Radiator Coolant Flush vs Drain and Refill

Antifreeze is not just antifreeze. There are different formulas for different needs. The color is much less important than the actual ingredients. Some manufacturers require silicates, some don't. Some require phosphate, some don't. Some need HOAT, some don't. And some require a combination of those.

If you're using a standard coolant with silicates and no phosphate in your Toyota...your potentially causing an earlier failure of some of the cooling system's components.

BTW....what makes the Zerex coolants a little more expensive than standard coolant isn't really the formula....but rather the convenience of having it premixed

 

Universal coolants are formulated to be compatible with the majority of coolants as indicated on the manufacturer labels - generally, all colors and for most makes/models. Follow the instructions to be covered by the warranty and maintain the necessary coolant protection for your vehicle, and stick to reputable manufacturers. I replaced the OEM coolant in all my Toyota products with the Super Tech green coolant at 100K miles.

 

where are the engine block drains located? Is there a specific refill and bleed procedure?

 

you wont need a refill to 100k miles

 

This actually looks pretty easy.. I'm at just over 100k and I think it's time for a drain and refill.

 

Take the radiator out of the circuit by disconnecting the upper & lower hoses. I take an old thermostat, cut the middle out of it and then put that into the housing so it seals properly and then attach a 3' length of hose to the thermostat fitting so that I can bring it over the front of the grill; I use a garden hose on the lower hose to push everything up and catch it in my temporary discharge hose.

 

Know this thread is old but curious on opinions of should I flush my coolant. I have a '13 with just over 31,000 miles on it. (I have a company vehicle so the truck is just recreational.) Given the truck is almost 10 years old now, should I flush it just because of time? Does coolant break down mostly sitting and not being used much?

 

^ Yes, age is a factor. Coolant service is cheap and easy, just like my ex.

 

I spent 20 years in the automotive chemical sales business. Ive performed 100's of coolant flushes with our equipment. And sold 1000's of bottles of flush solvents. The best are acid based, the alkaline-based flush chemicals are good if used when the service is due. The acid based flushes really need to be very thoroughly flushed out to prevent harm to the system. As long as the flush machine is used correctly and the pressure does not exceed the system pressure for the car you should be fine. If the system is very corroded and contaminated Id go with an acid based solvent and flush it at least twice. If its routine maintenance one flush would be fine. I've seen the service fix overheating issues numerous times. And always replace the coolant with the same coolant that was in it. Not necessarily the same brand. The only time I have seen problems is when the machine was hooked up backwards or hooked up in the opposite direction of flow. And you can always add a treatment after the service to provide some added protection like anti-foaming agents.

 

I bought my 2010 just over a year ago. It had 289,000 when I bought it. Now I'm at 296k and still on the original coolant with no issues. However I am going to flush the system with distilled water and refill with Peak Final charge just because it makes me feel better lol. I don't think you are in danger of your coolant causing any problems yet.

 

I would drain and fill every 50k or greater
Tried a distilled water flush with cleaner. Seemed like a waste of time

 

10 year or 100k for first change.
Then 5/50k after that.

 

I ended up doing two drain & refills within about 5k of each other at 120k, just to be sure I got all of the old fluid out. Was too lazy to do a full flush and the "flush" cleaner was nearly as expensive as the 2nd bottle of coolant.

Edit - I'll also add that using a spill proof funnel makes the drain & fill stupid easy

$34 Lisle 24680 Spill-Free Funnel, Standard Adapters, 11 x 7 x 7"es

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY

 

Can anybody link me to a good write up for the Coolant drain process for a 3rd gen?

Thanks!

 

Best I can do. Hope it helps
https://www.ttguide.net/coolant-712.html

 

Use the search function, young padawan. Haha seriously tho it’s likely a very similar process to the 2nd Gens

 

It is the same. Except there’s only 1 block drain.

 

2014 DCSB, V6, 61K
I drained and refilled. Plan to do it again around 100K
I do the trans, diffs, transfer every 30K

I'm not an expert but it gives me peace of mine. And, I hate long walks on the beach...

 

Fantastic! Thank you.

 

I have this but the adapter doesn't exactly fit that well on the radiator.