Lexus changed my coolant to green. Is that normal?
 

Hey guys I have a quick question, at my last service (30,000 mile), Lexus changed out my coolant. It was the OEM Toyota red before but now it's green. They told me it's the same except for the color. Now does Toyota make a green OEM coolant? I read on here (and elsewhere) that it's not wise to mix the different types of coolant. I understand that the color is not necessarily what I should look out for but the formulation of the coolants. But if they didn't use an OEM coolant to replace my old one, who knows what they used unless they are using it on all the cars coming in for service, in which case I could buy some of that green stuff to see if it really is the same as the Toyota red one. I'd also have a big issue with them using non-OEM parts/fluids to replace my OEM ones without telling and asking me first.

I hope someone can help me out here. If they did something wrong, I'd like to flush out my system asap. :( Or am I getting too concerned over nothing? Has anyone else had their coolant changed out to a green one at the Lexus dealership?

doesn't sound right to me. I'd be pissed.

Damn, doesn't seem right to me as well. I do not think that it's possible to have a green fluid and red one to be the same. I was always under the impression that the chemical composition makes the color, not a color aditive. So it doesn't seem right to me either.

green coolant is standard anti-freeze

red is the newer "lasts till 100K" coolant...

if you had red b4, get red again...they CANNOT be mixed

if they flushed out the red, and replaced with green that is fine, but now you have to flush more often

You are halfway right... Red antifreeze is the toyota genuine red antifreeze is a long life but the new toyota pink is the 100k long life coolant that is a premix you dont add any water to red you do. Also the reason they may have changed your coolant to green regular antifreeze is because a lot of technicians claim the red will eat up your seals basically causing the water pump to leak. You would think a technician wouldnt be this honest and would love to change your water pump every year or two but here they dont. Wether its a myth or not I'm not sure but some of them mix the antifreeze and I have never seen a car come back because of it in a few years that I have been here. Hope I helped

cool, good to know. You seem to know your coolants.

I'd be pissed too.
I've had a problem in Toyota products using silicate-based anti-freeze (GREEN Prestone, etc....), my coolant reservoir hoses became enlarged and loose. Had to replace them and went back to red, never had problem again.
I would ONLY use what is made for the car - Toyota Red. Toyota makes a big deal about only using their (correct) products, and they'd be more than a bit upset if they found their dealers using other stuff. It wouldn't surprise me if your dealer ran out and then sent their flunkie down to PepBoys or Autozone so that they could get your car done.

Thanks guys for your input. Si2See, I guess your post made me feel a bit better about having the green coolant but I guess the second part of my question is: is there an OEM green Toyota antifreeze? If the techs at Lexus wanted to switch to green because of the reasons you stated, and they used OEM fluids then I guess I can live with that. If they just flushed and refilled with some aftermarket antifreeze with silicates then I will be pretty upset because they did not consult me before doing me this "favor" of sparing my seals.

Also, assuming the techs are using their discretion to change the coolant to the green variety, shouldn't this be a Lexus corporate decision. Meaning all techs should be doing this based on a memo from Lexus saying they should switch to green because of the adverse effects on the seals? At least then it'd be a performed uniformally at all the Lexus dealerships. Or maybe they do? We only have one dealership on Oahu, Hawaii so I can't really compare.

there is no green toyota coolant. I would make them completely flush the green out with water and replace it with the FACTORY RECOMMENDED coolant. Like engin ear said, they make a big deal about only using their fluids, then some half ass dealer puts in green antifreeze :egads:

The answer to that line right there. Its not really lexus or toyota its technicians themselves that feel that way, but most of them here in fact have started using whatever is in the car like toyota recommends.... It could have just been hype because I myself have never had a water pump come back because of the antifreeze maybe once in the whole time I have been working with toyota. The only ones who will still put green here are maybe two techs but old school they have been here for over 10 years.

Now if it was my car I would do what everyone else is telling you have them flush it completly out and put the toyota red back in it. Toyota does not make a green coolant, but do have cars that came with green, most any car from TOYOTA not sure about lexus but before the year 1999 That I have seen came with green and then some still after that. Bottom line they shouldnt have done that to your lexus even if they don't like what they were putting in it they shouldve put your original coolant back in.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to take it up with them when I go back in a few weeks to get some noises looked into.

Just updating this thread so that maybe it might help someone else in the future. Well I took my car back in for warranty service on another issue and I presented the facts that I learned so that I could get my green coolant flushed out and replaced with the red that it originally had. The tech and service consultant said that the green coolant was "comparable" so it should be ok. But I told them I didn't feel comfortable with the green coolant not knowing if it had silicates etc and I'd like the red one put back after a flush. I also said that since the green coolant is not OEM and the red is, they should have consulted me before changing my fluid to a non-OEM coolant. I don't care about saving money (apparently the green is cheaper), I just want what is best for my car (as do the rest of you) and would easily pay a few more dollars to have OEM fluids/components installed.

So I hope that goes ok. I'm also having a window regulator replaced and some creaking issue looked at from my rear suspension. I think it's covered under a TSB. Of course everything is no-charge.

Anyway, yeah I didn't notice that they changed the fluids on me right away after my 30k because I usually just look at the reservoir level. It was always near full and it looked red from the outside so I didn't suspect a thing. Just recently I opened up the radiator cap and was like WTH? And then I checked the reservoir and it was the green stuff in there but I guess the red fluid had stained the plastic walls so it looked red from the outside. So make sure you all check your coolant after they do your 30k, 60k etc to see if they filled it with whatever you had originally. They might try to pull a fast one on you.

Thanks everyone again for your comments..

P.S. I found out the green antifreeze was "Prime" brand coolant. I don't know the composition or quality as I've never heard of that brand. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can chime in on whether it's good or not (or has silicates etc).

IN my line of work I havr noticed that Toyota and Chevy's new "long life" collants have some serious issues. I'v had cars come in with 30K miles on them and the coolant is already starting to break down. I personally use normal ethlyn gycol coolant in my car with no problem. I fush my system every 20K with no problems what so ever. I wouldn't be to worried about the coolant change. The new stuff just isn't that great anyway.

For about 20 years Corporate Toyota has been caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand Corporate Toyota spends extra bucks to install super high quality fluids and lubes in their cars at the factory to help assure they deliver and extra good level of reliability and durability and on the other hand Corporate Toyota has to deal with the "Profit first, Quality second" mentality of American car dealers and mechanics.

Corporate Toyota has found no effective way to prevent American Toyota / Lexus dealers from using non-Toyota brand fluids and lubes. Therefore a Toyota / Lexus owner, ironically, must be on guard to make sure their sure their own dealers don't degrade their cars by using non-Toyota brand fluids and lubes. In some cases, this means the owner much actually go to a Toyota dealer and buy the Toyota brand fluids and lubes separately and then instruct the dealer to install them.

While the use of non-Toyota brand motor oil is not critical, it is critical to use 50% genuine Toyota Long Life Coolant + 50% distilled water in the cooling system (of 2003 and earlier models) . Here are just some of the many graphic benefits and consequences of using Toyota brand red coolant vs green and other auto parts store coolants:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...h/coolanta.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...h/coolantb.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...h/coolantc.jpg

The 2004 and 2005 Toyota / Lexus models need a new Toyota Pink antifreeze, but since this new antifreeze lasts about 5 years, the 2004/2005 model owners won't need to be concerned about changing it for several more years.

I am just shocked to see a thread such as this without a post from Saber, and for a minute there I was concerned about his well-being, but after reading Ellwood's post it looks like Saber's spirit lives on.