Save yourself the hassle and mess and have a shop do it. I gave up doing my own flushes as it was just too much trouble for the return. Once you pay a shop about $70 to use their flush machine and get a thorough flush then just drain the rad once a year and refill with 50/50 pre-mix to keep the system clean and at proper ph.

 

Yes you remove the engine block drain, that way you can flush out the block too. It's not difficult to reach.

 

i usually remove the thermostat housing and blast the garden hose through the upper hose to flush out the block =)

 

This is the best way to flush out the block. It's what I did.

For my first time it took 2 and half hours but I made sure all old got flushed out. And did it the right way.

>_> Oh man I didn't realize this was on 3 pages.

 

Reach around the back of the block from the drivers side to get the plug. A little difficult but not too bad to get to.

 

Thanks to all who responded. If I were to connect a clear plastic tube to the engine drain plug to guide the coolant to a bucket, how much diameter one should I use? Would it be 3/8" ?

 

Or you could just drain the radiator, fill with distilled water couple times and keep draining until it runs clear--and then pour in full strength coolant. There is enough water in the block to mix with the coolant in the radiator to come out with a perfect mix (tested with a coolant tester).

If you add water with the method i described, you will dilute it too much.

 

Where is remaining 4 qts of coolant?

Here is an update.

Put the front of the car on jack stands and drained the radiator first. That drained around 4 qts. Then drained through the 10 mm engine drain plug and not a single drop drained. Same results even after flushing twice.

Coolant system capacity is around 8 qts. Where is the remaining 4 qts ? Do I have sludge in the car ?

 

Can someone tells me where my drain plug (cooling) on my the engine block?

I can't locate my drain plug when I am facing front of the engine..and looking on the right side ...where I assume the drain plug is located? Is the drain plug locate near distributor or what?

what size of bold should I look for drain plug (cooling) on my the engine block? where?
my car 96 Toyota Camry 4 Cylinder

 

what size of bold should I look for drain plug (cooling) on my the engine block? where?

Its a 10mm hex bolt and there is a small drain valve near it to which you can attach a vinyl plastic tube to drain the coolant (after loosening the hex bolt). On the camry 2000, it is to the rear nearer the driver side slightly.

 

Can someone takes a picture of 10 mm drain plug posted on this forum???

Thanks..

 

hello shet,

first sry to resurrect an old thread. need a confirmation though. I'm about to flush radiator soon in 2000 Solara (or Camry Solara as some named it).

Do you think it is OK to drain old coolant through the radiator drain plug only? you wrote opening drain plug on rear of the engine block didn't produce even 1 drop after flushing radiator. I think I will flush it with distilled water a couple times and then refill with Toyota's pink 50/50.

a dumb question. what do you do with old coolant? dump it into sewers?

thanks.

 

hello shet,

Do you think it is OK to drain old coolant through the radiator drain plug only? you wrote opening drain plug on rear of the engine block didn't produce even 1 drop after flushing radiator.

a dumb question. what do you do with old coolant? dump it into sewers?

Yes, its okay to drain only through drain plug at front. You may flush it 3-4 times with distilled water first before putting in new coolant. Thats what I did.

I live in NY and around my place garages/auto shops don't take used coolants. I had to wait for a few months before I could turn in the used coolant at the spring/fall recyling event held by the county.

 

@fenixus:
Don't know about the technical question, but in NJ (and in most states, I think), coolant dumping is illegal. Usually the nearest recycling center will have a hazardous waste section where you can give them the old anti-freeze for free (up to a limit, like 10 gallons). Or you can pay your nearest auto-parts store to do it for you (though some only accept motor oil).

 

Quenizar, thanks for letting me know, you probably saved me a ticket ... although i've been living in states (different ones) for last 6 years, i'm still learning local rules and regulations LOL

you know, considering the problem with disposal and fact that i got no garage to perform the flush, i think i will bring it to the shop for cooling system flush ... will be much easier and safer for everybody

 

carsrus, I was considering something like that, but I live in apartments complex (3 storey blocks of flats), so i got no driveway, only a parking lot. I am pretty sure (with my luck) that in less than 10 minutes I would have firefighters and police on my neck

 

It seems that many municipalities have no issues processing coolant down the crapper. Call your wastewater processing plant. Dumping in the sewer is a lazy, polluting crime.

