Type Antifreeze I Should Use
05-28-05, 07:46 PM
#1
Rookie
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Type Antifreeze I Should Use
I am brand new to the forum so if I screw something up please be patient with me. I just bought a wonderful 1996 ES300 and want to do a coolant flush. The antifreeze in it now is a red color. Can anyone tell me what brand/type antifreeze I should use. Everything I have ever used before was green, ie Prestone. Where do you get red antifreeze and what brand should I buy. Thank you very much for your help.
05-28-05, 08:06 PM
#2
Pole Position
Originally Posted by golffnutt
I am brand new to the forum so if I screw something up please be patient with me. I just bought a wonderful 1996 ES300 and want to do a coolant flush. The antifreeze in it now is a red color. Can anyone tell me what brand/type antifreeze I should use. Everything I have ever used before was green, ie Prestone. Where do you get red antifreeze and what brand should I buy. Thank you very much for your help.
05-28-05, 10:44 PM
#3
1) You're in Tennessee. As long as you drain the coolant every other year, Run a 1/3 ratio. No reason for 50% coolant in warm climates.(Anything as far south as Alabama, constitutes a 25% ratio)
never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never
Mix Toyota Red coolant with any other type of coolant. It will turn into an extremely hard gel. Completely clogging the entire system. As that is happening, the inhibitor packages in both antifreeze's go from protecting the metal parts, to eating anything ferrous. (Iron, tin, steel, ect) Very bad for the iron block 2vz-fe's and 3vz-fe's.
If yours comes with Toyota red in it, keep using Toyota red. If it comes with anything else, keep using it. Don't interchange them for any reason. You're better off running straight watter until you can get the correct stuff.
never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never
Mix Toyota Red coolant with any other type of coolant. It will turn into an extremely hard gel. Completely clogging the entire system. As that is happening, the inhibitor packages in both antifreeze's go from protecting the metal parts, to eating anything ferrous. (Iron, tin, steel, ect) Very bad for the iron block 2vz-fe's and 3vz-fe's.
If yours comes with Toyota red in it, keep using Toyota red. If it comes with anything else, keep using it. Don't interchange them for any reason. You're better off running straight watter until you can get the correct stuff.
05-29-05, 11:07 AM
#5
Pole Position
Originally Posted by Pheonix
1) You're in Tennessee. As long as you drain the coolant every other year, Run a 1/3 ratio. No reason for 50% coolant in warm climates.(Anything as far south as Alabama, constitutes a 25% ratio)
never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never
Mix Toyota Red coolant with any other type of coolant. It will turn into an extremely hard gel. Completely clogging the entire system. As that is happening, the inhibitor packages in both antifreeze's go from protecting the metal parts, to eating anything ferrous. (Iron, tin, steel, ect) Very bad for the iron block 2vz-fe's and 3vz-fe's.
If yours comes with Toyota red in it, keep using Toyota red. If it comes with anything else, keep using it. Don't interchange them for any reason. You're better off running straight watter until you can get the correct stuff.
never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never
Mix Toyota Red coolant with any other type of coolant. It will turn into an extremely hard gel. Completely clogging the entire system. As that is happening, the inhibitor packages in both antifreeze's go from protecting the metal parts, to eating anything ferrous. (Iron, tin, steel, ect) Very bad for the iron block 2vz-fe's and 3vz-fe's.
If yours comes with Toyota red in it, keep using Toyota red. If it comes with anything else, keep using it. Don't interchange them for any reason. You're better off running straight watter until you can get the correct stuff.
As long as your mechanic does it properly, you can use the Pink Toyota coolant (which is good for 5 years) & you can get it in either straight coolant alone (and purchase distilled water) or 'pre-mixed' with distilled water in the correct mixture recommended by Toyota/Lexus. 
05-29-05, 12:04 PM
#6
True. it's also a pain in the *** to 100% flush an MZ-FE. They don't have all the orifaces the earlier v6 has you can flush and drain from. You need to take a pressure drop machine, or a hose pipe with a lot of time to flush the entire system. With some cleaner, you can flush for a long time and still get crap out of the system.
I don't trust Toyota's red fluid, for the same reason many mechanics don't trust GM's first go around with their orange organic coolant. (Well... That and it was very aggressive) Toyota claims it lasts much longer than the inhibitor package actually lasts!
It starts to clog the system, while at the same time it eats away at the parts until something cracks, blows, or it'll be fine, and you get it on a pressure drop machine to change the fluid out. Pop! It blows up.
Whatever get's put in, stick with the 2 year changes no matter what you use.
I don't trust Toyota's red fluid, for the same reason many mechanics don't trust GM's first go around with their orange organic coolant. (Well... That and it was very aggressive) Toyota claims it lasts much longer than the inhibitor package actually lasts!
It starts to clog the system, while at the same time it eats away at the parts until something cracks, blows, or it'll be fine, and you get it on a pressure drop machine to change the fluid out. Pop! It blows up.Whatever get's put in, stick with the 2 year changes no matter what you use.
05-30-05, 07:34 AM
#7
Rookie
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Phoenix since you do not like the Toyota Red would you suggest I flush and refill with a different antifreeze. If so which antiffreeze should I refill with. Thank you.
Trending Topics
05-30-05, 08:12 AM
#8
Pole Position
Originally Posted by golffnutt
Phoenix since you do not like the Toyota Red would you suggest I flush and refill with a different antifreeze. If so which antiffreeze should I refill with. Thank you.
05-30-05, 10:01 AM
#9
Eh... As long as you flush it out use whatever you want. Just don't let them mix without re-flushing it. Just remember:
1) 2 year coolant flushes
2) never put Toyota red into an iron block engine. (VZ blocks for this forum)
The inhibitor package doesn't protect iron parts for long. It's not jsut the water rusting the iron block, the chemical composition attack it also!
1) 2 year coolant flushes
2) never put Toyota red into an iron block engine. (VZ blocks for this forum)
The inhibitor package doesn't protect iron parts for long. It's not jsut the water rusting the iron block, the chemical composition attack it also!
05-31-05, 06:59 AM
#14
Rookie
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Phoenix since you stated it is difficult to flush the MZ-FE engine could you, when you have time, send step by step instuctions to me on how to do it so that I make sure I get a COMPLETE flush and not leave some old fluid in the system. I would really appreciate this, again only when you have time, no hurry. Thank you.
05-31-05, 07:07 AM
#15
Pole Position
Originally Posted by golffnutt
Phoenix since you stated it is difficult to flush the MZ-FE engine could you, when you have time, send step by step instuctions to me on how to do it so that I make sure I get a COMPLETE flush and not leave some old fluid in the system. I would really appreciate this, again only when you have time, no hurry. Thank you.
I'm sure that topic has been covered. Just type in coolant flush or engine coolant flush. Good Luck!