Changing my coolant - 1 gallon at a time?

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I have a 2004 Toyota Tacoma truck, and my manual calls for the “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant”.

I've come to the conclusion that being able to change all of your coolant is probably impossible to do at home. To be honest, I even wonder how much of the old coolant is removed/replaced if you take your vehicle to your dealership! I'm guessing that unless whoever is "changing" your coolant has a coolant exchange machine, they're probably not getting much more than you are if you do it yourself?

Since I don't think it's possible for me to remove/replace 100% of the coolant, what if I drain the radiator and replace the coolant. Then, I'll wait for some time and/or just a few miles for all of the coolant to circulate and then drain the radiator and fill it up over again? I'm thinking if I do this drain/fill the radiator routine a few times, I've effectively "changed" all of my coolant and I should be good for quite a few miles?

Will this work O.K.? What about "burping" the system? Is that necessary?

I don't want to introduce any water (either distilled or tap) because I want the cooling system to work just like the truck came from the factory. I also don't want to use one of the "flush n fill" kits.

I'd like to hear your opinions, tips on how you "change" your fluid, etc.

Thank you,
Ed
 
Most places just have a rod they stick into the radiator then pumps it out. Just do it yourself. Get a 15 quart oil pan or some 5 gallon buckets.

Save time and money do it yourself.

Burping is the process of removing air from the system. Some times air will get trapped in hose or the top of the engine so its important to remove it (burping).
 
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I know on Toyotas they have easily accessible block drains that you can get most of the coolant out, and you can use a vacuum in reverse mode to blow out all the coolant out of the block. Same for the heater core too. I think that method removes >95% of the coolant since some can be stuck in water/oil coolers, recessed spots, etc. Then refill with coolant, burp out the system, and overfill the coolant reservoir and monitor levels first thing in the morning. I did this to my neighbors toyota tundra v8 while replacing the radiator with unknown coolant change history (it has green) so I did the above, flushed the system with water (not needed in maintained systems), repeat above, then fill the system with green and repeat again after 5 years.

On maintained systems you can do with a drain and refill, drain the radiator and block and refill. On my chevy truck without block drains I drain/refill the radiator every two years.
 
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Originally Posted By: 3800Series
Most places just have a rod they stick into the radiator then pumps it out. Just do it yourself. Get a 15 quart oil pan or some 5 gallon buckets.

Save time and money do it yourself.

Burping is the process of removing air from the system. Some times air will get trapped in hose or the top of the engine so its important to remove it (burping).


What good is pumping it out versus just letting it drain out? Even if they pump it out, I'm guessing all they're getting is what's in the radiator, aren't they? Surely that method wouldn't get all of the coolant that's in the heater core, the block, etc.?

Ed
 
Originally Posted By: wirelessF
I know on Toyotas they have easily accessible block drains...


I'm hoping my little Tacoma does have a block drain, but if it does I haven't found a reference to it (yet).

smile.gif


Ed
 
No, but I didn't make the machines. You can find them at every jiffy lube.

Sorry that comes off rude not my intent. Its not a good change I wouldn't use it but many do.
 
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Originally Posted By: 3800Series
No, but I didn't make the machines. You can find them at every jiffy lube.

Sorry that comes off rude not my intent.


No offense taken...thank you.

smile.gif


Ed
 
Why not just drop the lower radiator hose, then refill the system.

Keep checking it while all the air gets out of the system.

No need to get 100 percent.

Keep it simple, and get the coolant at the toyota dealer, it is very expensive
 
Ultimately what you would want to do to real clean it is drain the block and radiator fill it with water a few times and keep draining it.

Once that's done you wanna find the feed to you heater core and shove a garden hose in there until it comes out clear. Once that's done put coolant in it until the color going out match's the color coming it.

Fill the car up with fluid and try and elivate it at a angle and let it run. Keep a eye on the overflow and when it starts to get low shut off the car let it cool down. Fill it up again and repeat. If the car starts to run hot turn it off and squeeze the hoses leading too and from the radiator (once cooled down).

Iv never had air trapped but it can be a pain to remove especially if you get it trapped under the thermostats.

I don't know about Toyotas but many Chevy's have a bleeder valve above the thermostat.
 
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I backed up my S2000 on the driveway so that the front was lower, with heater set to max, running the engine without running the fan, I loosen the radiator petcock to let the coolant drained into an oil pan. Watched the coolant temperature gauge, when it was above 200F I turned off the engine but let the coolant drained until drop by drop.

Closed the petcock, fill up the radiator with distill water turn the car around so that the front is higher, top off the radiator with distill water.

With heater set to max without running the fan (ambient tempwas in the 80's) drove around for some errant then drained the water. The original coolant was green but with 1 fill of water the drain out was barely green, looked like the first drain removed more than 90-95% of all coolant in the engine. So less than 1% of original coolant remained after only 1 fill of water.

I used only 2 gallon of distilled water to flush the system and 1 gallon water with 1 gallon Peak Global Lifetime for 7.8 gallon system.
 
Get the Zerex Asian at Zoro, if you want to save a little, as Toyota's coolant pricing is a rip-off. Combined with a free shipping on >$50 and nearly daily 25% off coupons it's a good deal.
 
I've been doing just a radiator drain and fill on my 94 Toyota every 20K with concentrated Toyota Long Life red, and now at 170K on the odo, the cooling system/radiator are still spotless. I'm guessing the Toyota premix super long life is even better than the old red, so just doing a drain and fill every 50K is probably going to be just fine, although if you wanted to do it twice, maybe 50 miles apart, that will get roughly 70% of the old antifreeze out.

yours should have an easily accessible block drain. Mine does as but I never bother.
 
Drain and refill the radiator get about half the coolant out. Do that once every two years and you should be fine. No need to get crazy as long as it still looks good.

Use Zerex Asian, no need for Toyota coolant.
 
All I ever do if not replacing a thermostat or water pump is drain and refill the radiator. It's so much faster and easier that I don't worry in the era of long life coolants. Never had an issue either just removing the radiator's worth and replacing.

If I had an issue, or a really old car, I'd do a Citric acid flush per the MB FSM and call it a day.
 
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
I've been doing just a radiator drain and fill on my 94 Toyota every 20K with concentrated Toyota Long Life red, and now at 170K on the odo, the cooling system/radiator are still spotless. I'm guessing the Toyota premix super long life is even better than the old red, so just doing a drain and fill every 50K is probably going to be just fine, although if you wanted to do it twice, maybe 50 miles apart, that will get roughly 70% of the old antifreeze out.

yours should have an easily accessible block drain. Mine does as but I never bother.


Did you have any problem getting the air out of the system??? That's the part that really makes me nervous! I don't want to have an overheating problem!

Ed
 
I have done what you're suggesting since the 80s, and never had a corrosion related issue.

Every 3-5 years (depending on what coolant was being used), a drain and refill of the radiator only was performed. Whether burping was required was vehicle dependent, I don't know about yours but if you park it nose high prior to starting the job that will help.
 
Hello, Have had no problems yet with coolant changes but my pal thinks his 2003 Chevy S-10 w/4.3L V-6 has air pocket problems. He's had no evidence of leakage but the reservoir depleted to ZERO after we cleaned his system and checked/corrected the level over 3 days.

Earlier discussions on this board led people to post links to tools like the "Air Lift". Somehow this lil' beauty gets the job done. How I do not know. Kira
 
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