WCF

For the 2002 GS430 owners manual states the coolant capacity is 9.5 qts.

The following represents the volumes removed and from what engine areas:

Draining the radiator alone removes 3.5 quarts.

The overflow resivoir has only about .3 quarts

Draining the right engine petcock (or drain valve) removes 3.75 quarts of fluid. There is probably a crossover drain from the left side to account for this larger volume.

Draining the left engine petcock removes only 1.5 quarts. (See above crossover note.) This sides drains very slowly and for a long time. This may be because some fluid could be draining from the heater core and then through a small vent opening or valve. ??

This totals about 9.05 quarts. There was some spill and spatter especially from the engine block drain valves when the draining fluid strikes various structural braces etc. A 1/4 inch rubber hose can be slipped over the drain valve discharge tubes to reduce this spatter. These drain valves call for a 10mm hex socket with an extension to open and close them. They are located on the sides of the engine block near the rear of the engine. Look for the 1/4 inch discharge pipe attached to the valve.

To flush, close all valves and fill radiator with 2+ gallons of distilled water. Replace radiator cap and run engine for about 10-15 minutes or until warm. Turn the heater on high for a few minutes to call for heated water to flush the heater core.

Shut engine off and open all 3 drain valves. Be careful for the drain water is very hot! Once drained, close valves again and reinstall your coolant.

I chose to install Peak Global due to it's composition. Got it at NAPA for $13.50 Gal. For a 60/40 mix, I measured out 5.7 quarts of coolant. Placed about 3 ounces of it the resivoir and the balance in radiator. Filled the radiator with about 3.8 quarts of distilled water untill full and put about 2-3 oz. of water in the resivoir. Start the engine and let some of the trapped air bubbles work their way out. Do not race engine with radiator cap off for it will blow out and waste a great deal of coolant. Top up as necessary with distilled water. Reinstall the cap but recheck the fluid level frequently in that additional air bubbles may need to escape.

I did take the air intake duct off to give additional room to better chech the right radiator water hose. A one 10mm bolt is all that holds it on. The resivoir was also removed for easier cleaning. Only 2-10mm bolts secures it.

I hope this answers some questions as to the coolant volume and their location. Good luck.


Moderator: I of any value, you are welcome to place this in a "sticky" thread.

LexFather

This was good, I'll add it to the DIY links! Thanks!

gserep1

Hello,
Is this formulation a standard ethylene glycol, or something on the line of a propylene, as in AMSOIL coolant?

I would be interested as long as it is not standard "green" ethylene glycol". Any Lexus that has used the Toyota Red fluid should not use the green in my opinion without a THOROUGH flush. Mixing the ethylene glycol with the Toyota formulation is a recipe for disaster, as it sludges things up quite a bit, especially in the radiator and the heater cores.

I use the AMSOIL coolant, and have since my last timing belt change in 2005.
It has lasted well, but has darkened significantly since the install. This is from 2 cross country trips the last two summers, and encountering very hot temperatures in Atlanta and the entire deep south during that time. The coolant took a beating, and I have finally just noticed how much. The AMSOIL was honey colored when I put it in, and now it is a bit cloudy. That unnerved me a bit. Amsoil says no problem, and all I have to do is a specific gravity test.

Though I like it a lot, and have had no problems with it, I am thinking of going back to Toyota Red coolant. Either that, or change the coolant every 60,000 miles or so as Lexus recommends. This LONG-LIFE stuff is beginning to cause me some concern.

The newest Lexus vehicles have the "pink" long life coolant which is not recommended for the older vehicles like my 99.

Since I am about 11,000 miles away from my second timing belt change (I am at 169,000 miles), this is the dilemma I face. Draining the entire block and heater core is the only way to assure all of the coolant is out. I used distilled water in the exact procedure as described previously, and I can say that it really does work as advertised.

Once I pull off the water pump and look inside like last time, I'll know what to do. The red coolant was bright at 90,000 miles, and the insides were all like brand new. I was amazed.

By the way, there is a bleed plug on the upper intake manifold that bleeds all the air prior to starting the engine. It has an "allen wrench" provision to allow removal and replacement of the plug. I'll try to get a picture and post it soon. Remove the plug prior to draining, which will help speed up that process. Install it before flushing, and remove again for draining.

When filling the unit with the plug out, all air is released at that time.

Finally, put the plug back in before starting, and it works great. Just a litle top up is needed after cool off, since the absence of air causes less temperature swing as the thermostat opens and closes during warmup.

Good luck with the Napa product. I hope it works well for you.

PHML

iTrader: (33)

Nice writeup, now where are the pics that go hand-in-hand with the instructions?