Coolent Service

[billisnice]

Where is the plug to drain and refill the coolent for it service? Do you use 50/50 antifreeze to refill?

thanks

[JasonA]

If you're doing a drain and refill, yes, ues a 50/50 pre-mix. I believe the Toyota coolant comes only as a 50/50 pre-mix, and it's what you should use. I would not use the generic Prestone yellow "mixes with all types". I've found that a product that is acceptable to everything is optimized for nothing.

[johnoh]

Any 2009 extended wear compatible-with-all coolant is fine.

[billisnice]

Where is the drain plug to flush the coolent? thanks

[johnoh]

There are two

The radiator drain plug opens by hand, and its located a couple inches above the bottom corner of the radiator on the driver's side of the car. If you get on the ground under the front of the car it is easy to reach, but you will first have to remove a plastic panel in order to reach the area behind the radiator. That panel lies horizontally under the engine, and attaches with plastic clips that pop in and out.

The engine block drain plug is the shape of a hex nut and it opens with a 10mm socket, and has a 1 inch long faucet/outlet underneath it that the coolant runs out of. Both the nut and the outlet are mid-way high on the rear side of the engine, and protrude toward the radio, if the firewall were not in the way.

Draining will make a mess unless you hook a piece of hose to the outlet to direct the stream.

If you stand on the side of the car on the driver's side and shine a light between the rear of the engine and the firewall, you may be able to just see the 10mm bolt. Its not hard to reach it by reaching around the rear of the engine, but its not easy to see. As you reach, if you touch the edge of the heat shield that is back there, you are with a couple inches of the nut and outlet.

[billisnice]

What size hose do i need to pick up at autozone? thanks

[johnoh]

not sure of the diameter but a hose that fits snugly over a pencil would be about right.