2006 Ford F150 Owner Guide 4th Printing - Page 289

Maintenance and Specifications If you drive in extremely hot climates: • It is still necessary to maintain the coolant concentration above 40%. • NEVER decrease the coolant concentration below 40%. • Decreased engine coolant concentrations below 40% will decrease the corrosion protection characteristics of the engine coolant and may cause engine damage. • Decreased engine coolant concentrations below 40% will decrease the freeze protection characteristics of the engine coolant and may cause engine damage. • Refer to the chart on the coolant container to ensure the coolant concentration in your vehicle will provide adequate protection at the temperatures in which you drive. Vehicles driven year-round in non-extreme climates should use a 50/50 mixture of engine coolant and distilled water for optimum cooling system and engine protection. What you should know about fail-safe cooling (if equipped) 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. • The mini message center (if equipped) will indicate "Check Gauges", refer to Warning Lights and Chimes in the Instrument Cluster chapter. • The message center (if equipped) will indicate a system warning, refer to Message Center in the Driver Controls chapter. • The 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. 289 2006 F-150 (f12) Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) USA (fus)