Hello,
I recently noticed my coolant reservoir is below the LOW mark. Upon purchasing the toyota long life red coolant which is supposed to be in my SUV I noticed that my coolant is GREEN when I took off my radiator cap. I've always had my LEXUS RX300 serviced by LEXUS, is this some weird cheap blend that they use? Now I will have to return this red coolant. I know I will have to top off the reservoir with the same GREEN coolant, any ideas what it could be?
Thanks

 

I can't imagine.

Red coolant is the standard to be used, however Toyota is also putting out a 50% coolant/50% water mix called Toyota Pink, which is also okay.

However, I would seriously dump all of that coolant out and switch it to Red or Pink (your choice) and follow my instructions in the DIY below, keeping in mind if you are using Pink, just use 9 liters of that instead of the 50% Red Coolant/50% water mix.

Only other thing that could have happened is contamination, but I seriously doubt if Lexus has been religious enough in checking everything out.

I have a coolant DIY here, https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=249741

 

You should use the red Toyota coolant for best performance. The cheap Prestone green stuff works, but it does not prevent corrosion as well as the Toyota formula.

Also, you need not remove the radiator cap. Just add coolant through the reservior.

All the Lexus and Toyota dealers I know use the genuine red Toyota coolant. So definitely ask your dealer about this.

 

My 03 that has the green coolant, sort of the yellowy green like the fluorescent tennis *****, it is certainly not red or pink imo. And I always remember seeing it green from purchase too FWIW but i could be wrong. The reservoir tank is greenish now.

 

Whatever any of you do, do not add red/pink Toyota coolant to the green, otherwise might be necessary to bring Bill Cosby back and talk about the wonders of Jello-O

 

Lex-Mex did a great thread on coolant replacement and has a nice formula for the coolant https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=249741

 

I wouldn't be too concerned with the green stuff. Being that your Lexus dealer put it in I am sure it is compatible. Just give the service manager a call and ask what they use. RX300s come with Toyota long life red from the factory and the newer RXs come with Toyota super long life pink.
In my household I have a Toyota with super long life pink, the RX with long life red and a GM product with orange DexCool. Rather than have 3 different types for topping off, I just picked up a gallon of Prestone all makes and models at Walmart. Just like the name says it is compatible with everything. It is even a light yellow color so that it takes on the color of the product it is being added to. They even have a chart in automotive stores showing different coolant type colors before and after mixing with Prestone. Of course there is more to it than just the color and Prestone has the specs here too.

 

Something I have noticed with Toyota (at least in Mexico) is they often offer non-Toyota badged products. I can't remember every seeing of them offering something other than Toyota Red Coolant (they don't have a pink here), but over the years I have seen the following:

Mobil 1 ATF offered in addition to Toyota Type-IV (reason was given that they service other marks other than Toyota and also used the the M1 ATF as PSF fluid), though I don't see M1 anymore.

Castrol LMA brake fluid in addition to the Toyota DOT 3 fluid (Castrol LMA is good brake fluid that does not contaminate as much as other, even more expensive brake fluids, and particularly well-suited for Mexico, but not track use as I found out).

Mobil 1 oil in addition the Exxon/Mobil branded stuff that is non-synthetic.

I wonder if in a similar manner, Toyota/Lexus in the U.S. was doing something similar with the coolant.