Coolant system - open system that takes antifreeze

[GDN]

Reading through the manual I found information about the coolant. it never says "battery" coolant, but it does note that if it gets low it can result in overheating in the electric motor. I believe it takes care of the battery and motor, likely a single system for both. Sandy Monroe will tell us soon enough. The bigger thing that kind of surprises me - It is an open system. It has a reservoir and you check it under the hood (hidden under the "beauty" panel in the frunk.) It uses Motorcraft Yellow Prediluted Antifreeze.

I note this because Tesla has made it a closed unserviceable system.

Sponsored

 

[Easycamper]

Pretty common I think. My Volt and my Pacifica have three separate cooling loops with reservoirs for the battery, power electronics and engine.

 

[sotek2345]

Much prefer the open system with off the shelf parts vs. Tesla's system. Theirs may be lighter and more efficient, but Ford's approach is much more serviceable.

 

[GDN]

Much prefer the open system with off the shelf parts vs. Tesla's system. Theirs may be lighter and more efficient, but Ford's approach is much more serviceable.

Tesla's 2 million cars on the road show just build it right and don't cut corners. Never a problem one reported. I'm very active on a couple of big Tesla forums. This just left Ford something to charge for maintenance on.

 

[F150ROD]

Tesla's 2 million cars on the road show just build it right and don't cut corners. Never a problem one reported. I'm very active on a couple of big Tesla forums. This just left Ford something to charge for maintenance on.

DIY once the maint manual is out. Let’s not act like Tesla doesn’t have maintenance centers like Ford where They over charge for a tire rotation and windshield wiper fluid top off

 

[Easycamper]

It’s really not a big deal. I have 14 years of ownership between my two PHEVs and no cooling system maintenance to speak of, other than routine checks that take less than a minute once per year.

 

[jefro]

Many EVs have multiple coolant circuits and usually serviceable.

Coolant type could be extremely important.

 

[beatle]

To be fair, Tesla's coolant system is not "closed." You can add coolant to it as well via the reservoir. It is not "unserviceable" but rather Tesla says it should not need to be changed for the life of the vehicle. Tesla uses G-48 HOAT coolant. Since an EV doesn't typically see the same temperatures than an ICE does, the coolant should last much longer than on an ICE vehicle.

From this page: https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/841/coolant-fundamentals

In general, coolants degrade over time as the ethylene glycol breaks down into primarily glycolic and formic acids. Degradation occurs more quickly in engines operating at higher temperatures or those that allow more air into cooling systems.​

​

The real question is whether Ford will recommend coolant changes and if so, can they can be performed by the owner without having a special diagnostic tool to run the coolant pumps to flush everything out?

 

[jefro]

Would guess either lifetime coolant or 5 year at least.
Almost no crud in EV circuits unless stuff breaks.

 

[rdr854]

Would guess either lifetime coolant or 5 year at least.
Almost no crud in EV circuits unless stuff breaks.

The Owners Manual maintenance schedule states to check the coolant once a year or 10,000 miles for level and condition. It does not specify an interval for replacement of the coolant.

 

[jefro]

Someone posted a possible manual and the coolant was yellow stuff. That is 5 year. It's not lifetime. On my EV there is an interval to change coolant. Not sure why. Doubt it gets the temperatures that a motor gets to.

 

[Tony Burgh]

Someone posted a possible manual and the coolant was yellow stuff. That is 5 year. It's not lifetime. On my EV there is an interval to change coolant. Not sure why. Doubt it gets the temperatures that a motor gets to.

Open systems allow oxygen to enter and oxidize the glycol to organic acid (bad, very bad). Inhibitors will slow the problem but not permanently.

 

[jefro]

There has to be some minimal air in the system to prevent bursting so yes, it can degrade a bit.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Open systems allow oxygen to enter and oxidize the glycol to organic acid (bad, very bad). Inhibitors will slow the problem but not permanently.

I wonder if the same treatment can be added that I periodically add to my Powerstroke when the PH is not in tolerance?

 

[jefro]

I'd change it out but I'd think one could maintain the coolant just like any other coolant circuit from car to HVAC or what not.

Sponsored