Tabaka

iTrader: (8)

A few weeks ago I had a friend pick up my car and install a new crossmember at his garage. He noticed that my coolant overflow bottle was low and decided to fill it up. My car sat for a long time and I'm not sure if the coolant was low, or just not obvious in the reservoir. Anyways, I assume he didn't check the radiator for a specific color and filled up the reservoir with the common green stuff. Obviously after a few weeks after I finally figured out what happened, the coolants have mixed completely and it looks like puke. Should I flush everything and start over Unfortunately I don't have a lot of time these days to stop by the dealership to pick up Toyota pink coolant. But, if you guys scare me enough and say my engine will explode in 6 minutes if I don't switch, then I'll grab some.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

The general consensus is that it doesn't matter, other than the mixed color being funky. As long as it wasn't the GM Dex-Cool crap.

irondonkey

coolant is coolant. as long as you dont have bubbles in it, you're good.

eknine9

iTrader: (8)

I know that there are certain colors you can't mix because they congeal and create a jello like substance that doesn't flow as well and may cause overheating.

Best advice would be to flush it and replace it with all one color. Not certain if your specific mix will go jello-like or not, but I wouldn't risk it if it's avoidable.

irondonkey

well... water wetter is a pink color, and you mix it in with coolant. water wetter is suppose to give the system less bubbles.

CatManD3W

iTrader: (18)

I would flush it out......why would he fill up the coolant overflow reservoir.....

I dont have anything in mine.....Isnt its purpose to catch overflowing coolant from radiator......why would you fill that up?

Why risk it when it only cost about $30

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

Pretty sure you're supposed to... I'm not sure about the SC300, but the SC400 and others I've worked on have Min and Max levels on the reservoir. The idea is to catch overflow but also have a reservoir for when more is needed. There's also a coolant level sensor to warn you against running low, but again, I'm not sure if the SC300 has that.

tfwnoturbo

300's have it, but it's hard to tell for sure because the reservoir is hardly transparent and the plastic markings are almost unreadable (at least for my 300). But yeah, you are supposed to fill it in case the radiator loses some or if it's just low to begin with.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

Mine is exactly the same. It's annoying. And the shape of the reservoir makes it difficult to see the level by peering through the open cap, so you're pretty much always guessing at how full it is.

mikef

iTrader: (3)

I would keep toyota red in a toyota engine, there is a reason for it but the green coolant is almost the same but not 100%

Biddles

iTrader: (2)

Dealer charged me $60 to change the coolant, not that pricey at all.

SCstone

Toyota or Zerex Asian only. don't mix.

there are alot of factors.. if you truly care about your engine you should run asian/toyota coolant ONLY. avoid everything else regardless of color. asian vehicles specificly use OAT coolant. mixing different kinds can cause the additives to gel and gum things up. i think asians only have a sodium additive for seals.

even if it says all makes and models if you look at ingrediants they contain all kinds of chemicles for different types of metals. silicates borates..ect which can damage your waterpump/seals/bearings/shaft. your first signs will be overheating and leaking out the WP weep hole.

American uses IAT(Green) some newer use DEX-COOL and/or heavy duty GO-5(HOAT)
European uses G0-5(HOAT)(Orange) (Some use OAT)
Asian uses OAT. (Pink/Red)

even though DEX-COOL is considered "American OAT" DONT use it!

one thing im skeptical about is non oem pumps as they use their own parts/seals/bearing/shaft/alloy casting not used by others.. i.e a duralast wp from america compared to aisin in japan. but im not 100% just an assumption. imo, if you own jap car; get jap parts.

CatManD3W

iTrader: (18)

I would properly drain the entire system.....

i.e drain out all of old fluid.....and flush system out with water......it will take a few times of filling up and draining....do this until it is straight water coming out...

All you need is 1 gallon of toyota red and mix it with another gallon of distilled water...50/50 mix...i.e 2 gallons total.....will fill up the whole system......

TXMAG

iTrader: (1)

I'd flush and replace with Toyota Red or Zerex Asian - Whichever you can get a better deal on. I've always run one of these two in any of the Toyotas I've worked on and never had an issue. If I need to top the coolant off in a pinch and can't get the Toyota or Zerex stuff readily I just use distilled water.

In regards to mixing, I've always understood it to be that you don't mix the two because they use different additive packages. When mixed it can lead to accelerated seal wear and possible corrosion inside the cooling system. There have been debates about this over on the bobistheoilguy forums if you feel like nerding out and reading lots of technical information.

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

toyota red concentrate (not the pink premixed stuff you just end up paying more) and distilled water, or cold tap water (ok people don't jump on me for tap water vs distilled I know distilled is more perfect but I have never had a problem with regular water and toyota red).
If you are low in a pinch top it off with water, not the wrong coolant, at least this way when you get more coolant all you have to do is drain a little and add more concentrate if it starts freezing in the winter, but most of the time there is enough concentrate if done right the first time for many top offs. I go by how deep the color red is and if its parked outside in winter or not. the colder the conditions, the more red you will want it to be or you may go to start your car one day and find he radiator frozen (had a truck I topped off one too many times do that nothing adverse happened just had to put more coolant in).

drain system, insert gallon of toyota red, top off with water, then clean the extra coolant off the floor. I wouldn't run the mix you have in there, I would run straight up dexcool before i did that and I wouldn't do that on a good toyota motor. maybe an old 22re where the cost of the coolant is like a quarter of replacing the motor, then I would grab the universal stuff for that.