Toyota red or pink

[Mickey_M]

quote:

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LarryL:

Mickey, it's all a mess.

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It seems to be you can distill your choices down to three:

1 - conventional antifreeze

2 - DexCool and clones

3 - G-05 and clones (FOMOCO Gold for example)

1 - diesels, older cars, cars you don't plan to keep, cars you change the coolant on once a year

2 - any car that recommends it, cars you maintain diligently and the manfacturer doesn't ban it if you want to go to five year drains

3 - most cars except for those you want to use (2) in, passenger car diesels

The G-05 can probably fit the widest variety of applications with no problems. It is almost as long-lived as DexCool.

 

[LarryL]

So, Mickey, does Zerex sound like the best replacement for a newer Toyota running T-pink?

 

[Mickey_M]

quote:

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LarryL:

So, Mickey, does Zerex sound like the best replacement for a newer Toyota running T-pink?

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I went with the G-05.

If you go with DexCool or its clones, you need to make sure that you keep the system topped off.


.

 

[LarryL]

G-05 is the pick, then.

 

[Big Jim]

Isn't G12 very close to the same thing as G05?

 

[Lance]

Nobody here has mentioned VW G-12 yet.

 

[RTexasF]

Zerex Extreme Life was recommended for our '03 Corolla. This was in an e-mail from the Zerex site answering my question of what to use in this car.

 

[rwl408]

What is the color of OEM coolant in 03 Toyota Corolla? Pink or Red?

 

[RTexasF]

Pink in ours.

 

[rwl408]

Ok, it is the same one in my 2004 Highlander. According to the user manual, this coolant is good for 10 years/100,000 miles. Zerex Extreme life is good for 5 years/150,000 miles. I would not use Zerex to top it off unless I drive 20,000 miles per year and have to replace the coolant in 5 years.

 

[RTexasF]

I understand that the "long life" coolant went in to effect for 2004> models. The '03 has the 2 year version. If it were bright red then it would be the long life, for '03, that is.

My service gal, who has never steered me wrong, told me that. I think I'll just bite the bullet and go buy "Yota" coolant and do it myself.

 

[rwl408]

Hmm, I am confused now. Are you sure it is pink in your Corolla? We have a 2000 Corolla, which came with red, and a 2004 Highlander, that came with pink. So I can tell which color is which, seeing both. The Corolla manual asks for 3 years/36000 miles coolant replacement, I believe. (From my memory becuase the car "goes" to school two states away currently.) But the same "red" color coolant jar from the dealer has "long life" words on it. (I hope Toyota doesn't mean 3 years/36000 miles is long life.) The Highlander manual asks for 10 years/100,000 miles coolant replacement. Dealers have the pink coolant too the last time I checked but only in 50/50 diluted and expensive (priced higher than the concentrated red coolant). I have the red coolant on hand but apparently it should not be used on the Highlander. I figure when I need to top off the Highlander, I will do it with water for the first half quart (will dilute it a little but should be ok since I am in the warm climate) and hopefully by the time I need more than that, there is some aftermarket substitute for the pink.

 

[RTexasF]

I too am confused. It is indeed pink not red in our '03 Corolla. I believe I'll call another dealer just for the heck of it and see what they say. What if I were color blind?

 

[SWHeat]

Hi, First post. I've been lurking for a couple of months. I sure have learned a lot. Also just bought the cheapest antifreeze for my previous cars.

I have, not one, but two 2000 Chevrolet Prizms. Great cars. However, it is past time they had a coolant change on each of them. Bought both used at differnt times. The first one didn't have a user's manuel, but the second one does. It states that the coolant that should be used must meet GM 1825M specification. Here is a link showing the same confusion as noted here.

http://www.apro.org/Coolant-2482759-380-a.html

I just paid $20.53 incl. tax for a gallon of the Toytoa red yesterday. Just bought some distilled water today. Will do the flush some time next week.

BTW, the Toyota red is what is in both of them as the factory fill. Yeah, way past time for both of them.

Thanks for your opinions and great information.

 

[rwl408]

GM 1825M is a corrosion protection requirement for aluminum from GM and has nothing to do with the coolant ingredients or color. Aftermarket coolants better claim meeting it. Otherwise GM car owners probably will turn away on the spot.

I believe the green was Toyota's OEM fill before switching to the red (1996?), and now the pink(2003?). By the way the pink has the words "Super Long Life" on the bottle if I remembered it correctly.

 

[kanling]

How can you know whether you have "pink" or "red" unless you have the other one to compare it against?

I think "red" is the "Toyota Long Life" coolant and "pink" is the "Super Long Life".

If that's the case, my '03 Corolla has the red because the manual recommends a change at 2 years. My mother's '05 Camry recommends a change after- what- like 10 years or something- it must be the pink.

(I really should compare the colors against each other somtime.)

Anyhow, the Corolla is overdue for its change. A nearby dealer had a coupon for "Long Life" at $13.99 so I bought it this time instead of $10 for a bottle of Zerex. I'll put it in next weekend.

They didn't have any "Super Long Life" on display at the parts counter, but the parts guy told me that the newer Corollas have it and consequently a much longer coolant change interval. He told me I could change to the "Super Long Life" in the Corolla if I wanted. He said the cost was only about $20 for the bottle, so its worth considering for next time.