Rate of Coolant Loss

2010 Dbl Cab V6 OffRoad with 44,000 miles

It's been 3 years next month since I purchased the truck brand new. I pretty much check under the hood about every 2 weeks for fluid levels plus I change my own oil. Nothing has been out of the ordinary except now.

Monday was one the coldest days of the year with the temperature getting down in the teens. I backed the truck out of the garage and was waiting for my wife to come out. I heard gurgling in the dash which tells me that there is air in the coolant. I got out and noticed that I had no coolant in the reservoir. The system sucked in air when the reservoir didn't have anymore coolant. After the engine was at full temperature I noticed that the coolant level was at the low line. It should have been closer to the top line when hot.

I have never put any coolant in or opened the radiator cap that I can remember. I never needed to. Tonight I stopped at the dealer and bought a gallon of coolant. While the engine was hot I topped it off from the low line to the high level mark. That's probably a pint or a little more.

I'm guessing the only place where the fluid is exposed somewhat to the outside is in the overflow cap on the reservoir. With hot fluid going in and out of the tank a few times a day I would imaging the steam leaves the system. Is this normal to have that much evaporation out of the system in 3 years?

 

My 2006 that I bought new would lose a little coolant now & then throughout the 5 yrs I drove it.
My resi never went dry but I did need to add a little every few months. If I hadn't it wouldda probably been dry too after 3 yrs.

I never had an issue just adding a little now & then. The truck ran great for 5 yrs almost 70k before I traded it in.
Almost finished a gallon jug of oem coolant during that time.

 

I started smelling coolant emanating from under the hood of my '96 3.4L X-cab 4x4, especially after a moderate to long drive. I'm currently at 108k miles.

The radiator always shows full when I remove the cap and it shows coolant movement, but the overflow tank is always low.

A pressure check indicated good 15 lbs of pressure holding and the temperature gauge always reads normal.

Recently, the smell of hot coolant has gotten worse, even after short drives.

I asked my Toyota service advisor, Sean, what the problem might be and he informed me that it's probably a head gasket leaking a vapor mist, even though the dealer replaced both gaskets under warranty several years ago.

I'm planning to replace the timing belt and water pump, but now it looks like I should replace the head gaskets (again) as well.

Sean told me that the replacement head gaskets from Toyota weren't all that great. I've seen some Victor Reinz gaskets that appear to have more silicon beading that any other brand ... thinking about picking up a set.

Is anybody here using the Victor Reinz gaskets?

 

My '11 was bought in August last year... 15000 miles. My coolant level is on low the is morning when I put my air filter back in. Unsure why...

 

5 years and almost 80k miles and I've never added a drop of coolant. I do check it regularly and the fluid levels are where they should be.

Just make sure your oil isn't milky when you change it because then you really have a problem.

 

Check the front of the water pump for a pink crust. If there, the water pump seal is leaking through the bearing.
The loss from evaporation of engine coolant is tiny, and should only be noticed over a year. Noticable loss of coolant over a month should be investigated.

 

I've lost coolant from the reservoir several times since I bought the truck (5 years ago). I had white residue around the radiator cap. I took it to the dealer for inspection (I was still under warranty) and they replaced the cap twice over a period of 3 years. The next time I was low on coolant (and saw white residue around the cap), I replaced the cap with a STANT. I think the STANT was rated slightly higher in pressure rating than the stock cap (I can't remember the numbers). That was probably a year ago....
At one point during the previous years....I saw white residue along the top of the radiator (where plastic meets the steel). I wiped that area clean so I can spot any new problems. Never was impressed with plastic & steel radiators.

At this point, I've had the STANT for a year (??) and I've only lost a little bit of fluid. I haven't noticed anymore residue a the top of the radiator. But then again......I don't take my truck on long-term trips either.

 

Can regular old walmart brand coolant/water mix be used safely in our trucks? I have a 2010 DC 4x4. My coolant is right at the low level line when cold and I was going to add a little.

 

I'm leary of the "universal" coolants. Spend a few xtra bucks and buy the Toyota brand. Peace of mind is priceless.

 

Stick with the factory stuff.