arodriguez

what type of coolant should i used for my 96 es300 the one that the dealer sales or the one that they sale at the autopart store?

CrazySC300

iTrader: (16)

Red OEM Toyota coolant for the win! Don't settle for anything less regardless of what anyone tells you.

Ryeno

iTrader: (3)

+1 ^^^

Also if you do have green(or any color besides red/pink) coolant in your car, then your going to need to flush all that coolant out. Dont mix red and green coolant together.

Kaydee

i heard the green one coagulates or turns to lumps or something like that

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

For the record, you do not HAVE to use Toyota's red coolant. It offers no more protection than standard green (ethylene glycol), but it does last longer - 60-100k miles is the recommended change interval on Toyota red, versus 30k on standard green...

If you do not care about the shortened interval, then there is no reason to spend double the money for Toyota's coolant... I have not used red coolant since I purchased my SC400 40k miles ago, and it gets flushed every 2 years.

Green coolant is and has always been a standard coolant - no problems with using it in any vehicle, but, although according to the bottles that say you can mix them, I have seen issues with them mixed and usually it's not pretty. Make sure the system is flushed thoroughly either way you go.

schan1w

Please, we're talking $27 versus $12, so I see no reason not to get Toyota. It's not like we're talking "double" a lot of money ... e.g. a $25K car vs a $50K car. If you can't afford to pay $15 more to give your Lexus the proper Toyota fluid every 2-3 years, you should be driving a Yugo instead!!

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

Wow, a little elitist huh... If you can provide me with a solid reason why using toyota red coolant and replacing every 60K miles is superior to using standard green coolant and flushing every 25-30K miles, then even I will change over. Fact of the matter is that there is no performance difference, just longevity...

Also, although toyota red coolant is a longer life coolant, that doesn't mean it always does a great job. I have seen it break down early and need flushed well before it was due. Benefit gained by using red equals 0... But it cost more... I follow my own maintenance schedule based on failures I see on a daily basis. From experience, as soon as the original coolant in a car is tampered with (flushed, topped off, etc) then it will never be in as good of shape as the original coolantn regardless what coolant is used.

For what its worth, my car is still on the OE water pump, radiator AND hoses, and has 202,000 miles with no signs of deterioration. (Original owner kept immaculate records). The thermostat gets replaced every 2 years when I do a flush.