What coolant to use?
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brian2sun
Elite Member
Many on here will say to only use Toyota Red Long-Life Coolant because of it's rust inhibiting and lubricating qualities. That said, I use Prestone green because it's cheap and 4runners didn't come with Toyota red coolant untill '99 anyways. Is Toyota coolant better? Yes. Is it worth twice as much? Not in my book.
I do flush my cooling system about once a year though because the Prestone stuff doesn't last as long. As long as you keep clean fluid in there, you'll be fine. The important part is that you use ethylene-glycol based coolant (which is what the Prestone I have is).
I do flush my cooling system about once a year though because the Prestone stuff doesn't last as long. As long as you keep clean fluid in there, you'll be fine. The important part is that you use ethylene-glycol based coolant (which is what the Prestone I have is).
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I checked my coolant today and its empty. Its hard to tell what color but it doesnt look its green or blue. Cnsidering its red, can I mix it with GREEN prestone? Thank you.
kball
New member
This should work good. Valvoline.com > Products > Zerex > Antifreeze Zerex > Zerex DEX-COOL® Antifreeze / Coolant
Don't mix coolants. Some don't play well with others...
There was an article in popular mechanics this last month I believe about coolants, check it out.
Don't mix coolants. Some don't play well with others...
There was an article in popular mechanics this last month I believe about coolants, check it out.
brian2sun
Elite Member
My owner's manual says "Use only ethylene-glycol based anti-freeze". I'm not sure about the Amsoil stuff, but I personally wouldn't use it unless it specifies that it's compatible. And I agree with kball... it's not good to mix coolants. It's not going to kill anything, it just doesn't last as long.
TheDurk
Elite Member
Actually, if you mix the wrong colors, you might kill something. Some combinations will gel up badly. Some have said specifically that Toyota red and classic green will gel up inside the system, but I am not enough of an expert to know if that is true. I do know it can be quite bad if it does happen and the 'never mix' and 'flush well' rules are about more than just maximizing coolant life.
LINY4Runner
New member
Personally I wouldn't use anything but Toyota coolant.
I've seen plenty of bad things happen to the cooling systems of Toyotas, being a tech there for 5 years...and I'd say 75% of the problems had something to do with the green coolant.
I'd never put green coolant in my 4Runner.
Does it cost $20 more per bottle? Yeah.
Call your dealership and ask them the total to replace a water pump. :hello:
I've seen plenty of bad things happen to the cooling systems of Toyotas, being a tech there for 5 years...and I'd say 75% of the problems had something to do with the green coolant.
I'd never put green coolant in my 4Runner.
Does it cost $20 more per bottle? Yeah.
Call your dealership and ask them the total to replace a water pump. :hello:
Qyota
New member
Didn't you just say your coolant was empty? :bash:
TheDurk
Elite Member
I was thinking the same thing. If that doesn't do it, check your fan clutch--there are a few recent threads as several of us have had to swap them in this summer of heat.
The reservois was empty but I am assuming that there is still coolant in the engine as the temp gauge did not reached the red line.
The fan clutch might be the answer. Anything else I need to replace at the same time when replacing the fan clutch?
Thank you guys.
TheDurk
Elite Member
Plus you may have sucked some air into the system which by itself can lead to over-heating. This is in fact likely if reservoir went to empty. You should fill the rad at the rad cap with the engine running from a cold start, wait until the thermostat opens and coolant is circulating while keeping rad full, then close cap and put some coolant in the reservoir. Check it again after driving and it is cold again, and leave coolant level between the two lines.
Running the front wheels up on a curb or a board or two helps the burping process.
Running the front wheels up on a curb or a board or two helps the burping process.
reelamin
New member
Any universal foreign coolant from NAPA to Prestone. I also say buy the actual coolant and mix it 50/50 with distilled water and save money. Any factory book is going to say use only their coolant. I think there are lots of OEM parts that should be used because they are actually better, but there are just as many that don't have to be.
ZionXIX
New member
I don't know if this is evidence of coolant mixing to a gel, but it is how I would imagine it.
https://vimeo.com/201477550
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TheDurk
Elite Member
Yeah, that's a fake. There's another one going around with the same gook coming out of an oil pan. People have too much time to waste.
That guy [MENTION=10169]TheDurk[/MENTION] (2010 version) is an idiot. You'd have to find some really ancient green to gel it up with the Toyota red. Anything produced in the last 15 years or longer is no problem. You still want to flush well because mixing will destroy the corrosion inhibitor chemistry.
19963.4lsr5
New member
The OAT coolant will turn into a brown jelly if exposed to air for too long of a time. This I know, it happened to me in my Cummins. But only in the void above the rad cap when my side tank sprung a weep I didn't notice for a while. And same thing happened to my wife's cousin with a S10 blazer her t-stat needed changed and she was low on coolant too. How long I don't know. But low enough there was nothing visible in the rad. Hers was DexCool and it was known for jelling and eating head gasket material before they reformulated it. I forget all the details. But it was a big todo.
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