F-150 radiators
Last trip, I noticed my 2012 F150 3.5 ecoboost started to heat up about 5 minutes into a hard climb. Slowed to 60mph and it went back to normal. So I'm looking at having the radiator hot tanked and ...
Forum Discussion
2012...so 5 years old...Ford, so HOATs coolant (GM uses OATs, RAM uses HOATs) and should be flushed & replaced with new HOATs...or 100K miles, whichever comes first
Any of the OATs/HOATs will turn gelantenious when either time/miles or O2 has gotten into the system....part of the why new cooling systems does NOT have a radiator cap to check fluid level/condition...allows O2 in there...
During this period needing flush/replacement...the O2 will bind to form acidic, gelantenious globs during the cooling phase and that is in one of the radiators
That then sticks to the inside of the tubing to both reduce effective transfer areas/volume of flow and to rot out the metal
It may already have compromised the tubing wall enough to warrant replacement of the main radiator.....I'd check the heater core too...same issue as the main...just smaller....
Any of the OATs/HOATs will turn gelantenious when either time/miles or O2 has gotten into the system....part of the why new cooling systems does NOT have a radiator cap to check fluid level/condition...allows O2 in there...
During this period needing flush/replacement...the O2 will bind to form acidic, gelantenious globs during the cooling phase and that is in one of the radiators
That then sticks to the inside of the tubing to both reduce effective transfer areas/volume of flow and to rot out the metal
It may already have compromised the tubing wall enough to warrant replacement of the main radiator.....I'd check the heater core too...same issue as the main...just smaller....
