engine overheat FORD EXPLORER 2016 5.G User Guide

Note:
Make sure that the coolant level is
between the MIN and MAX marks on the
coolant reservoir.
Note: Coolant expands when it is hot. The
level may extend beyond the
MAX mark.
Note: If the level is at the MIN mark, below
the MIN mark, or empty, add coolant
immediately.
Maintain coolant concentration within
48% to 50%, which equates to a freeze
point between -30°F (-34°C) and -34°F
(-37°C).
Note: For best results, coolant
concentration should be tested with a
refractometer such as Robinair® Coolant
and Battery Refractometer 75240. We do
not recommend the use of hydrometers or
coolant test strips for measuring coolant
concentrations.
Note: Automotive fluids are not
interchangeable. Do not use engine coolant,
antifreeze or windshield washer fluid outside
of its specified function and vehicle location.
Adding Engine Coolant
Note: Do not use stop leak pellets, cooling
system sealants or additives as they can
cause damage to the engine cooling or
heating systems. Your warranty may not
cover these damages.
Note: During normal vehicle operation, the
coolant may change color from orange to
pink or light red. As long as the coolant is
clear and uncontaminated, this color change
does not indicate the coolant has degraded
nor does it require the coolant to be drained,
the system to be flushed, or the coolant to
be replaced. Do not mix different colors or types of
coolant in your vehicle. Mixing of engine
coolants may harm your engine
’s cooling
system. The use of an improper coolant
may harm engine and cooling system
components and may void the warranty.
Use prediluted engine coolant meeting the
Ford specification.
In case of emergency, you can add a large
amount of water without engine coolant
in order to reach a vehicle service location.
In this instance, qualified personnel:
1. Must drain the cooling system.
2. Chemically clean the cooling system with Motorcraft Premium Cooling
System Flush.
3. Refill with engine coolant as soon as possible.
Water alone, without engine coolant, can
cause engine damage from corrosion,
overheating or freezing.
Do not use the following as a coolant
substitute:
• Alcohol.
• Methanol.
• Brine.
• Any engine coolant mixed with alcohol
or methanol antifreeze or coolant.
Alcohol and other liquids can cause engine
damage from overheating or freezing.
Do not add extra inhibitors or additives to
the coolant. These can be harmful and
compromise the corrosion protection of
the engine coolant.
When adding coolant:
1. Unscrew the cap slowly. Any pressure will escape as you unscrew the cap.
2. Add prediluted engine coolant meeting
the Ford specification.
3. Check the coolant level in the coolant reservoir the next few times you drive
your vehicle.
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4. If necessary, add enough prediluted
engine coolant to bring the coolant
level to the proper level.
Recycled Engine Coolant
Ford Motor Company does not recommend
the use of recycled engine coolant since a
Ford-approved recycling process is not yet
available.
Used engine coolant should be disposed
of in an appropriate manner. Follow your
community ’s regulations and standards
for recycling and disposing of automotive
fluids.
Severe Climates
If you drive in extremely cold climates:
• It may be necessary to have a Ford
authorized dealer increase the coolant
concentration above 50%.
• A coolant concentration of 60%
provides improved freeze point
protection. Engine coolant
concentrations above 60% decrease
the overheat protection characteristics
of the engine coolant and may cause
engine damage.
If you drive in extremely hot climates:
• It may be necessary to have a Ford
authorized dealer decrease the coolant
concentration to 40%.
• A coolant concentration of 40%
provides improved overheat protection.
Engine coolant concentrations below
40% decrease the freeze and corrosion
protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine
damage.
Vehicles driven year-round in non-extreme
climates should use prediluted engine
coolant for optimum cooling system and
engine protection. What You Should Know About Fail-
Safe Cooling
If you deplete the engine coolant supply,
fail-safe cooling allows you to temporarily
drive your vehicle before you incur
incremental component damage. The
fail-safe distance depends on ambient
temperatures, vehicle load and terrain.
How Fail-Safe Cooling Works
If the engine begins to overheat, the engine
coolant temperature gauge will move to
the red (hot) area and:
the coolant temperature
warning light will illuminate
the service engine soon indicator
will illuminate.
If the engine reaches a preset
over-temperature condition, the engine
automatically switches to alternating
cylinder operation. Each disabled cylinder
acts as an air pump and cools the engine.
When this occurs, your vehicle will still
operate. However:
• The engine power will be limited.
• This will disable the air conditioning
system.
Continued operation increases the engine
temperature, causing the engine to
completely shut down. Your steering and
braking effort increases in this situation.
When the engine temperature cools, you
can re-start your engine. Take your vehicle
to an authorized dealer as soon as possible
to minimize engine damage.
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When Fail-Safe Mode Is Activated
WARNINGS
Fail-safe mode is for use during
emergencies only. Operate your
vehicle in fail-safe mode only as long
as necessary to bring your vehicle to rest
in a safe location and seek immediate
repairs. When in fail-safe mode, your
vehicle will have limited power, will not be
able to maintain high-speed operation, and
may completely shut down without
warning, potentially losing engine power,
power steering assist, and power brake
assist, which may increase the possibility
of a crash resulting in serious injury. Never remove the coolant reservoir
cap while the engine is running or hot.
You have limited engine power when in the
fail-safe mode, so drive your vehicle with
caution. Your vehicle will not maintain
high-speed operation and the engine will
operate poorly.
Remember that the engine is capable of
automatically shutting down to prevent
engine damage. In this situation:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely
possible and switch off the engine.
2. Tow your vehicle to an authorized dealer.
3. If this is not possible, wait a short period for the engine to cool.
4. Check the coolant level and add if low.
5. Re-start the engine and drive your vehicle to an authorized dealer.
Note: Driving your vehicle without repair
increases the chance of engine damage.
