Mixing Toyota red with different coolant

[TheShowtime]

Hey was wondering just got my yearly inspection and decided to get a oil change while I was here. So the shop topped off my coolant and I use the Toyota red coolant and he topped it off putting in yellow shellzone coolant. He said it was universal. Was wondering if this was ok to do?

 

[Unner]

Hey was wondering just got my yearly inspection and decided to get a oil change while I was here. So the shop topped off my coolant and I use the Toyota red coolant and he topped it off putting in yellow shellzone coolant. He said it was universal. Was wondering if they was ok?

Maybe, but I personally wouldn't mix coolant unless I had no other option and was stuck somewhere. Too much to go wrong for very little gain.

 

[alumarine]

If it was a quart or so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Brian.]

Shell claims it'll mix... but try getting Them to pay for the damage caused if something goes pear shaped... but it's also talking about flush and refill, not a "top off". For a top off, just use distilled water, guaranteed to be compatible.

https://www.shell-livedocs.com/data/published/en-US/3d137e6d-d2de-43af-b03e-d5c6ff0ef8c3.pdf

I think I'd be talking with the manager, pointing out that the product used is okay for a flush and refill (mixing), not a "top off". If they can prove otherwise with documentation from Shell and a $$$ guarantee to fix anything that goes wrong... lol, and that'll happen just after Politicians act in the best interest of the people and not themselves. Then ask them to make it right ~ either do a flush and refill or compensate you the money to do it yourself. And perhaps avoid those kinds of business in the future? Not their vehicle, none of the monkeys working there give a thought to anymore more than making sure they get paid/not fired.

 

[TheShowtime]

Yeah he said he just added a quart. Hope I’ll be fine I just did a coolant flush 10k miles ago.

 

[jgue467]

...shop topped off my coolant and I use the Toyota red coolant and he topped it off putting in yellow shellzone... Was wondering if this was ok to do?

I'd be concerned first with how much was needed and Why? Was the 'top off' limited to just the overflow bottle or radiator also??

 

[TheShowtime]

I'd be concerned first with how much was needed and Why? Was the 'top off' limited to just the overflow bottle or radiator also??

Just the overflow bottle, he said he put a little under a quart in it.

 

[TheDurk]

Just the overflow bottle, he said he put a little under a quart in it.

After driving my rig for 20 years, I've learned that filling to the max is a waste of coolant. My rig will go forever at a little over MIN. Add more, and in a month or two it's right back at a little over MIN. So I stopped topping up a long time ago. It never goes below MIN.

 

[MaineRunna]

It's fine. Universal extended life coolant is compatible with red, orange, pink, blue, green, or yellow coolant. I top off cooling systems all the time with this stuff and have never had a vehicle come back with problems because of it. Most vehicles need a little added to the overflow bottle at oil change time, no big deal if its under a quart every oil change. Keep an eye out for excessive coolant loss though.

 

[Bad Luck]

If you empty out your overflow bottle and refill it with toyota red you will have gotten a good portion of the universal coolant out of the equation

 

[gamefreakgc]

If you empty out your overflow bottle and refill it with toyota red you will have gotten a good portion of the universal coolant out of the equation

Yeah I was going to say this too. If you are concerned, dump or pump it out. If not, drive happy. If he had said he put green to mix with your red, this would be a different conversation.

 

[HiLife]

If you empty out your overflow bottle and refill it with toyota red you will have gotten a good portion of the universal coolant out of the equation

Yeah I was going to say this too. If you are concerned, dump or pump it out. If not, drive happy. If he had said he put green to mix with your red, this would be a different conversation.

Do this, problem solved.

 

[fourfive]

After driving my rig for 20 years, I've learned that filling to the max is a waste of coolant. My rig will go forever at a little over MIN. Add more, and in a month or two it's right back at a little over MIN. So I stopped topping up a long time ago. It never goes below MIN.

Do you know what causes that or where the coolant goes & if this is normal? I've experienced the same thing you've mentioned for as long as I've owned my 4runner but haven't been able to find any evidence of where it was disappearing to. More recently, my coolant has been near the min mark for probably a year now. I've been meaning to fill it back to max, out of habit, but didn't put it at a high priority this time since it seemed to be holding steady near min. I've researched & posted about my mysterious coolant loss & yours is the only other one I've heard of. I haven't been sweating it in the recent years since I haven't experienced any related symptoms, so far, but always wondered where it was going.

 

[TheShowtime]

Yeah I was thinking of pumping out the old coolant in the tank but I checked last night and I think all of the universal coolant they added already mixed in. I heard when the vehicle rest the coolant in the tank vacuums back into the radiator. I looked inside the tank and the coolant was red not yellow which was the color of the universal coolant.

Also googled the coolant they used and found out it has silicate in it. Heard silicate was bad for Toyota’s especially if you mix the two. So unfortunately I’m just going to get it flushed to be on the safe side. Thank you all for the replies.