Red radiator fluid - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

oldmanriver · 02-27-2004, 07:38 AM

We have a 1998 Camry with a 4 cyl engine that just began to get a "hot" smell after running for a while. I popped the hood last night, removed the radiator cap and discovered that the coolant is red. I assume that this means transmission fluid is mixing with the coolant. I didn't get a chance to look at it further, but is there a seperate cooler for the trans fluid? Or does it run inside the radiator? What is involved in taking care of this problem?

Thanks in advance.

crazy_camry · 02-27-2004, 07:53 AM

i think the toyota coolant is red, and from what i've heard, some of the best out there

haa21 · 02-27-2004, 08:06 AM

I have a 2000 Camry and the coolant is red. It is 100,000 mile coolant.

87Camry5Speed · 02-27-2004, 08:36 AM

Coolant should be red (unlike mine but that'll change next weekend

), it's nearly impossible for ATF to mix with antifreeze as the two systems (cooling/trans) have nothing to do with each other

Steve

Deep · 02-27-2004, 09:01 AM

Just a note, you should avoid mixing the OEM red Toyota coolant with the stuff from Prestone et al.

***BLUEMEANIE*** · 02-27-2004, 09:43 AM

...next time please use the SEARCH button

89SV21 · 02-27-2004, 03:34 PM

the deep's right, oem toyota coolant is 5yr coolant and prestone( the green stuff) is one year coolant. if ya mix em even at all the majestic 5 yr qualities of the oem coolant become null and void and it becomes plain old 1 yr coolant.

VVT-i Owns · 02-27-2004, 04:36 PM

Yet Toyota Recommends changing it 36000KM or every 24 months

oldmanriver · 02-27-2004, 06:17 PM

Ok, thanks guys, I can't believe I never noticed that the coolant was red before. I will check it out tomorrow and see where the heat is coming from.

88 LE · 02-27-2004, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by oldmanriver
I didn't get a chance to look at it further, but is there a seperate cooler for the trans fluid? Or does it run inside the radiator?

The tranny cooler (auto tranny) is built into the radiator. If you look towards the bottom right side of the radiator you'll see 2 hoses that run to the tranny.

By the way Toyota coolant is red.

oldmanriver · 02-28-2004, 01:41 PM

Well don't I feel stupid, the hot smell was a plastic shopping bag melting on the exhaust pipe underneath the car, it must have blown under and wrapped around it.