2003 Mercury Mountaineer Owner Guide 1st Printing (Spanish) - Page 510

Maintenance and Specifications Coolant refill capacity To find out how much fluid your vehicle's cooling system can hold, refer to Refill capacities in this chapter. Fill your engine coolant reservoir as outlined in Adding engine coolant in this chapter. Severe climates If you drive in extremely cold climates (less than -36° C [-34° F]), it may be necessary to increase the coolant concentration above 50%. Refer to the chart on the coolant container to ensure the coolant concentration in your vehicle will provide adequate freeze protection. Never increase the engine coolant concentration above 60% (protection to -60°F). At a level over 60%, your engine could overheat and become damaged. If you drive in extremely hot climates, it is still necessary to maintain the coolant concentration at 50/50 coolant and water. Do not allow the coolant concentration to fall below 40% coolant. At a concentration less than 40%, the corrosion protection to your engine and cooling components may be compromised and permanent damage may result. What you should know about fail-safe cooling (4.6L V8 engine only) If the engine coolant supply is depleted, this feature allows the vehicle to be driven temporarily before incremental component damage is incurred. 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 symbol • The will illuminate. • The "Service Engine Soon" indicator light will illuminate. If the engine reaches a preset over-temperature condition, the engine will automatically switch to alternating cylinder operation. Each disabled cylinder acts as an air pump and cools the engine. 223