Ronstitt

A month ago I had some work done on my 2005 ES330. The mechanic had to replace 2 gallons of antifreeze. I noticed he replaced it with 2 gallons of Dexcool. Is that a no no and should I drain all the antifreeze out and replace it with the Toyota stuff?


Thanks Ron

PFB

Absolutely. Drain, flush and replace with the specified Toyota Fluid.

Your mechanic should perform the work for free.

On second thought, maybe it's a better idea to stay away from that shop.

Phil

DRACO A5OG

+1.

If you DIY, it will take around 5-6 dumps to get rid of all the Dexcool.

You must do this to dilute it until it comes out clear.

Oro

Yeah, you need to run four or five cycles of distilled water through it, draining both the radiator and block taps (2 of them) each time. The block taps are fairly accesible and make the process much better.

When you go to refill, know that Pep Boys now carries the Recochem version of the SLL Toyota Pink as a concentrate, $20/gallon. Substantially better deal than the factory pre-mix. If you are in Florida, a gallon would be all you need (would make a 41% solution). Don't use hard florida tap water for the flushes; gallons of distilled are cheap at the supermarket.

What an idiot mistake for a professional.

Ronstitt

Would anyone happen to have some pictures or other info as to the location of the block taps ? So that I can drain the Dexcool out.


Thanks Ron

Oro

I believe the front one is to the right of the oil filter if you take off the belly pan and look up.

The one on the rear bank is visible if you and sight up along that bank's exhaust downpipe. That one needs a long extension and maybe a flex joint to get at. Both are visible and easier to get to than on most cars, though you need the car lifted to get under there of course. You do not need to back them all the way out, just a few turns. It has been a while since I did it, but I think one was 10mm and one 8mm, or 10/12, so don't be surprised if they don't seem identical.

If you need more help, google camry or 1mz-fe block drains and I am sure there are pics available.

As a reference, when I changed out green that had been put in ours, I figured two drains and two cycles of distilled water were enough to get me down to slightly less than 2 ounces of old coolant left in the system, which was enough for me. Dexcool has a greater risk in my opinion and I'd do at least three and maybe four cycles of running until thermostat opens and gets the heater core flushed. Relevant stats I found were a 9.7qt total capacity and about a 1.8qt residual heater core capactiy you could not drain.

Dexcool in a system designed for it is a decent long-life coolant. But our systems are not designed to be air-tight (Dexcool requires this or oxidizes badly) or the gaskets chemically compatible.
'

Ronstitt

Oro, Thanks very much for the info. I really appreciate it.

Oro

Thank you for the "thanks." If you have other problems or questions, ask and I or one of the many other helpful members here will try to help. This is an unfortunate hassle but easy to fix, and will leave you with a healthy coolant system and good knowledge of how to service and maintain it. (I am a big believer in silver linings, as you can see).

mmatheny

How do you tell what coolant is in your radiator currently? Color? My car as far as I can tell has always been serviced by the dealer. I just want to make sure someone else didn't screw up.

HomerJay

Check the coolant tank. Your MY is red.