Does my car need a coolant flush?
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2016
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From: CA
Does my car need a coolant flush?
Hi all, my RX300 is reaching 200,000 miles. My coolant level is just below the low level, so I was thinking I might as well do something extra if needed.
Does my car need a coolant flush? Or would drain and fill be just fine enough? If I flush the coolant, is it bad for the car?
Does my car need a coolant flush? Or would drain and fill be just fine enough? If I flush the coolant, is it bad for the car?
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 16,583
Likes: 1,397
From: Austin, TX
If the coolant has been maintained a simple drain and fill should be enough.
Flush in principle is needed when you have contaminants that would be left behind in a drain.
Around 200,K miles, you will be approaching a timing belt change. You may consider water pump change and a complete drain would be needed.
Salim
Flush in principle is needed when you have contaminants that would be left behind in a drain.
Around 200,K miles, you will be approaching a timing belt change. You may consider water pump change and a complete drain would be needed.
Salim
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 346
Likes: 5
From: CA
If the coolant has been maintained a simple drain and fill should be enough.
Flush in principle is needed when you have contaminants that would be left behind in a drain.
Around 200,K miles, you will be approaching a timing belt change. You may consider water pump change and a complete drain would be needed.
Salim
Flush in principle is needed when you have contaminants that would be left behind in a drain.
Around 200,K miles, you will be approaching a timing belt change. You may consider water pump change and a complete drain would be needed.
Salim
Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 4,592
Likes: 31
From: TN
Changing it at the recommended intervals.
Personally I'd just top the coolant off for now and keep an eye on it. It will have to be changed when you do the timing belt/water pump service, no sense in paying to change it to only have it changed again in a few thousand miles.
Personally I'd just top the coolant off for now and keep an eye on it. It will have to be changed when you do the timing belt/water pump service, no sense in paying to change it to only have it changed again in a few thousand miles.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 346
Likes: 5
From: CA
Changing it at the recommended intervals.
Personally I'd just top the coolant off for now and keep an eye on it. It will have to be changed when you do the timing belt/water pump service, no sense in paying to change it to only have it changed again in a few thousand miles.
Personally I'd just top the coolant off for now and keep an eye on it. It will have to be changed when you do the timing belt/water pump service, no sense in paying to change it to only have it changed again in a few thousand miles.
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 16,583
Likes: 1,397
From: Austin, TX
Water pump is generally replaced when it develops a leak. Since the replacement involves taking off the timing belt, most owners do it primitively with Timing belt change. I gambled on my RX and skipped the water pump change at 90K and did it at 180K. I gambled on my SC and water pump leaked at 120k.
Salim
Pole Position
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 338
Likes: 16
From: Oregon
Water pumps are cheap compared to the labor required to replace them. When you do a timing belt change you have already paid for the labor so putting a new pump in is just good preventive maintenance. Just make sure you use an OEM pump, not a rebuilt pump.
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