Ford Coolant Tank
Ford engines work best when running in the proper operating temperature. Such
operating temperature, however, is not for the engine to control. As the engine
burns fuel, it ordinarily generates a lot of heat and if this heat is kept unchecked,
it may eventually cause engine overheating. To avoid any of such complications
and to keep the engine running at its best, a coolant is circulated through the
engine block to absorb this heat. And to serve as storage for this coolant in
your Ford is the Ford coolant tank.
 The Ford coolant tank is a semi-transparent bottle, which may be pressurized
or not, where the coolant that runs through the engine block and the engine cooling
system is temporarily stored. The coolant tank’s function, however, is not limited
to storing the coolant used by the engine, just as its other names would tell
you.
The coolant tank is called by various other names, among them are: coolant reservoir,
coolant expansion tank, coolant overflow tank, and coolant recovery tank. Most
of these names would tell you that the coolant tank is used to hold expanding
or overflowing coolant. And it actually does! As the engine heats up, the coolant
in the radiator would also tend to expand. To allow for this expansion, many modern
engine cooling systems are equipped with an overflow tube connected to the bottom
of a coolant tank. As the coolant heats up and expands, it flows into the coolant
tank, just to be drawn back by the vacuum created in the radiator as the coolant
cools down.
Still, the function of the Ford coolant tank does not end there. In modern vehicles,
coolant is no longer loaded through the inlet of the radiator. Instead, it is
loaded through the inlet of the expansion tank. Ford coolant tanks also have two
indicators in its surface. One of these indicators marks the safe coolant level
when the coolant is hot and the other when the coolant is cool. These markings
on the Ford coolant tank makes checking the vehicle coolant levels a lot easier
and safer. |