lctaylor1

I have read numerous treads on CL about the different types of antifreeze and which type to use. But the opinions are equally both ways in terms of oem or aftermarket. Please help! I just had my coolant sytstem flushed on my 99 GS4. I know I know but I went to a Jiffy Lube becaue it is close to my office, they were half the costs of Lexus, and they assured me they could do it. I had red at fisrt. When I got my car back the antifreeze was green. I called Lexus and of course they told me this was the wrong coolant and it needed to come out right away. I called a local Toyota which told me that the red that they and Lexus use has certains ingredients particular to our cars and that should be used. THey didnt say that what I had would not work. I went back to Jiffy Lube in a panic and expressed my concern. THey reaasured they used compatible antifreeze and that I was okay. THey even called some hotline and had me speak to a representative that told me the PEAK Full Force antifreeze is the correct antifreeze to use on my car and that it met or exceeded the oem coolant provided by toyota. I then went to the toyota dealer and had a service advisor look at it. He was really cool and told me he would not take my money to change the coolant again. He said this coolant is fine for my car as long as you do a complete flush and not just change the fluid in the radiator. Jiffy Lube did do a complete flush. I feel somewhat okay but still a little concerned. Is the coolant in my car okay or should I go to toyota and change it back. The guy at toyota even told me that they are somewhat going to the green stuff. Sorry for the lengthy thread. Just want my GS4 to ride and operate like it should and if I need to get it changed and stop being cheap then I will. I love this car man! Pleae advise.

Tammy

Run the green a couple of years at most, but no longer. All brands break down over time..some quicker than others..

Then have it flushed well with distilled water and replace with the Toyota antifreeze. You purchase and provide the coolant AND the steam distilled water to use, so you don't find yourself with the local universal grade and mineral contaminated hose water.. Two gallons of each should be sufficient .

There are several chemical companies producing coolant, each says it's compatable with everything else... or you might not buy it.. The situation is that any damage that might occur; control valves, water pump seals, corrosion inside the radiator, does not occur immediately but over time. They wil always deny their product did any damage; " It was in the water" or some other excuse. It's not their vehicle that's damaged! They already have you money. Why else would they provide a "Hot Line".

Who would sue a chemical company over a poor grade coolant? How would you prove it without spending more than the parts are worth? They depend on this. You need to take preventive steps up front, prior to spending cash on their product..

These aren't the old cast iron engines of yesteryear. The new design engines, radiators and cooling systems have special needs for long life. Why reengineer the specifications for a couple of dollars saving over the factory recommended fluids?

lctaylor1

Thanks for the reply. You make me want to get this stuff out right away just to have peace of mind knowing the proper coolant will be in my car. It sounds like you can use this stuff, but it is not as effective as the oem coolant and it breaks down faster.

Tammy

I would tend to agree...

But as you have already replaced it, keep it in till next year...
Just when it comes time, have it purged good prior to the next replacement; including the reservoir bottle and it's fill hose...

JellyBean

This article in Motor magazine should answer all your questions about coolant: Coolant Confusion: It's Not Easy Being Green ... or Yellow or Orange

It was the only authoritative-sounding article I found recently when I faced your dilemma. The conclusion is that in Asian cars, American green coolant (i.e. Prestone) is the best alternative to OEM coolants, as long as you change it every two to three years.

Skulinex

All i know is that most green coolants contain silicates which are OK for copper radiators, but it corrodes aluminum, which is used in japanese car's radiators.. not until recent years have they developed 'universal' coolant which contain different types of silicates but still not good enough, at least for me, to put in a japanese/Al radiator.. i've many friends who run hondas/accuras, miatas, and 240sx's in several SCCA races around GA and guess what coolant most of them swear by, toyota red ..

Side note, when they flush your system, they only do it twice or so, it takes about 4 flushes + engine runs to get EVERYTHING out... they use good ole municipal water, which contains a lot of minerals as Tammy said, this helps brake down any coolant a lot faster AND actually lowers the boiling point of the water mix <bad> thats why I always advise to do whatever you can to change the coolant yourself and use bottled water...

koolaidman

used to work at jiffy squirt. and from what i knoticed. its not a complete system flush. most of the time they forget to turn the car on and run the heater. and heres another note

green coolant = ethalyne glycol base
red toyota/lexus=ehealyne glycol base
blue honda/acura=ethalyne glocol base

all 3 are compatable

and i know i spelled ethalyne wrong

koolaidman

or go to a volvo dealership where they have distilled water on hand. lol but who wants to go to a volvo dealership to have their lexus worked on