Help Me Before I Mess Up Please

[josh3rd]

Hey members, before anyone says to search within the forum, I have been reading different ways, ideas, suggestions and opinions as to the whole strawberry milkshake thing. I just need some clarity as to what to do first and how to go about it. I know and understand that there will be conflicting opinions and such but I will more than likely go the way of the masses. You know, the majority. Ok here I go.

I have a 2000 Limited w/278K on the clock. 2nd owner. 1st owner kept pretty good records of maintenance. The trans and cooling system has been flushed about 4-6yrs ago from what the records showed.

3 days ago I was pulling out of the convenience store and my truck accelerated slow and wouldn't go past 30mph though it revved as if it were going faster. I immediately pulled over and was baffled. I get out and look around the truck, thinking that I might have a flat or something. Nope, nothing wrong w/the tires. I get back in, start her up and everything is fine. I put her in gear and nothing. I tried R, D, D2 and nothing. Like it was in neutral. I turn it off, get out and lift the hood and my coolant reservoir's cap is off, drivers side of engine bay is soaked. Now mind you, a day or two before this I noticed my res tank was a little low and I filled it w/basic 50/50 coolant(green), and yes I know, its not the right kind now but didn't before.

Call a tow, get it home and the next morning I look at it again and add a bit of distilled water. Like lil less than 1/2gal. Put it in the res, and started her up. Put it in drive and it went. I only drove around the block and parked it again. Look under the hood and took off the rad cap and there is nothing but a reddish brown slurry around the inside of the cap. Checked the res and the black tube dripped the same thing. Checked the tranny stick and the same.

Ok, I have a radiator, trans filter, atf and toyota coolant on the way. My questions are:

1) Do I flush the rad or the tranny 1st?

2) If rad is 1st, do I disconnect the tranny lines?

3) If rad is 1st, do I flush it with old rad still installed and connected?

4) It tran is 1st, do I drain it 1st via tran plug or the hoses that go to rad?

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

 

[JLTD]

Yikes. Others may have more experience but here's my take:

IIRC this is the year with the trans cooler integral with the radiator. So new radiator was a good call.

I'd drain and fill everything, then go engine oil first since you can run the engine to do the other two, then trans to get the junk out of there asap, and coolant last since it will still cool with some ick in there.

What is troubling is that there's the same slurry in the oil sump. You're probably looking at a head gasket as well, which should be done before everything else.

 

[thennen]

Not being an expert either, I say don’t drive it. If you do have the milkshake, it’s my understanding that you’re best off getting a couple of real transmission flushes ASAP. Maybe some experienced guys will chime in and direct you. Best wishes!

 

[Malcolm99]

If she isn't moving you might be beyond saving the trans, but for shits and giggles, drain and replace rad, refill with water and start flushing x4 times atleast maybe more, do a the trans drain and fill at the same time, it might take x6-8 flushes and a few more later on, anything rubber in the radiator system is now compromised, rad hoses, orings, rad cap, IAC gasket oil cooler gasket, all rubbers will be OK till you take it apart and they will be all swollen and cannot be reused. Sounds like you let it go to long to be honest to save the Trans. Nothing wrong with ethylene glycol rad fluid, it should have come in all 5vz-Fe 96-2000 according to Toyota manuals, 01-02 Toyota red longlife, only diff between the engines is the TB and Toyota red long life became standard around 99-2000. When flushing the trans don't drive it, just start it go through the gears let it run move 1' back and forth and repeat till it looks good. Might be worth dropping the pan and doing the filter if you can get it to move. Or tow it to a shop and have them do a passive ATF fluid exchange explaining it is not drivable and why

 

[josh3rd]

Thanks everyone. JLTD, I hope that I didn't misword or miswritten something but my oil is good. I am looking for where you got that at, lol.

 

[JLTD]

Thanks everyone. JLTD, I hope that I didn't misword or miswritten something but my oil is good. I am looking for where you got that at, lol.

