Low mileage vehicle - coolant change?

[Dave9]

The coolant is probably fine for another few years, considering you have tested it, but if it'll make you sleep better, go ahead and change it, flush and refill with the Ford VC-13G Yellow.

 

[NJMike]

Change it and use distilled water. If you don't, we will see your post about a plugged or leaking heater core soon. Dropping the dash ain't no fun sir, if you get my drift.
I've seen *Up to 10 years...under ideal normal conditions. Severe service is X, usually half that.
Coolant within a metal Coolant system does go bad just sitting. PLUS, Ford is almost famous for not flushing casting sand out. Just ask any 6 0, 6.4, or the owner on here with a 3 times heater core removal. Yes, i know the 6.0 and 6.4 are International, Ford still could have flushed them. That sand is circulating every time you drive and and erosion of the water pump and heater core are taking place.
My 21 6.7 had 1/4" of sand in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket. I ran both cooling systems on distilled water for 20 minutes 3 times and then did a 50/50 mix.

Flush with distilled water as described above, new coolant, new hoses if not too difficult to replace on this engine.
Better to work at home than on the side of the road.

 

[21_6.7f450]

I would not touch the hoses or clamps. New hoses seem to be poor fitting and questionable quality. Leave the oem ones on there but inspect them for odd swelling, cracks or abrasions. I just open the drain valve on the bottom of the radiator, drain everything including the degas bottle. Then a fill with 50/50 distilled water and coolant. Run 20 minutes, let the thermostat open and top off. Over the next few days IE heat cycles check and top as needed.
My 6.4 has the oem hoses and clamps. I will not touch them unless I see a reason. I inspect them every year during the coolant change. The same with serpentine belt. Factory EDPM lasts a LOOOOONG time. But I do carry a spare and a ratchet.

 

[NJMike]

I would not touch the hoses or clamps. New hoses seem to be poor fitting and questionable quality. Leave the oem ones on there but inspect them for odd swelling, cracks or abrasions. I just open the drain valve on the bottom of the radiator, drain everything including the degas bottle. Then a fill with 50/50 distilled water and coolant. Run 20 minutes, let the thermostat open and top off. Over the next few days IE heat cycles check and top as needed.
My 6.4 has the oem hoses and clamps. I will not touch them unless I see a reason. I inspect them every year during the coolant change. The same with serpentine belt. Factory EDPM lasts a LOOOOONG time. But I do carry a spare and a ratchet.

I’m an OEM hose & clamp guy myself. Not sure where OP lives but under hood heat takes its toll on 12 year old rubber.
Having grown up in Texas I’ve seen hoses fail way before the 12 year mark.

 

[The Critic]

People still change coolant?

 

[TomYoung]

Yeah, I've been relying on tests because I feel it's important to not be wasteful -- coolant is highly toxic and not always recycled, but it's been 12 years so I'm starting to get nervous my testing regime is somehow flawed, hah.

It's not a new vehicle to me, I'm the original owner so I know it's 12 year old coolant. Sounds like the consensus is I it would be a good idea to do it even though I have no empirical evidence of need.

Unless you are talking about the little floating plastic ball test, any actual test is more trouble than it is worth. The economically smart move is to replace the coolant. One other thing, if you use the little test, all you get is a sense of whether the coolant is going to protect in a very cold weather situation. There is not a lot of diagnostic value I know of in looking at coolant and divining mechanical faults (BITOGers, yell if I have this wrong). But what you do get rid of in a flush and fill is acid, contamination, rust, filth, coolant whose additives are worn, or that is long removed from proper water/coolant proportion. Old coolant always has a "non-new" color and a funky smell. If price is the concern, go with Amazon, Supertech, Kirkland or whatever is on sale. And if you have a car with funky requirements (VW, Audi, BMW, Mercedes), suck up the cost and get the right thing. Best wishes.

 

[TomYoung]

People still change coolant?

Is this a joke, or a bad meme? Coolant might be a PITA, but it is absolutely part of maintenance.

 

[Patrick0525]

What is the coolant multi-meter test?

 

[The Critic]

Is this a joke, or a bad meme? Coolant might be a PITA, but it is absolutely part of maintenance.

I was half-joking, but it's seemingly lifetime fill for a lot of import vehicles now. MB is 15 years, VW/Audi and BMW have been lifetime for over a decade. Toyota and Honda are 10/100k-ish for the first change. At least on Asian imports, I have never seen an issue from not changing the coolant ever since they went to the P-HOAT coolants 20 years ago. Usually the coolant only gets changed when a radiator or water pump fails, and it's usually good enough...

 

[TomYoung]

I was half-joking, but it's seemingly lifetime fill for a lot of import vehicles now. MB is 15 years, VW/Audi and BMW have been lifetime for over a decade. Toyota and Honda are 10/100k-ish for the first change. At least on Asian imports, I have never seen an issue from not changing the coolant ever since they went to the P-HOAT coolants 20 years ago. Usually the coolant only gets changed when a radiator or water pump fails, and it's usually good enough...

But there is a chicken and egg question when a rad or water pump fails! Other failures can mean the junkyard for the car. The long/lifetime service intervals are not about keeping cars in great shape....