Here's a rambling discussion of it:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1281596

 

thanks for the link, i will read it all. I wonder if NJ branches of Pep Boys, Firestone or perhaps Autozone or Advance Auto Parts are accepting containers with automotive fluids ... :headbang:

this is info on ECAR in NJ (oil waste management):
http://www.ecarcenter.org/nj/nj-fluids.htm

unfortunately it does not cover old coolant waste.

kegunder, from discussion thread you linked,it seems that WORST option is to dump it into the storm sewer:
" Do not pour antifreeze into storm sewer openings, sinkholes, or abandoned wells where they will directly pollute the water. "

when someone cannot bring it to recycling station (e.g. there is none around or they have a collection week once a year and you cannot store it), it seems that it's BETTER to flush it in toilet:
"The major components of antifreeze can be broken down by organisms in a sewage treatment plant. If your home is connected to a sanitary or municipal sewer system, household quantities of antifreeze can be flushed down the drain with plenty of water."

http://www.purdue.edu/envirosoft/housewaste/house/antifrze.htm

I emailed NJ ECAR agency on some localized guidelines, if their answer is pitiful I am going to flush it in toilet (this waste water goes through a treatment plant).

I am still planning on flushing radiator myself, because simply cannot afford bringing car into shop for professional service atm, sry, trying to save money on simple to-do things ... doing what i can myself at my ride.

and now back to subject... where exactly is that drain plug on the back of radiator ? what am i looking for ? someone take a picture please ? i don't want to unscrew something important

 

I had some weeds out front in a planter box, poured it in there. Weeds were dead in the morning! :thumbsup:

& no storm drain mess!

 

ehhh, i need a technical advice, i got zero answers in solara sub-forum, it's been deserted since a few days...

from googling and reading tons of similar threads from past i learned that it's usually enough to flush cooling system by radiator drain plug only IF:
1) you use distilled water 2-3 times to flush the system (idling engine for 30 mins between flushes) plus wait ime to cool down (don't wanna get burnt)
2) after final clear flush you fill radiator with Toyota Long Life Coolant concentrate (RED one, not pink mixture 50/50), because coolant concentrate from radiator will mix with distilled water in engine block. outcome is predicted to be a 50/50 mixture

all clear and easy, just two question to guys that were doing it in past.
1) where is exactly (when looking at front of engine) this radiator drain plug (on back of radiator that i know) ?
2) can I attach a hose (which diameter) to the drain, so i can avoid lifting car up and divert old coolant flow into a bucket

I have to add that my car has yet never had a coolant flush before and me and previous owner were using cheap aftermarket coolant mixtures from stores mixing it with whatever there was before (different colors). i wanna do it asap, because engine runs a little louder this summer than before and coolant mixture in res tank looks like crap due to mixing with many different mixtures in past.

Thanks a ton for answers, I hope it would also make it clearer for other people reading this thread (it comes up in google).

 

all clear and easy, just two question to guys that were doing it in past.
1) where is exactly (when looking at front of engine) this radiator drain plug (on back of radiator that i know) ?

Man you're lucky I still got these pics in my camera!

Where to find it. On my 5sfe camry it is underneathe the driver's side of the radiator. This is one of the screws that holds the bottom gaurd up.

This pic shows my view from under the guards looking up at the radiator drain plug.

This is a pic of the radiator drain plug exposed after moving the gaurd out of the way. I would stress to open it fully, but slowly, it will gush out if you do it too quickly.

2) can I attach a hose (which diameter) to the drain, so i can avoid lifting car up and divert old coolant flow into a bucket

possibly, you're gonna need a big bucket though there's a lot of fluid in there! i just let my stuff out slowly into a large pan.

 

JCamry94, love you man haha, AWESOME!

I ws digging through half of the American internet and zero pictures, but those are PERFECT!

now it sounds like real plan for next Saturday, just need to pay the Dealer a visit and pick up RED coolant (hope they sell it, i heard they usually give out only pink mixture though) and perhaps i will pick up a cabin air filter too (something smells bad LOL).

peace

EDIT:
just returned from Toyota store with 2 gallons of undiluted antifreeze. learned something interesting.
techie over there told me that Toyota Super Long Life coolant mix (pink 50/50) was designed for use in newer toyota models (mostly for topping up) and is used at factory with new cars while concentrated coolant (toyota antifreeze) is absolutely the one to use on older cars. and now the bummer you SHOULD NOT mix those two toyota coolants with each other as their ingredients are different (salts).
so once you started using RED concentrate with distilled water, keep on using same, do not mix it with pink 50/50 - THEY ARE NOT SAME, he said a reaction might occur (due to different salts) resulting in gunk or sludge.

or at least as stated above in other posts, you still wanna use pink 50/50 TSSL mix, simply do the flush with it - yes it will cost more but you will not dilute the coolant (by using distilled water), so after job is done it will be OK.

