Hi everyone! I have a Ford Focus MK3, 2.0 Duratec engine, 49k miles, for which I wanted to change the whole coolant/water mix for maintenance purposes.
The manual says the whole capacity is 6.5L, 50% should be concentrated coolant and 50% distilled water.
So I bought 4L of Total coolant (organic, red color); 3L to use for sure and 1L just in case it needs a bit more, aiming to save what’s left.
I brought the 4L to a mechanic who did the whole job. Sadly I wasn’t clear enough and just trusted that he would know but… he actually put all of the 4L of coolant and completed it with distilled water.
So now I guess the car has a mix with approximately 65/35 coolant/water which is not what the manual suggests, but the mechanic told me it is “better” that way.
What do you suggest?
- Do I move on and just keep an eye on the temperature indicator? (I read that coolant’s heat transfer capacity is not as good as water’s).
- Do I, somehow, “adjust” the mix by getting some out of the deposit and filling with water? I don’t know how to “get some out”, but I read some people use turkey basters for removing excess.
- Do I replace everything again? The bad part is all of the cash I spent on the 4L of coolant and the mechanic’s work.
Thank you in advance!
Probably fine, most commenters here don’t seem to be aware that water has a better cooling capacity than antifreeze.
I doubt 65/35 would be enough to alter the cooling performance enough to be a problem, unless you track your car or love redline.