radiator fluid??

[ladyofluck]

06 Corolla CE Auto

Do you have to use that same pink colored radiator fluid? or can you use just conventional universal radiator fluids from stores?

also, can you mix with original "pink" rads with universal "green" rads? is there gonna some kind of weird chemical reaction and eat my corolla from inside out?

thx.

[Exage]

I'm not even sure that Toyota dealerships sell the Pink super long life coolant yet. They sell the Red long life (I bought some for my 05), you can mix the pink and red with no worries (just decrease in coolant life). I wouldn't trust the "universal rad fluids" in your Toyota either unless you know your stuff about coolants and the coolant system of your vehicle. In my case I decided the best way to go was to pay the extra money and get the OEM Toyota brand coolant red.

Well you can but you'll have some wierd looking coolant, and I wouldn't. I'm not saying you can't in small doses, but if you're looking to change the green I would advice elsewise given the nature of the metals and parts of your Corolla's cooling system. It's not that it's going to chemically mix and eat your cooling system, but it my create sludge. However if you change to a coolant that contains silicates; they do have the potential to eat your Corolla's 1ZZ-FE engine water pump seal among other things.

"TOYOTA antifreeze/coolant is an ethylene glycol based product for long lasting aluminum component protection. TOYOTA antifreeze/coolant has been developed to provide corrosion and rust protection on all cooling system components. Requires no additional corrosion inhibitors." Quoted from the Toyota Long Life coolant 1 gallon (3.7L) jug.

I know Toyota Red/Pink coolant doesn't contain either Borates or Silicates.

Hopefully someone with greater knowledge can fill you in better.

My guess is that your trying to fill up the coolant reservoir tank, rather than a coolant system change?

[JasonA]

I agree 100% that I wouldn't use anything branded as a "universal" coolant. There are too many different types of coolant out there (Dexcool, Ford, Chrysler's HOAT, Honda, Toyota, Mercedes, etc). They all use slightly different chemistry designed to work properly with the metallurgy in that particular manufacturer's engines. Anything that's supposed to work with all of them will be optimal for none of them.

I'd get the coolant from your Toyota dealer. I didn't know that the Toyota coolant is silicate-free. That's just like Dexcool. Until now, I thought that Dexcool was the only coolant that is 100% silicate-free.

[ladyofluck]

yes, My reservoir tank was a little below half so I got a mechanic top it up with universal one.

so.. should I get Toyota Rad fluid and flush out the old one now?

car is 2006 and got like 28,000 miles on it.

how much volume of Rad fluid do I need for the whole thing?

thx.

[JasonA]

I wouldn't worry about flushing it just from that small volume. What's in the plastic surge tank isn't generally ingested into the system anyway...not unless the system goes low from a a leak.

[ladyofluck]

oh, I thought reserve tank always circulated along. lol. and reserve tank is kind of indicator of how much total volume of Rad fluid you have.

then, is it possible to just empty the reservoir tank? just wondering...

and how much volume of total Rad fluid for Corolla?

[mikered30]

Your water pump isnt leaking is it?

[Exage]

Here is the exact quotation from Toyota's 2005 Owner's Manual for the Corolla.

Page: 259

Coolant type selection

Use of improper coolants may damage your engine cooling system.

Only use "Toyota Super Long Life Coolant" or similar high quality ethylene glycol based non-silicate, non-amine, non-nitrite, and non-borate coolant with long-life hybrid organic acid technology. (Coolant with long-life hybrid organic acid technology is a combination of low phosphates and organic acids.)

Mixtures for USA and Canada (I won't bother)

Toyota recommends "Toyota Super Long Life Coolant", which has been tested to ensure that it will not cause corrosion nor result in malfunction of your engine coolant system with proper usage. "Toyota Super Long Life Coolant" is formulated with long-life hybrid organic acid technology and has been specifically designed to avoid engine cooling systm malfunction on Toyota vehicles.

Please contact your Toyota dealer for further details.

So in short Toyota Super Long Life Coolant is a ethylene based HOAT (hybrid organic acid technology) coolant with NO silicates, borates, amines, and nitrites. Differ from this coolant type and you may face coolant system problems down the road (so to speak).

I wouldn't worry about a small resevior top-up, but when it comes time for a coolant change...

[Exage]

Originally Posted by ladyofluck

and reserve tank is kind of indicator of how much total volume of Rad fluid you have.

then, is it possible to just empty the reservoir tank? just wondering...

and how much volume of total Rad fluid for Corolla?

