When to flush coolant?

At what interval do you flush the coolant in an 2008 Tacoma v6?

 

Every 3-4 years, coolant can get dirty and contaminated just like oil...

 

and here we go...

 

When something fails and dumps it’s coolant.

 

No thanks. Factory schedules now take into account things like the environment (puke) and in my opinion are now engineered to have vehicles fail prematurely to increase service revenue. While some things have improved over time the laws of physics and thermodynamics haven’t changed. 30k and it gets replaced.

 

150k.

Change the radiator and coolant. It's cheaper than a flush.

 

I think officially SLLC is 5 years or 100k miles...whichever comes 1st.

That said...I did mine at 55k miles (3.5 years). Don't waste your time and money on the factory juice. For about $13 a gallon you can get Valvoline Zerex at Walmart. It's premixed and is a silicate free, P-HOAT formula just like the SLLC. It's a perfect match.

My system is in excellent shape. So no flush for me. I did 3 DAFs over the course of a week or so. About every couple of years I'll do a DAF to keep it fresh.

 

Do poeple even read anymore?

100k then 50 k

 

Your coolant will start to break down at half that mileage and begin to corrode your internals. A radiator might be cheaper but what about a heater core, your hard lines, etc.

 

I did mine last year and if I remember correctly, the Toyota extra ultra mega long life coolant is rated at 100k or 10 years. But of course you don’t have to wait that long.

 

I'm at 199,600 miles and 12 years on the factory coolant and hoses. I have the coolant tested yearly and it is still good. When the hoses start getting brittle I'll change the coolant when I change the hoses. I'll get back with you then.

 

Testing it only measures it's ability to not freeze. It doesn’t measure the amount of anti corrosion additive left in it. At that age and mileage.....I doubt there's much left

 

I think older technology coolants would become acidic over time, causing engine damage. Most likely not a major concern these days, but I drain and fill every 50k or 5years with Toyota coolant for maintenance sake

 

Thanks for the input guys.

 

I’m planning on doing mine at 100k. My truck is 6 years old.

 

Prove it.

 

whenever the factory service manual recommendation says so

 

I had the dealer do a "flush" at 85K and I am certain they just drained the radiator and refilled it. I did a full drain (block drains included) at 130K along with new hoses and termostat. I guess I'll do a flush at 200k.

 

I just hit 100K so I changed both rad. hoses, t-stat w/housing, rad. cap, flushed system & filled. From now on I'll just drain the rad. @ 30K & replace what drains out. Then @ 200K do the other items again, along w/a H2O pump.

 

CARS.COM — When is the right time to change your engine coolant? For some vehicles, you’re advised to change the coolant every 30,000 miles. For others, changing it isn’t even on the maintenance schedule.

For example, Hyundai says the coolant in the engine (what many refer to as “antifreeze”) in most of its models should be replaced after the first 60,000 miles, then every 30,000 miles after that. The interval is every 30,000 miles on some Mercedes-Benz models with some engines, but on others it’s 120,000 miles or 12 years. On still other Mercedes, it’s 150,000 miles or 15 years.

Some manufacturers recommend you drain and flush the engine’s cooling system and change the coolant more often on vehicles subjected to “severe service,” such as frequent towing, which can generate more heat. The schedule for many Chevrolets, though, is a change at 150,000 miles regardless of how the vehicle is driven.

Many service shops, though — including some at dealerships that sell cars with “lifetime” coolant — say you should do a coolant change more often than the maintenance schedule recommends, such as every 30,000 or 50,000 miles.

Here’s why: Most vehicles use long-life engine coolant (usually a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water) in the radiator that for several years will provide protection against boiling in hot weather and freezing in cold temperatures, with little or no maintenance. Modern vehicles also have longer intervals between fluid changes of all types partly because environmental regulators have pressured automakers to reduce the amount of old coolant, as well as other waste fluids, that must be disposed of or recycled.

Coolant can deteriorate over time and should be tested to see if it’s still good, as it can be hard to tell just by appearances. Even if the coolant reservoir shows sufficient coolant level and testing shows the cooling and antifreeze protection are still adequate, a coolant drain and antifreeze flush may be needed.

The coolant can become more acidic over time and lose its rust-inhibiting properties, causing corrosion. Corrosion can damage the radiator, water pump, thermostat, radiator cap, hoses and other parts of the cooling system, as well as to the vehicle heater system. And that can cause a car engine to overheat.