Coolant...

[KingMedicine]

So i bet this has already been answered, but im at work and for some reason this computer hates the search function. So you can ridicule me as much as you want.

So i need to do a coolant flush on my 2002 4runner, and was planning on going the red route. But alas, the stealership is asking 27 bucks a gallon for it... or will do the flush for 130 bucks. Holy crap!

So is there anywhere i can buy it elsewear? Or is that price proper? I yahoo seached and they were saying 16-17 bucks a gallon. And noone knew where to find it past the dealers.

 

[bak3rme]

So i bet this has already been answered, but im at work and for some reason this computer hates the search function. So you can ridicule me as much as you want.

So i need to do a coolant flush on my 2002 4runner, and was planning on going the red route. But alas, the stealership is asking 27 bucks a gallon for it... or will do the flush for 130 bucks. Holy crap!

So is there anywhere i can buy it elsewear? Or is that price proper? I yahoo seached and they were saying 16-17 bucks a gallon. And noone knew where to find it past the dealers.

wow...the dealership i went to charged me 79.99 with tax for the red coolant flush and refill

 

[BTO]

I wonder what they do for $79.99. They say flush but is it a true flush? Did you watch them do it? What method do they use?

 

[bak3rme]

I wonder what they do for $79.99. They say flush but is it a true flush? Did you watch them do it? What method do they use?

welll.. i had an issue a while back where my oil change place filled the coolant under the cap with a green dye coolant. however my reservoir was a red dye coolant, dealership "said" they did the flush. and now its both red under cap and in reservoir. ...so im guessin in order to do a flush..they had to get the green out...which they did and charged me only 79 bucks. wonder why its 130..

 

[KingMedicine]

Yeah, If it was 79.99, i would just have them do it and be fine with it. But 130 is a little overkill.

 

[bigbsvo]

Dex cool

Yeah, If it was 79.99, i would just have them do it and be fine with it. But 130 is a little overkill.

Why not just buy dex cool instead? GM and Toyota have been together for years, remember the GEO PRISM? With it's red coolant, well that was a corolla and when I worked at the Chevy dealer and needed coolant for the prism it was DEX COOL, sometimes it was red and sometimes it was orange, didn't matter what color it was as long as it was extened life DEX COOL.

 

[TheDurk]

Best economical option for Toyotas is Zerex Asian Formula. Same thing as Toyota Pink at half the price. It's a phosphated HOAT coolant without silicates, borates or other things Toyota engineers hate. $10 a 50/50 gallon at NAPA.

 

[SJC4Runner]

I was a toyota red guy until I went to Toyota to buy some, now I am whatever crap they have at kragen guy. It all works the same...as long as your not overheating your golden.

 

[message]

When I had my timing belt changed the shop used "generic red" they said as long as I added red I was fine and that all red is the same just like all green is the same. Thus I bought the Advance Auto stuff for $13 a gallon.

 

[TheDurk]

When I had my timing belt changed the shop used "generic red" they said as long as I added red I was fine and that all red is the same just like all green is the same. Thus I bought the Advance Auto stuff for $13 a gallon.

Unfortunately, this is just not true. The Asian phosphated anti-corrosion approach is matched to a long list of materials used by Japanese engineers. They have determined that the silicates and other additives used by the Europeans don't play well with their motors. The colors really mean very little, it's just dye. If you are going to use anything NOT based on phosphates, then change it at 30K. Frequent changes trumps lousy chemistry. Just don't mix.