 

JCamry94, love you man haha, AWESOME!

I ws digging through half of the American internet and zero pictures, but those are PERFECT!

now it sounds like real plan for next Saturday, just need to pay the Dealer a visit and pick up RED coolant (hope they sell it, i heard they usually give out only pink mixture though) and perhaps i will pick up a cabin air filter too (something smells bad LOL).

peace

EDIT:
just returned from Toyota store with 2 gallons of undiluted antifreeze. learned something interesting.
techie over there told me that Toyota Super Long Life coolant mix (pink 50/50) was designed for use in newer toyota models (mostly for topping up) and is used at factory with new cars while concentrated coolant (toyota antifreeze) is absolutely the one to use on older cars. and now the bummer you SHOULD NOT mix those two toyota coolants with each other as their ingredients are different (salts).
so once you started using RED concentrate with distilled water, keep on using same, do not mix it with pink 50/50 - THEY ARE NOT SAME, he said a reaction might occur (due to different salts) resulting in gunk or sludge.

or at least as stated above in other posts, you still wanna use pink 50/50 TSSL mix, simply do the flush with it - yes it will cost more but you will not dilute the coolant (by using distilled water), so after job is done it will be OK.

WRONG on the mixing: both are compatible

http://www.toyotapart.com/ENGINE_COOLANT_COLOR_CHANGE_T-PG010-02.pdf

 

just finished the job. was easy up to flushing part (with radiator cap open), did it 3 times with distilled water, have used maybe 2.1 gallons for that. idling engine (heater on at full blast) for 10 mins every time. after 3rd flush the drained fluid was clear water, so i assume i did it right.

however i ran into 1 minor problem during flushing, my heater was not blowing hot air not sure if it affected thermostat opening when idling on distilled water or not ... after last flush simply poured TLLC RED coolant into radiator until full (burped it a few times with top radiator hose) and some more into radiator reserve tank (got it unplugged and cleaned prior to flushing).

on the end I replaced Heater MAXI fuse (50A) and it started blowing hot air ... so i think all was done well.
however I had my moment of terror, because I forgot to depressurize the radiator after 10 mins and didn't top up with coolant again, so for close to 1 hour I was very (VERY) surprised with the fact that engine stays cool only when heater is on at full blast and when trying to use a/c or heater off it starts overheating fast (in less than a minute) ... never allowed it to reach the red temp zone, so i think i'm ok though.

so for all noobs like me, piece of good advice, after you done with flushing and refilling radiator with coolant and idling with heater on for 10 mins (also that's what it says on Toyota LLC RED coolant sticker) - don't forget to depressurize the radiator cap (there is lots of air in there at this point) and top it up with coolant afterward until all radiator fins inside are covered with it or your engine would be overheating badly (learned it the hard way)... anyways mission accomplished, got now new red coolant mix in reserve tank, all runs smooth and cool. thank you for this thread and PICTURES that helped me to get on that job with ease!

 

As always, thanks for great info, fenixus
I am about to do a full coolant flush following your instructions, but got a couple of questions here:

1) How much of distilled water do you use for each flush? You said you have used about 2.1 gallons in total, I am assuming that is 0,7 gallons each time (if you did it 3 times), right?

2) burped it a few times with top radiator hose
Can you give more details on how to do this

3) Ho do you depressurize the radiator?

4) Should I keep thermostat disconnected during the whole procedure?



Thanks in advance, man.
P.S. A detailed step-by-step write up from you would be just perfect. This is gonna be my first coolant flush experience :thumbsup:

 

Block Drain Plug

Unlike you guys, I have a Camry 94 L4 Auto.

Does anyone know where the engine block drain plug on a Gen-3 4 cyl. ? Is it the Hex-key 10mm exactly like the Auto-Transmission-Fluid drain plug ? (I mean not a socket type like the engine oil-drain plug).

Knowing me, if there is a chance that I open the wrong bolt or strip the bolt, you can be sure I might be the one who do it.

