2008 Camry coolant question

[camry8]

Hi, my 2008 Camry 4 cyl went from the full marker coolant to the low marker coolant in the expansion tank in about 8 months about 10,000 miles. I don't know if i should worry or not at this point ? Had 23,000 when I got it now it has 33,000 miles.

I noticed that it has the pink coolant, so I called the dealer 2 of them and there were $20 and $21 respectively. It seems a bit expensive. Can I just use the regular pink coolant from walmart or a car parts store ? Will that be ok ?

Any input appreciated.

[Paul3637]

Originally Posted by camry8

Hi, my 2008 Camry 4 cyl went from the full marker coolant to the low marker coolant in the expansion tank in about 8 months about 10,000 miles. I don't know if i should worry or not at this point ? Had 23,000 when I got it now it has 33,000 miles.

I noticed that it has the pink coolant, so I called the dealer 2 of them and there were $20 and $21 respectively. It seems a bit expensive. Can I just use the regular pink coolant from walmart or a car parts store ? Will that be ok ?

Any input appreciated.

Do not mix any other brands of coolant with your Toyota Long Life that came with the car from the factory.

The 2.4L I4 is notorious for water pump failure and I am guessing you have it. See

07 Camry Water Pump

and read the recent posts. One person's went out at 22K miles; another had three replacements!

[Cougs57]

I would start checking all your possible leaks... Water pump, radiator hoses, etc. Check for corrosion as that is what radiator fluid does when it leaks.. Water pump is my guess and it is probably leaking pretty good if you have lost that much.

[lucky777]

Most likely bad water pump like Cougs57 said. Water pump leaked on my 2009 LE after only 25K miles, should be covered by 5y/60k drivetrain warranty. Look for pink residue right by the WP pulley.

[camry8]

I just spoke with Toyota dealer, they said they did a pressure test and no leak anywhere...after paying $52 for 30 minutes....very expensive.....
I don't know at this point. I will buy a new radiator cap see if that helps.
Still I am worried. I will report when I put more miles on it.

[camry8]

After the dealer did a compression test and found no leak, I looked tonight with a strong light at the water pump and there are white spots all over it and around it. No pink only white spots. It almost looks like after it rained on an object and all is left is spots. I looked under neat the car but I could not see the water pump, but I did not see any leaks.

What now, I am thinking is already leaking but there is no coolant anywhere on the ground. Do I wait until it actually starts leaking ? Any opinions appreciated.

[JohnGD]

As others said check the water pump area for leaks first. It's a problematic part on these engines. Also check the head gasket area on the firewall side. I'm not sure if the 08 suffers the same head bolt thread disintegration problem.

I'd just get the Toyota Pink (Super Long Life coolant). I would not use 2EHA containing coolants like the All-Makes they have on the shelves. These cooling systems are not designed for it, but some have used it and claim to have no problems.

But if you decide to install an aftermarket pump (like Gates), then maybe flush out the system with distilled water and switch over to Valvoline G-05 or VW G12+ (both are silicate containing coolants however but both are non-2EHA).

The 2EHA acid in All-Makes coolants is a plasticizer that softens nylon-6,6 and silicone seals in the cooling system.

If you change the water pump put in a new thermostat and radiator cap. You can also have a radiator shop check for exhaust gas in the coolant. They have either a chemical test kit or electronic sniffer.

Originally Posted by camry8

Hi, my 2008 Camry 4 cyl went from the full marker coolant to the low marker coolant in the expansion tank in about 8 months about 10,000 miles. I don't know if i should worry or not at this point ? Had 23,000 when I got it now it has 33,000 miles.

I noticed that it has the pink coolant, so I called the dealer 2 of them and there were $20 and $21 respectively. It seems a bit expensive. Can I just use the regular pink coolant from walmart or a car parts store ? Will that be ok ?

Any input appreciated.