The Correct Way To Drain/Fill the 4.0 Antifreeze

You don't need to "flush" with distilled water.

 

Okay, I was wondering about that. Most people don't seem to be flushing at all.

 

To refill I used one of these funnels to make sure all the air was burped out of the system.

$20 EPAuto Spill Proof Radiator Coolant Filling Funnel Kit

https://www.amazon.com/EPAuto-Radia...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=EDEHN2WCMPAKMN921YZ6

 

sub'd

 

I did this PM yesterday. A few observations I made.

1. The passenger side engine block drain tube was clogged with what looked like a mud dauber nest. I tried to break it up as best as I could. Then I thought water pressure would push the rest out when I opened the drain. Not true. I ended up taking the drain plug all the way out. What a mess. Way more coolant came out then I was prepared to catch. As far as I know the drain tube is still clogged. I didn't want to risk pushing the crap back into the engine cooling passages.

2. I easily found the drivers side drain, but quickly decided it's not worth messing with. I exchanged around 7 quarts without touching this drain.

3. I expected the radiator to start draining after a quarter turn. It took a couple of turns before it started to drain.

4. After 13 years and 102k miles, the coolant looked brand new still.

5. It doesn't seem that I ended up with much air in the system. I burped the hoses and didn't get many air bubbles out. Truck warmed up to normal temperature just as before.

 

Wow, that driver's side is impossible. At no point did I actually see it, just felt around for where I thought it should be from the videos.

 

I could easily see it though the wheel well. I have a Prerunner though. The front driveshafts might obstruct the view on a 4x4.

 

If you take your front tires off they are easy to find. One of mine was stopped up from mud and a small pick was used to clean it out. Mine had almost 200,000 miles and I flushed it with white vinegar. Previous owner did nothing but change the oil.

 

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Clarification after white vinegar which I ran in Tacoma for 30 min. I flushed with distilled water.

 

If I would have purchased my Tacoma new I would have never use vinegar either. The trucks coolant had been in there for 10 years and had built up scale in the radiator. Seems like I read it somewhere and was optioned based on neglected radiators so I decided to do it. Now that it's done will probably drain radiator and refill once every year.

 

Always a good idea to watch your reservoir after doing a flush or change. I noticed I added to my reservoir after a week of driving and then all has been good since.

 

Did this today, drivers side drain plug was a bitch to get to. Thanks to @Koollata if he's still around. His pictures were a help.

 

Subbed (doing it within the next month)

 

So I wasn’t thinkin an I topped off my tacoma with reg green Prestone anti freeze. I drained it back out the reservoir. But I still have a little in the radiator will this be a problem? Should I drain an flush it immediately? Or can I get the pink 50/50 an just top it off an fill the reservoir?

 

I have OCD and would have to drain everything and start over. Hopefully someone on here with chemistry knowledge will know the answer.

 

Top it off with Pink should be fine.

 

just an FYI......this stuff @ Walmart....$12 gallon & its red.....

 

Wouldn't 9 quarts be 1.75 gallons?

O'Reilly told me it takes 10.3 quarts.