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I just flushed the coolant on my Zetec last week. I had to do an extra good job because I changed over to Dex-Cool (SP?).
1. Drain old coolant
2. remove thermostat
3. assemble thermostat housing without a T-stat installed - hand tighten bolts
4. stick running hose into coolant resevoir (yes leave the drain plug open at the radiator)
5. start car & let the fresh water pump through the system and drain out the bottom - adjust flow from hose as needed. Continue for perhaps 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Turn off engine
7. Turn off hose
8. Allow water to drain from radiator until it stops flowing. Tighten the drain plug
9. Install new t-stat per instruction & tighten housing appropriately. (I modified & installed a 160 degree t-stat)
10. Add a bottle of water wetter and about 4 quarts of Dex-Cool.
11. Top off the system with distilled water to appropriate fill mark.
12. Go for a drive, watch temp gauge reach just barely into the normal range & needle stay at the low end while driving. Watch temp gauge reach mid point at loooooong stop lights or when driving REALLY hard, then drop down again under normal driving conditions.
13. Park the car in driveway, add more distilled water if needed, put hose & tools away.
14. Beer, shower, watch television with beer, beer, beer, and then sleep well.
Must be that jumbly-wumbly thing happening again.
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I have no life
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Originally posted by TourDeForce:
14. Beer, shower, watch television with beer, beer, beer, beer, beer, beer, beer, beer and then sleep well.
I got the steps mixed up and did this first, never got the other steps done.  Good how-to jim. 
98.5 SVT
91 Escort GT (almost sold)
96 ATX Zetec (i brake to watch you swerve)
FS: SVT rear sway bar
WTB: Very cheap beater
CEG Dragon Run - October 13-15
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Those steps do not drain out the coolant in the heater core.
So you now have a mix of old and new coolant, and they may not mix very well.
And a 160 degree t-stat in cold wheather is going to noticeably hurt gas mileage.
Frank McCoy aka Mod-deth aka Mid Life Crisis aka SVT Doood aka mcgainer is a SCAM ARTIST
Pre98 Zetec - Some Mods
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Originally posted by SleeperZ:
And a 160 degree t-stat in cold wheather is going to noticeably hurt gas mileage.
How does a low temp thermo hurt gas milage in cold weather?? 
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When the engine is cold (at first start up) the ECU runs the car in an "open loop" mode, which runs the car rich, causing it to heat up to operating temp quicker.
So by installing a low temp t-stat in cold weather, it extends the "open loop" mode, causing the car to run richer longer, which eats up gas quicker.
I lost 2-3 mpg running a 170 t-stat when compared to 180 degree t-stat, both in 30-40 degree weather.
So a a 160 t-stat could cause even greater (depending on mods).
Frank McCoy aka Mod-deth aka Mid Life Crisis aka SVT Doood aka mcgainer is a SCAM ARTIST
Pre98 Zetec - Some Mods
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my temp gauge runs 1/4 up from c on the freeway in the city it's like 1/2 way up
1999 Ford Contour SE Zetec with 137k miles.
AIM Name: ContourAlf
Yahoo IM: Contour_Freak
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Our temp gauges are not accurate.
One gauge could run on the low half in a car, swap gauges, and the new gauge runs on the top half.
Its a relative thing, plus they are also narrow banded, kind of like O2 sensors.
180 degree t-stat is good for winter/summer.
A 170 t-stat can be used in warmer months if you'd like.
Add a bottle of redline water wetter to a a mix of anti-freeze/distilled water.
I run 30% anti-freeze in summer and 60% in winter.
Also, if you are really concerned about engine temps, get an oil cooler.
It helped to stabelize my temps alot, I see very little fluctuation.
My needle stays withing the letter "O" in "Normal", regardless of driving conditions/ambient temps.
Frank McCoy aka Mod-deth aka Mid Life Crisis aka SVT Doood aka mcgainer is a SCAM ARTIST
Pre98 Zetec - Some Mods
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Originally posted by SleeperZ:
Those steps do not drain out the coolant in the heater core.
Explain that please. Last time I had a dash appart, the heater core is hooked directly to the cooling system without any restrictions. The temp in the cabin is controlled by doors within the climate control system.
How could I have left ANY old coolant in the system?
As far as gas mileage, the car is only in open loop until the engine warms up. I live in Florida, so that's two extra minutes of running rich (max) until the car comes out of open loop. For better performance, higher fuel mileage on a highway cruise, longer engine & oil life I'll take a two minute hit every time.
edit:
Now that I think about it, the engine warm up time is not affected by the lower temp thermostat because the freakin' thing is CLOSED when the engine is cold. It only gradually opens up when the engine has reached approximately 160 degress - which is in the operating range of the engine ECU. Nothing is adversely affected as far as I can fathom. Try again.
Last edited by TourDeForce; 01/12/05 06:30 PM.
Must be that jumbly-wumbly thing happening again.
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To fully flush the system, heater must be turned on to allow full flow to the heater core.
And yes, lower temp t-stat does effect warm up time.
Also, a too low of a temp t-stat won't allow enough time for heat to transfer from the coolant to the radiator.
Frank McCoy aka Mod-deth aka Mid Life Crisis aka SVT Doood aka mcgainer is a SCAM ARTIST
Pre98 Zetec - Some Mods
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Originally posted by SleeperZ:
To fully flush the system, heater must be turned on to allow full flow to the heater core.
Why? There is flow through the core with the heater on or off. There are no gates or valves in the coolant lines or withing the heater core. Show me a schematic or picture that indicates otherwise. Go bust open a core from a junk yard if you want.
Originally posted by SleeperZ:
And yes, lower temp t-stat does effect warm up time.
Wrong. No matter what T-stat you use, they're all closed at engine start up. They do not open until they approach the operating range specified by the t-stat. Which means the engine is warmed up and at operating temp before the t-stat does ANYTHING. Check the operational temperature range for the Zetec ~ 145 to ???.
Originally posted by SleeperZ:
Also, a too low of a temp t-stat won't allow enough time for heat to transfer from the coolant to the radiator.
A lower temp t-stat does not magically speed up coolant flow through the radiator. That is controlled by the water pump & the size of the openings in the t-stat, radiator specs, coolant hose & fitting sizes. Having seen the difference in the 160 & 185 t-stats first hand, there will be no significant difference in coolant flow, if any.
The only valid point you might have is the engine is/may not be able to maintain the 160 temp when there is low air flow over the radiator. But then guess what??? The fans kick on at their pre-programmed temp and all is right with the world. Then when you get moving, the fans shut down & the engine temp drops back to around 160 again. Cool, huh?? 
Must be that jumbly-wumbly thing happening again.
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