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Camry Long Life Coolant for Camry 2000

37K views 48 replies 16 participants last post by  97trophy 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi Experts,

My car engine coolant oil reservoir(Red) is much below than the Low level. I want to refill the coolant with Toyota Long life Coolant.
Does any one know how much it cost per gallon.


Thanks
Raj
 
#2 ·
It's about $20-30 per gallon, IIRC. That's enough to do 2 gallons with a 50/50 water mix. Remember to use distilled water. :)
 
#7 · (Edited)
Get a digital multimeter ($3.49) from harbor freight if you don't have one. Turn to the millivolt mode and touch the positive probe to the negative post of the battery, and the negative probe to the coolant in the radiator (with the engine cold). See if you have anything more than 300 millivolts.

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-90899.html

A drain/refill of the radiator is considered sufficient every 2 years. Use the Red coolant with distilled water. It's fairly simple on the 5SFE, so search and read up on the DIYs and understand the necessary precautions before you start.

You need a catch pan (8-qt capacity preferred), a waste coolant container (old gallon jugs), and a 2qt pitcher commonly seen at 99-cent/dollar stores for mixing 50%-50% coolant and distilled water. Dispose of old coolant at your local haz-mat collection center (check front gov section of phone book). And if you need a funnel, Harbor Freight's got them too for $1.99/set of 4:

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-funnel-set-744.html

As a temporary measure, adding distilled water is fine too (just for the reservoir). But you should also check to see that the radiator is full (remove the cap only with the engine cold).



i have one more question, does it required to do a complete coolant flush?would it be any harm to refill just reservoir , i mean does the mix of oil would reduce the performance of cooling system?

Thanks
Raj
 
#4 ·
If you haven't done a coolant flush in the past 2 years or so, I'd do it as part of regular maintaince. If you don't want to do that... no harm in just topping off the reservoir with a 50/50 coolant/distilled water mix. It won't hurt the performance of the system. Heck, if your SUPER lazy you could just top off the reservoir with distilled water.

Also, coolant isn't really a type of oil. It's just coolant. ;)
 
#6 · (Edited)
yeah, if that's only a little below LOW (not like bone dry) then go ahead and top it off with just distilled water at like 83 cents per gallon in local grocery store or something. no harm will be done per ratio, difference will be minimal.

i checked ratio/mixture with some cheap 4 or 5 ball syringe from autozone and both cars read cooling mixture still good down to -40F or so.

I did that in Summer as both rides had cooling systems flushed one year ('00 5s-fe) and two years ago ('02 1mz-fe). planning to flush them both next Summer and replace some hoses and thermostat (my v6 needs a new one).
 
#8 ·
The capacity of the 5SFE cooling system is a tad over 7 quarts but less than 7.5 quarts. If you decide to do a full flush, you can just put about 3.5 to 3.75 gal of coolant and then fill with water. You can never remove all liquid in the cooling system due to the heater core. Easier just to put the appropriate amount of coolant and then add water to dilute to the appropriate ratio. The cooling system should be able to mix everything when you drive it.
 
#9 ·
I think quite good idea described here like a year ago was to drain the radiator only (easy access from top, drain pepcock located at bottom of rad on driver side) and refill it with distilled water only, start engine with heater on set to full blast (so coolant mixes in system) or wait until rad fans spin twice (air in system might be a problem at this point, you don't want to overheat anything, watch the gauge) and then drain and refill again like 2 more times in same manner.

the third time you refill with pure concentrated red coolant and bleed system by burping upper rad hose, refill overflow tank, topping off radiator as needed etc.

in the end you have almost perfect 50/50 mixture of coolant and distilled water and less than 3% of old coolant left overs. worked for me on 5s-fe.
 
#11 ·
Hi Raj
Warm welcome to the forum to you from another 'desi'! I bought a jug of toyota long life coolant for $20.00 from Allied Auto Stores in Fremont in east bay area (If you are in bay area CA).
IMP: Please top off the coolant reservoir only when engine is slightly warmed up. Reason is the coolant level rises in the reservoir on a warmed up/hot engine as it expands into it.
When the engine is cold the coolant sits in the radiator. I dont know if thats by toyota design but its certainly my observation. And I think my car runs really good!
 
#12 ·
Just a quick note, I believe Toyota now has Super Long Life Coolant. I was offered that option a couple of week ago when I changed my coolant.... I would change your coolant every 30K miles, which is 2 years for me:lol:
 
#16 · (Edited)
I wouldn't take that option. The Super Long Life (pink), when tested with brass radiators had shown increased corrosion rate. Something like 30x. The test mentioned brass but nothing about the iron block engines.

Therefore I don't know how well this new coolant protects iron blocks. Unless the system is all aluminum (like the Gen 5 2.4L engines), I'd still stick with the old Toyota Red "Long Life Coolant" for pre-Gen5 systems. If you call 2 years long life. :lol:

Also, long life OAT/HOAT coolants may require pressurized reservoirs because some don't like air.
 
