how often do you replace coolant in your 2nd gen taco

It also eats away at the head gasket. On a V6 you do not want a blown head gasket just because you saved a little cash and time by not keeping the coolant in good condition.

 

I suggest having a pro flush the system. The way I do it is with the flush machine I have in the shop. Hook it up, let it get up to operating temp with the heater on and the line to the reservoir clamped off and start the flushing process. The machine will take out the old stuff and add the new stuff at the same time. After it's done, let it cool off. When your waiting remove the reservoir bottle and drain and clean that. Reinstall it and refill with new coolant. Put the hoses back on. Top off the radiator, verify the heater works, and your done.

 

When looking for a used vehicle, these are the people to avoid.

 

If you are not going to follow the 100/50K coolant change recommendation, at least test your coolant to make sure it hasn't 'spoiled'.

The biggest problem with high mileage coolant is going to be corrosion caused by electrolysis. There are many articles on the subject; the one below includes how to use a voltmeter to test for it.

"Coolant also plays an important role in preventing corrosion caused by electrolysis. Electrolysis occurs when two dissimilar metals start swapping electrons, causing the metals to corrode. Since an engine has aluminum, copper, cast iron, steel and magnesium alloys, electrolysis will slowly eat away at its innards.

Coolant has additives to prevent all of that electron swapping. But, as coolant ages, the additives are depleted and can’t do the job anymore. In fact, worn coolant becomes a pretty darn good electrical conductor, accelerating internal electrolysis. The good news is that it’s pretty easy to check the conductivity of your coolant with a digital multimeter. If the conductivity is high, it’s time for a coolant flush and fill. Here’s a quick way to check it.

Begin with a cold engine. Remove the radiator cap and start the engine. Set your digital multimeter to DC volts at 20 volts or less. When the engine reaches operating temperature, insert the positive probe directly into the coolant. Rev the engine to 2,000 rpm and place the negative probe on the negative battery terminal. If the digital meter reads .4 volts or less, your coolant is in good condition. If it’s greater than .4 volts, the electrolysis additives are exhausted, and you may be in the market for a new radiator, a water pump or a heater core in the future. All of those are far more expensive than a simple coolant change."

https://www.familyhandyman.com/auto...e/coolant-testing-with-a-multimeter/view-all/

This site advocates .3 volts as the limit. http://www.ve-labs.net/electrolysis-101/how-to-test

 

^^^ THIS!

 

I just drain the radiator and fill it every 30,000 - I read on another forum this works - the % of new and old works better then flushing every 100,000 and it's easier.

 

I do mine every 3 years...I do a 3 year service at that time. Thermostat, battery, coolant, trans fluid, oil and filter (every 5k), air filter, plugs and plug wires, and belt.

 

You change your battery every 3 years or just clean it up ? My OEM lasted 8years.

 

Change it every 3 years...