor Company does NOT recommend the use of recycled engine coolant in vehicles originally equipped with Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant since a Ford-approved recycling process is not yet available.

NOTE:

For vehicles equipped with an optional rear heater, RADKITPLUS must be used whenever the underbody coolant lines and/or rear heater core are drained or removed.
The addition of Cooling System Stop Leak Pellets, darkens Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant from yellow to golden tan.

Fill the degas bottle with the correct engine coolant mixture to the degas bottle seam line.
Install the pressure relief cap.
Remove the retaining clip and the fill tab on the top of the thermostat housing and fill through the thermostat housing until full.
Install the fill tab and retaining clip.
Select the maximum heater temperature and blower motor speed settings. Position the control to discharge air from the A/C vents in the instrument panel.
Start the engine and allow it to idle until engine reaches normal operating temperature. While the engine is idling, feel for hot air from the A/C vents.

CAUTION: If the air discharge remains cool and the engine coolant temperature gauge does not move or the low coolant light comes on, the engine coolant level is low in the engine and must be filled. Stop the engine, allow it to cool and fill the cooling system.

Run the engine at 3,000 rpm for 10 minutes. Hot air should discharge from the A/C vents. The engine coolant temperature gauge should maintain a stabilized reading in the middle of the normal range, and the upper radiator hose should feel hot to the touch.
- Shut the engine off and allow it to cool.
- Check the engine for coolant leaks.
- Check the engine coolant level in the degas bottle and fill to the seam line.