#19 · (Edited)
I was told by the guy at the Toyota parts counter, and also talked to one of their techs, he assured me that Toyota Pink and Toyota Red coolants are compatible with one another. They can be mixed, and either can be used in the same car without issue. After a bit of research, I found a Toyota TSB that confirms this.
A new pink colored LLC is being phased into production for all 2002 Japan Built Toyota models. The color change does not affect the maintenance procedures or intervals established for the red coolant. The new pink coolant is 100% compatible with the current red coolant and red coolant can be used to replace, top off, or mix in with the pink coolant with no adverse effects.
The only thing I am not 100% sure on is if you can use Pink in place of Red, the wording is a big vague. But because Toyota says they can be mixed without issue, it would make sense that for example you could use Pink in a car that originally came with Red. Or you could interpret things to mean that you can mix the red into the Pink, but not start putting Pink into a Red system.

edit- okay after further research, it seems that the Red coolant has corrosion inhibitors for copper parts, the Pink does not. So if you have copper parts, don't use the Pink. It's not that pink eats away at anything, but it just does not contain the inhibitors necessary. So JohnGD is right as usual. I can't say which model year Toyota's contain what types of radiator materials and parts.
 
#22 ·
You're right. The TSB sounds like if you have a newer Toyota and don't happen to have the pink stuff on hand, then the older red coolant can be used to top off. In small amounts personally I'd just add distilled water.

The radiator is easy to check for the type of material used, but the heater core is not. Many heater cores are brass.

Since I'm not sure how pink can protect the iron in bi-metal engines, it safer with Red/distilled water for pre-Gen 5 Toyotas.





The only thing I am not 100% sure on is if you can use Pink in place of Red, the wording is a big vague. But because Toyota says they can be mixed without issue, it would make sense that for example you could use Pink in a car that originally came with Red. Or you could interpret things to mean that you can mix the red into the Pink, but not start putting Pink into a Red system.

edit- okay after further research, it seems that the Red coolant has corrosion inhibitors for copper parts, the Pink does not. So if you have copper parts, don't use the Pink. It's not that pink eats away at anything, but it just does not contain the inhibitors necessary. So JohnGD is right as usual. I can't say which model year Toyota's contain what types of radiator materials and parts.
 
#20 ·
BTW, I put in Pink into my 2000 Lexus ES300. Did I use the wrong stuff? I was told by the dealership that it's "the stuff you need" for that car. Right or wrong? (I know it originally came with Red coolant).
 
#24 · (Edited)
The 1MZ is an all-aluminum engine. The radiator should be aluminum. But I'm not sure about the heater core, but it's probably aluminum too. If so then I would be less concerned about using the pink coolant (but don't quote me on that :D :D :D). I think it's the bi-metal 3S/5S-FE that's more problematic.

On a side note, the red coolant is very versatile except for it's 2-year life. That's probably why Toyota came up with the 5-year pink, which is like the GM Dexcool but less the fast acting 2EHA inhibitor, a plasticizer that can soften Nylon 66 and some older plastics commonly used in cars, unless the cooling system is designed for it (most newer cars are).

So I definitely won't use Prestone and Dexcool in cars not designed for 2EHA. And Ford doesn't think 2EHA coolants can be retrofitted to earlier cooling systems either.

Edit: I think you're right. Going back to the old red is the safer bet.
 
#21 ·
LOL then I think most Toyota techs don't know what they are talking about :lol: we both got contradicting opinions on same stuff (at least yours knew the TSB), however the guy I talked with was about right on not using it on older Toyotas LOL :lol:
 
#23 ·
Well that's just great. :lol: :disappoin

Gonna have to flush out all the pinky fluid and put in red. Ugh, not a hard job just time consuming. And I'm out cash for the pink stuff, thank you Toyota. Figures the one time I trust their expertise they are wrong.
 
#34 ·
i think there is some relation between OEM water pump (Aisin made) and red toyota coolant (they last long together) and between aftermarket watr pumps and green coolant... not sure how it goes when you use OEM pump and green coolant though (probably OK too).

some people prefer the green coolant over OEM red, probably price factor though.
 
#43 ·
This thread has got me wondering if I've ever had my coolant changed in my 2000 camry. I've always done the recommended Toyota service and done at the dealer here.

I had one water pump leak on me back when it was under warranty. I remember my heat didn't work that well after that because it was low on coolant.
I took it in, and once he topped it off the heat worked a lot better.
 
#44 · (Edited)
When was the last "complete" timing job that includes the belt and pump plus all the oil seals?

Toyota Red is good for 2 years only. So you should go through with flushing the entire system with distilled water like Fenixus described earlier. you should change out both radiator hoses and the thermostat/gasket too. Get a new radiator cap.
 
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