Coolant drain and refill for 97-01
06-16-12, 07:33 PM
#1
Coolant drain and refill for 97-01
I just did a drain and refill for my 2000 ES300. So here's a quick diy on performing this task.
I'll go straight to the point without discussing jacking up the car and all that cuz its common sense.
Once you have your car up in the jack stand or ramp. Remove the undercarriage metal piece about ten 10mm bolts to expose the radiator drain ****. Once it's remove, then you'll see this.
Attach a clear tubing hose on the tip of the drain spout (forget what the ID size of this hose).
Then just loosen the plastic drain **** to let the coolant out, but don't remove the drain **** completely. Place the other end of the tubing to a drain container.
then proceed to the front engine block. The drain **** is easy to spot, its right under the oil filter.
Then just do the same thing, attach a clear tubing to spout and loosen the drain **** 10mm bolt. Fluid that came out of the radiator and front engine drain **** was about 6.9 Liters.
Now off to locating the rear engine drain plug.
Easiest way to locate the rear drain plug is to look between this manifold you should see a bolt straight up there. There's no room up there to try to loosen the 14mm bolt, so i use a 10" extension to loosen the bolt. Again attach the clear tubing to the opening spout. The rear drain plug, i manage to get 1.25 Liters. For a total of 8.15 Liters drained.
Once you're done draining most of the fluid, then just re tightened all 3 drain plug and pour the new toyota super long life coolant.
I use 3 gallons of the pink coolant.
I use this lisle no spill funnel to burp the coolant system. Once there's no air bubble, then your good to go.
I'll go straight to the point without discussing jacking up the car and all that cuz its common sense.
Once you have your car up in the jack stand or ramp. Remove the undercarriage metal piece about ten 10mm bolts to expose the radiator drain ****. Once it's remove, then you'll see this.
Attach a clear tubing hose on the tip of the drain spout (forget what the ID size of this hose).
Then just loosen the plastic drain **** to let the coolant out, but don't remove the drain **** completely. Place the other end of the tubing to a drain container.
then proceed to the front engine block. The drain **** is easy to spot, its right under the oil filter.
Then just do the same thing, attach a clear tubing to spout and loosen the drain **** 10mm bolt. Fluid that came out of the radiator and front engine drain **** was about 6.9 Liters.
Now off to locating the rear engine drain plug.
Easiest way to locate the rear drain plug is to look between this manifold you should see a bolt straight up there. There's no room up there to try to loosen the 14mm bolt, so i use a 10" extension to loosen the bolt. Again attach the clear tubing to the opening spout. The rear drain plug, i manage to get 1.25 Liters. For a total of 8.15 Liters drained.
Once you're done draining most of the fluid, then just re tightened all 3 drain plug and pour the new toyota super long life coolant.
I use 3 gallons of the pink coolant.
I use this lisle no spill funnel to burp the coolant system. Once there's no air bubble, then your good to go.
06-16-12, 10:36 PM
#2
Lexus Champion
Great write-up, you did the procedure exact the way it should be done. 
But I hate to be the one to give you the bad news, the coolant you used is not correct. Super long life is intended for all aluminum systems which your car does not have. Any copper and brass components will not have adequate corrosion protection. This topic has been hotly debated in the past but I do believe that only Toyota RED coolant offers proper corrosion protection.
But again I must commend you on a thorough job. BTW, Lexus sold me PINK for my car which I later learned is not the proper fluid so I had to do the job all over again.
But I hate to be the one to give you the bad news, the coolant you used is not correct. Super long life is intended for all aluminum systems which your car does not have. Any copper and brass components will not have adequate corrosion protection. This topic has been hotly debated in the past but I do believe that only Toyota RED coolant offers proper corrosion protection.But again I must commend you on a thorough job. BTW, Lexus sold me PINK for my car which I later learned is not the proper fluid so I had to do the job all over again.
06-16-12, 11:18 PM
#3
I'm not worried about it, when i bought the car back in 2006 it already came with the pink fluid. Then the timing belt and everything else was replaced at 90k, refilled with the pink fluid. So is all good...as you can see from the pics fluid is in good condition, no discoloring what so ever.
06-16-12, 11:33 PM
#4
ooh mnn you should have posted this earlier ..i had to go to dealership and you know they charge a lot. But i am not sure if they do the same as you did.
Few questions i had :
Do you need to use clear tubing hose? or can you just drain into the pan directly. The hose is just to prevent mess right?
I am lost for the other 2 drain holes. so for the front engine block i see the hose but where is the bolt to loosen it so that fluid will flow AND also for rear engine drain plug i see the bolt that you have marked. So you just unscrew that and liquid will flow out right? like oil drain plug. thanks
Few questions i had :
Do you need to use clear tubing hose? or can you just drain into the pan directly. The hose is just to prevent mess right?
I am lost for the other 2 drain holes. so for the front engine block i see the hose but where is the bolt to loosen it so that fluid will flow AND also for rear engine drain plug i see the bolt that you have marked. So you just unscrew that and liquid will flow out right? like oil drain plug. thanks
06-16-12, 11:54 PM
#5
You don't have to use the clear tubing, but fluid will drip all over the place and you know that coolant is hazardous for the environment if it drain to the sewer system. It will kill a cat or dog if they happen to drink the coolant fluid.
The front engine drain plug, the bolt is on the top of the clear tubing, that's where you loosen that 10mm bolt, to get the fluid out. Look at the picture closely.
For the rear it's a little tough to insert the clear tubing, because the spout as i call it is facing on the engine block, but i manage to insert it. The bolt for the rear is 14mm in size, look on the picture with the red arrow pointing to it, that's the screw you wan't to loosen. Remember not to remove the bolt all the way out, just loosen it until the fluid starts to drain and that's it.
The front engine drain plug, the bolt is on the top of the clear tubing, that's where you loosen that 10mm bolt, to get the fluid out. Look at the picture closely.
For the rear it's a little tough to insert the clear tubing, because the spout as i call it is facing on the engine block, but i manage to insert it. The bolt for the rear is 14mm in size, look on the picture with the red arrow pointing to it, that's the screw you wan't to loosen. Remember not to remove the bolt all the way out, just loosen it until the fluid starts to drain and that's it.
Last edited by ontoy; 06-17-12 at 12:01 AM.
06-17-12, 07:19 AM
#6
cool thanks a lot!! You should add this DIY to this thread for easier finding ...so how would a dealer change a coolant then as part of service maintenance. i remember they were saying something like they have to start the car during changing and fill ups
Last edited by imherenow; 06-17-12 at 09:04 AM.
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06-19-12, 07:15 PM
#8
This is an excellent write-up, I applaud you for getting clear and easy to read photos of the procedure. I was thinking of creating a DIY thread for this, but never got around to doing it. Everything you did, I did the exact same way, except for the type of fluid used - I mixed Red Toyota Coolant with distilled water.
This must get added to the sticky. Mods?
This must get added to the sticky. Mods?
06-28-12, 03:26 PM
#13
Lexus Champion
I've noticed that too. But we're so well behaved we don't even need one. 