Check your coolant… now! Super low on ‘24 lightning.

[TreatYoSelf]

Thanks to a previous post here about low coolant, it was on my mind. So when I heard the coolant pump sounding a little funny upon starting a charge, I decided to go and check mine. 2024 Lariat with 10k miles. Well, it was incredibly low. With Ford’s love of dings, you’d think at this level I’d get a persistent ding… but nothing. No ding, no yellow light, no error code at all. Maybe there’s not a sensor in the coolant tank?

Went by my dealer and picked up some coolant. Topped it off, and now I just hope it was trapped air. I’ll keep an eye on it and maybe even schedule a service just in case.

Even with a new Lightning, it’s a good idea to check the coolant to protect your precious battery!

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[RickLightning]

Dealership will top it off while in the bumper to bumper warranty, for free. Not unusual to have low coolant especially right after battery service, due to air bubbles in the system.

 

[Rayden]

Is this a special coolant or something that can be picked up at any auto parts store?

 

[carys98]

Is this a special coolant or something that can be picked up at any auto parts store?

It’s standard Motorcraft spec coolant that‘s used in most Fords.

 

[RLXXI]

Ford still shorting fluids ehh? That has to be the one thing that annoyed me the most working at the dealer, every damned new vehicle we got in was low on something, oil, coolant, trans fluid when you could still check it, p/s fluid, washer fluid. About the only thing they never shorted was brake fluid, and all tires were over inflated.

Part of my job was PDI, pre delivery inspection, check fluids, air pressure, road test for NVH concerns, check for dents, peel the transport plastic off etc. I guess for every half gallon or quart of coolant they save etc,, per vehicle adds up.

Thanks for the reminder, I'll double check mine.

 

[Heliian]

I check mine whenever I pop the frunk. January 2023 delivery, no issues. My dealer probably topped it if it was ever low. Air WILL get trapped after assembly or opening of the system for maintenance . Still not as bad as my land rover v8, that thing always had air in it.

Coolant is critical in all types of vehicles, keep an eye on it.

 

[majorgearhead]

My coolant overflow bottle has been dry for a while now. I recently asked my dealer to check it and top up at my 20k maintenance. They did not and kind of blew me off. I went to the service manual and saw that it takes VC-13DL-G. My new dealership had it in parts and sold me a gallon for under $20. I filled the reservoir to a mark between min and max; closer to max but not to the max line. I have driven a bunch and it has pulled some of the fluid into the system as the bottle has less in it now, but still has above min.

I suspect they only put just enough at the factory and as the pumps run and air is burped from the system more of it is used. Never had any alerts on it being low.

I call the stuff blursed Mountain Dew.

 

[TaxmanHog]

I call the stuff blursed Mountain Dew.

Thanks for my new word of the week ...................

 

[Ricks Lightning]

Had mine topped off with my flash when I brought it in for the ball joint nuts. No reason the dealer should or would charge for a fluid that doesn't disappear on its own. Its not like it's wiper fluid, and even that I'm sure they will fill it for free.

Rick

 

[chl]

Is this a special coolant or something that can be picked up at any auto parts store?

The Motorcraft coolant or a compatible equivalent:

"The correct coolant for a Ford F-150 Lightning is the Motorcraft Yellow Prediluted Antifreeze/Coolant (part # VC-13DL-G for the U.S.) or a compatible equivalent that meets the Ford specification WSS-M97B57-A2. This is a yellow, Phosphated Hybrid OAT (P-HOAT) type of coolant."

Prestone says/guarantees their universal/all vehicles yellow coolant is compatible with all types, for what that's worth.

And Ford says "WSS-M97B57-A2 (Prestone YA992) is yellow coolant. Yellow coolant may appear fluorescent green in some cooling systems which is a normal characteristic."

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...F&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False&buildtype=web

AI says that: YA992 is a part number for a 55 gallon drum of their all vehicle/universal coolant.

 

[Lytning]

Ford still shorting fluids ehh? That has to be the one thing that annoyed me the most working at the dealer, every damned new vehicle we got in was low on something, oil, coolant, trans fluid when you could still check it, p/s fluid, washer fluid. About the only thing they never shorted was brake fluid, and all tires were over inflated.

Part of my job was PDI, pre delivery inspection, check fluids, air pressure, road test for NVH concerns, check for dents, peel the transport plastic off etc. I guess for every half gallon or quart of coolant they save etc,, per vehicle adds up.

Thanks for the reminder, I'll double check mine.

I have come to expect this from companies run by financial people versus technical people. Consider Boeing's recent history. They went from "If it's not Boeing, I'm not going." to "If it's Boeing, I'm not going."

 

[chl]

I have come to expect this from companies run by financial people versus technical people. Consider Boeing's recent history. They went from "If it's not Boeing, I'm not going." to "If it's Boeing, I'm not going."

Alas, for publicly traded companies there is this pesky thing called fiduciary duty which the bean-counters interpret to mean "pinch pennies by any means possible to maximize dividends, but leave CEO and other execs compensation alone..."

Greed is good?

 

[On the Road with Ralph]

Not unusual to have low coolant especially right after battery service, due to air bubbles in the system.

Or when it comes from the factory. My 2023 Pro came low (but above minimum) and the dealer remedied it at a service appointment when I called attention to it. Since then it has been fine.

 

[RLXXI]

Looks like my dealership took care of any fluid concerns.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

Just checked mine and it’s at the minimum line. I think I’ll stop in and get a jug just to keep it a little closer to the middle. Going on a trip at the end of the month, so….

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