Contact an authorized dealer as soon as
possible. Engine Fluid Temperature
Management (If Equipped) WARNINGS
To reduce the risk of crash and injury,
be prepared that the vehicle speed
may reduce and the vehicle may not
be able to accelerate with full power until
the fluid temperatures reduce. Never remove the coolant reservoir
cap while the engine is running or hot.
Your vehicle can pull a trailer, but because
of the added load, your vehicle
’s engine
may temporarily reach higher
temperatures during severe operating
conditions such as ascending a long or
steep grade while pulling a trailer in high
temperatures.
At this time, you may notice your engine
coolant temperature gauge needle move
toward the H and the POWER REDUCED
TO LOWER TEMP message may appear
in the information display.
You may notice a reduction in vehicle
speed caused by reduced engine power.
In order to manage the engine fluid
temperatures, your vehicle may enter this
mode if certain high-temperature and
high-load conditions take place. The
amount of speed reduction depends on
many factors such as vehicle loading,
towing, grade and ambient temperature.
If this occurs, there is no need to pull off
the road. You can continue to drive your
vehicle while this message is active.
The air conditioning may also cycle on and
off during severe operating conditions to
protect overheating of the engine. When
the engine coolant temperature decreases
to a normal operating temperature, the air
conditioning will turn on once again.
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Minimum.
A
Maximum.
B
Note: Check the fluid level with the engine
running and the transmission in park (P).
1. Make sure that your vehicle is on level ground.
2. Rotate the automatic transmission fluid cap in a counterclockwise
direction. See Under Hood Overview
(page 279).
3. Remove the cap and dipstick and wipe
it with a clean, lint-free cloth. Replace
the cap and dipstick and remove it
again to check the fluid level.
4. Make sure that the fluid level is between the MIN and the MAX marks.
If the fluid level is at the MIN mark, add
fluid immediately. See
Adding
Transmission Fluid.
5. Replace the automatic transmission fluid cap and dipstick. Turn it clockwise
until you feel a strong resistance.
Low Fluid Level
If the fluid level is within the minimum
range (below point A) add the correct
specification fluid to be within the hash
mark area. See
Capacities and
Specifications (page 344).
Note: If the fluid level is below the
minimum range do not drive your vehicle. A
low fluid level can damage the transmission. Correct Fluid Level
If the fluid level is within the hash mark
area (between points A and B) do not add
any fluid.
High Fluid Level
If the fluid level is above the maximum
range (above point B) fluid may need to
be removed. High fluid levels may be
caused by a overheating condition. If you
have operated your vehicle at high speeds,
towing a trailer or in city traffic during hot
weather, allow your vehicle to cool for a
minimum of 30 minutes before rechecking
the level.
Note:
An overfill condition can damage the
transmission.
Adding Transmission Fluid
1. Rotate the automatic transmission fluid cap in a counterclockwise
direction.
2. Remove the cap and dipstick and wipe
it with a clean, lint-free cloth.
3. Add fluid that meets the Ford specifications. See
Capacities and
Specifications (page 344). Pour the
fluid directly into the automatic
transmission fluid cap and dipstick
hole.
4. Replace the cap and dipstick and remove it again to check the fluid level.
5. Make sure that the fluid level is between the MIN and the MAX marks.
6. Replace the automatic transmission fluid cap and dipstick. Turn it clockwise
until you feel a strong resistance.
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AB

When the oil change message appears in
the information display, it is time for an oil
change. Make sure you perform the oil
change within two weeks or 500 miles
(800 kilometers) of the message
appearing. Make sure you reset the
Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor after each oil
change. See Oil Change Indicator Reset
(page 282).
If your information display resets
prematurely or becomes inoperative, you
should perform the oil change interval at
six months or 5000 miles (8000
kilometers) from your last oil change.
Never exceed one year or 10000 miles
(16000 kilometers) between oil change
intervals.
Your vehicle is very sophisticated and built
with multiple, complex, performance
systems. Every manufacturer develops
these systems using different
specifications and performance features.
That is why it is important to rely upon your
dealership to properly diagnose and repair
your vehicle.
Ford Motor Company has recommended
maintenance intervals for various parts
and component systems based upon
engineering testing. Ford Motor Company
relies upon this testing to determine the
most appropriate mileage for replacement
of oils and fluids to protect your vehicle at
the lowest overall cost to you and
recommends against maintenance
schedules that deviate from the scheduled
maintenance information.
We strongly recommend the use of only
genuine Ford, Motorcraft or
Ford-authorized re-manufactured
replacement parts engineered for your
vehicle. Additives and Chemicals
This owner's manual and the Ford
Workshop Manual list the recommended
additives and chemicals for your vehicle.
We do not recommend using chemicals or
additives not approved by us as part of
your vehicle
’s normal maintenance. Please
consult your warranty information.
Oils, Fluids and Flushing
In many cases, fluid discoloration is a
normal operating characteristic and, by
itself, does not necessarily indicate a
concern or that the fluid needs to be
changed. However, a qualified expert, such
as the factory-trained technicians at your
dealership, should inspect discolored fluids
that also show signs of overheating or
foreign material contamination
immediately.
Make sure to change your vehicle ’s oils and
fluids at the specified intervals or in
conjunction with a repair. Flushing is a
viable way to change fluid for many vehicle
sub-systems during scheduled
maintenance. It is critical that systems are
flushed only with new fluid that is the same
as that required to fill and operate the
system or using a Ford-approved flushing
chemical.
Owner Checks and Services
Make sure you perform the following basic
maintenance checks and inspections every
month or at six-month intervals.
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