If I flush the rad and the block, how many jugs of coolant are required ?

And lastly, do you guys know what size (I.D.) of the hoses (mostly for the heater-core, but radiator hose I.D. would be appreciated as well) so I can go to HomeHardware and buy some adapters to do a flush with garden hose (garden hose has a green plastic "threaded connector").

A guess based on nothing would be 1/2" for the heater-core hose and 1.5" for the rad. hose, right ?

Thank you so much in advance.

 

I've flushed the coolant several times on the GF's 1994 5S-FE auto.

Each time I spend a minute or two looking for the block drain plug, and never find it. I suspect that it's easily reached from under the car, which is a no-go for me.

Instead I let the coolant drain into a catch pan under the radiator petcock. After it finishes flowing, I open the heater valve, remove the thermostat and disconnect the upper radiator hose. I then flush the system with tap water fed into the radiator upper hose connection.

Removing the thermostat is the key to a reasonable flush. It's absurd to waste the time and gas to heat up the coolant just so that thermostat opens. And then you have to drain several cycles of boiling hot coolant. Sure, it's annoying to find exactly the right combination of 10mm wrench or socket and extension to remove the thermostat outlet nuts, but it only takes a minute to do it.

I skip a final flush with distilled water because the tap water is good. I fill with one gallon of full-strength anti-freeze, and top off with distilled water. 4 quarts of anti-freeze in a 6.7 quart system yields a 60% concentration -- just about ideal, with enough margin to top off with plain water if needed later.

The used coolant goes down the sanitary sewer system.

 

Unlike you guys, I have a Camry 94 L4 Auto.
The pictures of the radiator are of my car, a 1994 inline-4 5s-fe :facepalm:


Does anyone know where the engine block drain plug on a Gen-3 4 cyl. ? Is it the Hex-key 10mm exactly like the Auto-Transmission-Fluid drain plug ? (I mean not a socket type like the engine oil-drain plug).

Knowing me, if there is a chance that I open the wrong bolt or strip the bolt, you can be sure I might be the one who do it.

It is a drain plug bolt as you will see in the pics provided.

If I flush the rad and the block, how many jugs of coolant are required ?

5s-fe holds just 6.7 qts altogether.

And lastly, do you guys know what size (I.D.) of the hoses (mostly for the heater-core, but radiator hose I.D. would be appreciated as well) so I can go to HomeHardware and buy some adapters to do a flush with garden hose (garden hose has a green plastic "dreaded connector").

A guess based on nothing would be 1/2" for the heater-core hose and 1.5" for the rad. hose, right ?

I believe so. I just fit it up with my hands and flushed 'em.

Pics:

This is looking directly up at the driver's side of the bottom of the motor. To the left with a newspaper on it is the stock downpipe, circled in yellow is the block plug.

One more:

Circled in yellow is the drain blug bolt from the block. There will be an "O" shape imprinted on the block directly above it.

:thumbsup:

 

Thank you djb2 and especially JCamry94 for the clear picture.

Because of the place I park my car (indoor, not well lit, dirty floor due to another car's oil leak and dirt) it seems removing the thermostat is more time-efficient and less "coolant spraying".

I need the HomeHardware adapter just for the heater-core flush using the garden green hose connector.

 

Flush the system with distilled water

I have done the cooling system flush on a 99 4 cyl and a 6Cyl. I took the plug out of the block each time.

I changed the coolant on my 99 after 7 years and it still looked a clean and ruby red as the day it was put in.

I drained the coolant from the radiator and the block and filled it with distilled water. Make sure you have the heater on when you fluch it. I flushed with distilled water, 2 times and then I drained it and put factory Toyota coolant and distilled water, with a 50/50 mix.

If I have a real dirty system, I will flush it with a water hose, through a heater hose and do this until everything is clear. I then run a couple of cycles of distilled water through it, to get the PH correct, and then drain and add coolant.

I did this on a Ford Escort and it developed a radiator leak, which took a year or so to change the radiator, and by then it was all water, but the water was not rusty, so using distilled water, kept the water from causing the iron block to rust.

 

Using distilled water will not prevent the metal from corroding.

It's true that very high purity water will not trigger rust, but that's in lab conditions. Commercial distilled water isn't that pure, and the cooling system is dirty enough to allow corrosion to start.

What saved your cooling system was the remainder of anti-corrosion additives combined with the coating that the previous higher concentration of anti-freeze left behind.