Yeah I just re-read your initial post, I can't say where I got that either, so I'll just say :frusty:olice:

 

[repo]

Sorry to go off on a tangent but I thought the green stuff was bad because it had silicates or whatever in it. My 99 uses the red stuff (Toyota long life), but later ones use pink (Toyota super duper long life) ?

If she isn't moving you might be beyond saving the trans, but for shits and giggles, drain and replace rad, refill with water and start flushing x4 times atleast maybe more, do a the trans drain and fill at the same time, it might take x6-8 flushes and a few more later on, anything rubber in the radiator system is now compromised, rad hoses, orings, rad cap, IAC gasket oil cooler gasket, all rubbers will be OK till you take it apart and they will be all swollen and cannot be reused. Sounds like you let it go to long to be honest to save the Trans. Nothing wrong with ethylene glycol rad fluid, it should have come in all 5vz-Fe 96-2000 according to Toyota manuals, 01-02 Toyota red longlife, only diff between the engines is the TB and Toyota red long life became standard around 99-2000. When flushing the trans don't drive it, just start it go through the gears let it run move 1' back and forth and repeat till it looks good. Might be worth dropping the pan and doing the filter if you can get it to move. Or tow it to a shop and have them do a passive ATF fluid exchange explaining it is not drivable and why

 

[Malcolm99]

I was just pointing out that until 99 the 5vz-fe never saw toyota long life rad fluid, according to the repair manual ethylene glycol was prescribed until 01-02, it is perfectly safe to use in this vehicle even with a 01-02 TB which is the only difference between the 2 engines as far as rad fluid is concerned, mixing the 2 is not ideal.

 

[repo]

Isnt it all ethelyne glycol? The probs come from the wrong additives corroding things. Silicates, borates, phosphates, inorganic acid vs organic. The 5vzfe uses inorganic (red). The 4.0 uses organic or hybrid I cant remember (pink). I dunno what was used before red.

 

[thennen]

Isnt it all ethelyne glycol? The probs come from the wrong additives corroding things. Silicates, borates, phosphates, inorganic acid vs organic. The 5vzfe uses inorganic (red). The 4.0 uses organic or hybrid I cant remember (pink). I dunno what was used before red.

I think it is all ethylene glycol for the 'anti-freeze' portion. There was definitely a period of time where antifreeze makers (Prestone for one) added silicates to keep things clean inside. The problem is that silicates are abrasive, and would wear out water pump seals. So I believe red was developed without silicates, and was made red for a visual difference. I don't think silicates are used at all now in any colors.

 

[wao2000]

Toyota coolant

I don't know what year Toyota started using red coolant. I know they used it from 1991 until 2003-04 depending on the model. When Toyota started switching from red to pink there was a label that was attached under the hood letting you know which coolant to use. The red long life coolant had a service life around 30k. The pink super long life factory fill is 100k after that it is every 50k. Some folks will use the SLLC in there pre 2004 Toyota to get the longer change interval.

 

[Bad Luck]

I don't know what year Toyota started using red coolant. I know they used it from 1991 until 2003-04 depending on the model. When Toyota started switching from red to pink there was a label that was attached under the hood letting you know which coolant to use. The red long life coolant had a service life around 30k. The pink super long life factory fill is 100k after that it is every 50k. Some folks will use the SLLC in there pre 2004 Toyota to get the longer change interval.

Either one will be fine as long as you thoroughly flush the cooling system before changing coolant. That will eliminate any possibility of new coolant being incompatible with whatever your old coolant was. I went with toyota red coolant FWIW

 

[phattyduck]

Either one will be fine as long as you thoroughly flush the cooling system before changing coolant. That will eliminate any possibility of new coolant being incompatible with whatever your old coolant was. I went with toyota red coolant FWIW

You can mix Toyota Red and Pink, you just don't get the extra long life of the Pink if they are mixed.

-Charlie

 

[Bad Luck]

You can mix Toyota Red and Pink, you just don't get the extra long life of the Pink if they are mixed.

-Charlie

I said that more of as a disclaimer in case he had coolant the wasn't red or pink. Mine had green coolant in it when I bought it. Better to err on the side of caution.