Not really an indicator, you can have no coolant in the reserve and a full radiator (Not recommended).

LOL, I actually drained the res tank on my XRS after pouring a little of dex in (thanks to both mikered and JasonA for correcting my incompetence). I did it a very messy but quick way (I don't recommend this way for anyone else). I jacked and supported the front of the car and put a very large catch bucket under the radiator to the passengers side. I then took the rad cap off (engine cold) and took the off the small rubber tube at the rad filler (where the rad cap is) that is leading to the bottom of the reserve tank. As soon as I lowered the rubber tube towards the bucket the coolant came pouring out. Needless to say I got alot of it in the bucket, but some on the ground too (hit the plastic guard on the bottom). I ended up having to hose the ground and car off for a while... I reconnected the hose, put the rad cap on. Filled rad reserve with 50/50 mix Toyota coolant. Took the bucket out from under the car, lowered the car, and dispossed the old coolant at a place that will take it for me.

From P 284

COOLING SYSTEM

Total capacity, L (qt., lmp. qt.):
1ZZ-FE engine 6.5 (6.9, 5.7)
2ZZ-GE engine 6.7 (7.0, 5.9)

So there is about 7 quarts in your cooling system. Sorry for the double post.

[JasonA]

Originally Posted by ladyofluck

then, is it possible to just empty the reservoir tank? just wondering...

and how much volume of total Rad fluid for Corolla?

You could remove the reservoir tank, drain it, and refill with Toyota coolant. I wouldn't bother though. The concentration of that impostor coolant is so low, it's not worth considering. Plus, it'll likely never get circulated in anyway, unless you have a leak.

I don't know how much total fluid. It should be in the owner's manual. I'm guessing a gallon total for a drain and refill.

[JasonA]

Originally Posted by Exage

So in short Toyota Super Long Life Coolant is a ethylene based HOAT (hybrid organic acid technology) coolant with NO silicates, borates, amines, and nitrites. Differ from this coolant type and you may face coolant system problems down the road (so to speak).

Thanks for confirming the composition of Toyota's coolant. I didn't know the specs in full.

[Exage]

Originally Posted by JasonA

You could remove the reservoir tank, drain it, and refill with Toyota coolant.

I would have done that, except for one reason!!! The rad reservior is built in to the fan shroud, grrrrrr. Here I took a pic to show what I mean.


Notice how the fan shroud spoke meets at the reservior? There's no cut!!! I figured they made the shroud with the reservior then slapped the top on the reservior (like a water bottle) which is why it looks like you can remove it but you can't. And to remove the shroud is task all together... At least for in my case . My 2ZZ-GE takes up some room!!!



Your welcome for the Toyota Super Long Life Coolant specs. I thought I'd post it to give us all some general knowledge of the stuff .

[JasonA]

Thanks for the pic. I'm unsure of the actual reservoir tank design on mine, but I can tell you that my '07 doesn't have the long metal coolant cross-tube that yours does. Come to think of it, what IS that tube for?

[ladyofluck]

thx all for the great info. : )

and nice pic, and your car is so clean under the hood!!! lol.

and I don't think my car leaks anything... but when I work the engine going long steep hill, I park the car and open the hood, I smell some Rad fluid... something like full throttle up the 20~30 degrees up hill for about 1km.

howerver, the smell wasn't something too extravagant.. but it did made me concern of leak .. since the Rad reservoir was not full!!! in 2006 car!! (is that normal?)
~~~~~
anyway.. I don't see any leaks on the ground under the car, when I pull out in the morning and such...
~~~~~~~~~~~

is it normal for a car to give out some smells of Rad fluid after working hard in hot weather?

[mikered30]

Originally Posted by ladyofluck

thx all for the great info. : )

and nice pic, and your car is so clean under the hood!!! lol.

and I don't think my car leaks anything... but when I work the engine going long steep hill, I park the car and open the hood, I smell some Rad fluid... something like full throttle up the 20~30 degrees up hill for about 1km.

howerver, the smell wasn't something too extravagant.. but it did made me concern of leak .. since the Rad reservoir was not full!!! in 2006 car!! (is that normal?)
~~~~~
anyway.. I don't see any leaks on the ground under the car, when I pull out in the morning and such...
~~~~~~~~~~~

is it normal for a car to give out some smells of Rad fluid after working hard in hot weather?

The coolant system is a closed system. If your water pump is leaking, you may not see anything on the ground. You would have to get under the car and look up at the bottom of the water pump for pink chalky deposits.