What coolant should I get?

[Biogenic]

What coolant brand should I get for my 4cyl Do they have a long shelf life? Just in case I find some on sale…


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[NachesPass4x4]

I run Toyota red in all my stuff.

 

[calimobber]

Everyone will tell you Toyote red since its what the vehicles came with.

I use red because im anal about what I use, but I know plenty of people who ran the pink or generic green have been fine for years with no issue. If Red is easily avaible just go with what toyota recommends.

 

[Endlessblockades]

Everyone will tell you Toyote red since its what the vehicles came with.

I use red because im anal about what I use, but I know plenty of people who ran the pink or generic green have been fine for years with no issue. If Red is easily avaible just go with what toyota recommends.

Super-OCD people debate using undiluted Toyota Red and self-mixing -vs- Toyota 50/50 Long Life pre-mix....

 

[FD7683]

See what color coolant you have in the reservoir. If it's the common prestone green, I would run that. Mixing coolant colors could end up in cross contamination which could be a bad time to flush. Generally every Toyota out there should be running the red stuff.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

I’ve been using the current prestone for years.


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[ReconcileUs]

Off brand red like Valvoline Zerex works.

Really the main question is what color is in there already. Don't mix colors.

 

[phattyduck]

Off brand red like Valvoline Zerex works.

Really the main question is what color is in there already. Don't mix colors.

It is easy enough to do a couple drain/fill cycles with distilled water to clean out whatever is in there.

Toyota Red is the correct coolant, but any appropriate coolant changed on the right schedule will be fine.

-Charlie

 

[brillo_76]

I myself run Toyota red. [ as I have a fleet of Toyotas] Or you can use the Toyota pink if you wish.

Also like others stated you can run other coolant types if you wish and this works fine and as far as I know dosent hurt a thing.

If have to dilute coolant. Always use distilled water as you really dont want minerals in the coolant at all.




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[3bears]

I think one of the things is toyota wants Borate free antifeeze and designed thier gaskets and parts to be in a borate free environment....
I am not sure that prestone green is borate free...however zerek red is borate free and advertised for toyota ( and other)
I have used Toyota in my old 2000 ( gone now) and the 2001 I just sold came with prestone green in it. My new to me has the zerex red in it now....I did not put it in, its on a receipt that came with the truck, that it got flushed about 2 years ago, and that is what is listed on the receipt...it is red in color. I am gonna be changing out the radiator in a few weeks, as well as doing a few other things...and would prefer to go with Toyota, but the only dealer in town is true definition of "stealer" .

 

[pluton]

I am gonna be changing out the radiator in a few weeks, as well as doing a few other things...and would prefer to go with Toyota, but the only dealer in town is true definition of "stealer" .

Then you have plenty of time to order some reasonably priced Toyota or other red coolant. One nice thing about red that no one has mentioned is that the anti-corrosion chemicals in it last longer than the old green stuff. If you have an auto trans, keeping the radiator internals corrosion free is extra important.

 

[Biogenic]

See what color coolant you have in the reservoir. If it's the common prestone green, I would run that. Mixing coolant colors could end up in cross contamination which could be a bad time to flush. Generally every Toyota out there should be running the red stuff.

It’s green. Should I just run a few gallons of distilled water and just flush the system out and then add the Toyota red ?


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[HiluxSurf SSR-G]

don't forget to turn on the front and rear heaters when flushing so all coolant is removed. as mentioned earlier, do several cycles until all that comes out is distilled water

 

[NachesPass4x4]

It’s green. Should I just run a few gallons of distilled water and just flush the system out and then add the Toyota red ?


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I would.
Open up the block drain and remove radiator hoses and you can really flush things out with a garden hose. As mentioned also do the heater cores. A good flushing will be good for it.

 

[HiluxSurf SSR-G]

if the water coming out of the garden hose contains lots of hard minerals, then that will be an issue. better to use distilled water
removing the radiator hoses and putting them back several times to do several flushes wouldn't be practical. just open/close the radiator drain cock

I would.
Open up the block drain and remove radiator hoses and you can really flush things out with a garden hose. As mentioned also do the heater cores. A good flushing will be good for it.

 

[phattyduck]

It’s green. Should I just run a few gallons of distilled water and just flush the system out and then add the Toyota red ?

Don't just run it through, do a fill with just distilled water for a week (or at least one full heat/cool cycle). Drain, repeat... Make sure to operated front and rear heaters. Then do the red. Assume there will be some distilled water left when you fill, which is fine if you are mixing your own red.

-Charlie

 

[NachesPass4x4]

if the water coming out of the garden hose contains lots of hard minerals, then that will be an issue. better to use distilled water
removing the radiator hoses and putting them back several times to do several flushes wouldn't be practical. just open/close the radiator drain cock

I agree hose water isn't ideal. If you run the distilled water through when your done though, the amount of hose water that remains is going to be pretty small. I've had good luck with this method. The pressure you can build up has blown out some pretty crazy stuff that wasn't going to come out on its own.

 

[Biogenic]

So, after flushing everything out, how many quarts of distilled water are left in the system just doing the radiator drain? Want to calculate the coolant / water ratio when adding the red.


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[3bears]

So, after flushing everything out, how many quarts of distilled water are left in the system just doing the radiator drain? Want to calculate the coolant / water ratio when adding the red.


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yep...doing the radiator drain wont drain the block fully so you will have some left over fluids left in it...
'
being honest...I dont know your answer to how many quarts etc are left....however.. when I do a flush...I run the full strenth...not the dilluted and I add distilled water to that .I use one of those cheap antifreese testers to tell me how cold the outside world can get...since I need to be good to -40 but I aim for -50. But some antifreeze jugs tell you the conversion ...say...-40 is this ratio.
I dont think without doing a block and heater drain...you will never really know the exact ratio you are running

 

[HiluxSurf SSR-G]

if you like, you can also drain the cylinder block. the drain for the cylinder block is on the RH side, between the 1st and 2nd cylinders, just in front of the engine support.
you need to undo the drain cock (bolt) then the coolant comes out of the drain union just below the drain cock.