Hello,

I recently attempted a coolant flush on my 2005 Lexus ES330. It's driven over 160k miles and I wasn't sure if the previous owner had ever flushed it. After reading threads and watching videos I had an idea of the procedure and the location of the drain plugs on the engine block.

So, I jack up my car, drain the radiator, and move to the first drain bolt on the engine block (near the oil filter). Unfortunately, the bolt (17mm) is directly attached to the nozzle it seems and so my socket had like 2mm to grip onto. I tried to unbolt it but it's stuck on really tight and the socket can't get a good/deep enough hold onto the bolt.

Are there others that have had better luck with this kind of a situation for this particular vehicle or bolt? Any suggestions?

I have attached an image of my drain bolt/plug. It's the one on the top right.




As for the coolant that drained out of the radiator, it was quite clean and pink. So, I was thinking that a flush might not be necessary and I can just refill the radiator and reservoir.

Now, I am not sure which coolant was in the system, but since there is some left in the engine block, can I use Valvoline Super Extended Life Coolant Antifreeze (with Zerex Technology) [[url]https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/1d962ddf-78c3-4288-bddb-048e5a3619b0_1.5a4f6a780e3c7558c5cc42117118d815.jpeg?odnWidth=undefined&odnHeight=undefined&odnBg=ffffff]? This antifreeze seems quite similar to Toyota's Super Long Life Coolant but a lot cheaper. Would there be a problem if I was to add the Valvoline (with Zerex Technology) antifreeze and the engine block supposedly had Toyota's SLLC?

I am a novice to car mechanics and just started learning about it recently. Your input is appreciated.

Thank you.