I have been a Take 5 fan for years. Today we visited the Take 5 in Stephenville, TX. Everything was going okay until we got to the coolant system.
I am writing this to warn other owners, especially those with newer vehicles, about the severe lack of technical knowledge and unnecessary upselling at this location.
I took my 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost (2.3L) here, and the technician attempted to sell me an unneeded coolant flush based on completely false information.
First, the tech told me my coolant was the wrong color, claiming it "should be red" and that the "additives had burned off" because the fluid looked pale and clear. This is completely incorrect. Ford phased out red/orange coolant years ago. The factory specification for a 2024 Mustang EcoBoost is Motorcraft Yellow P-OAT coolant (Ford Spec: WSS-M97B57-A2). This fluid naturally looks like a pale, fluorescent yellow-green, and the color dye does not "burn off" from engine heat.
Second, the tech used a ball-style hydrometer to test the fluid. All of the balls floated, which he somehow interpreted as the coolant being "diluted." Anyone who knows how to use a basic hydrometer knows that floating all the balls means the coolant has a high specific gravity and maximum freeze protection. If it were actually diluted with too much water, the balls would sink.
Finally, they pushed a coolant flush despite the car being well under the required mileage. According to Ford's official maintenance schedule, the initial factory fill of Motorcraft Yellow is designed to last 10 years or 200,000 miles. Trying to sell a coolant flush at 50,000 miles on a 2024 vehicle is either a blatant cash grab or proof that they are using 20-year-old maintenance standards.
If you have a modern vehicle, check your owner's manual before agreeing to any fluid flushes here. Allowing a quick-lube shop to mix "universal" or incorrect fluids into your factory cooling system can cause chemical reactions, sludge buildup, and potentially void your powertrain warranty. Proceed with extreme caution. read more