Engine coolant? 2 Different colors?
 

I'm kinda a newb to this.. but is there a difference in engine coolants? Mine in my tC now is Pink.
And we have 3 jugs of that lime green coolant in the garage... Is there a difference?

Can I use it?

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1. Why would you need to add coolant to a new car?

2. The coolant in the tC is Ultra Super Long Life coolant I believe and should not be mixed...

From what I understand it's an organic coolant that's free of many things which would otherwise cause buildup or corrode the system.

3. I would only use that green one if the system was flushed. I don't know what the properties of the green one is, but I would just stick to the Toyota one...

Don't use the Green... the coolant we use is a Pink coolant (I believe made specifically for Toyota)

They are very different in chemical properties and should not be changed out without proper precautions.

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o. ok. thanks. ill have to check into it. but... my car has 22kmiles on it. its not new.lol.

Mine's got 25,000 miles. The coolant still looks clean and the proper level has been maintained.

Toyota designed this coolant to last the life of the car...I think it's a waste of money to change it at that time unless it's dirty or you tested it.

I plan on flushing my system around 50k regardless of the quality, but 25k is too early for a SLLC IMO.

really? because mine is below the matk that says "low"

my friends toyota corolla was changed to that orange colored coolant at low miles. his car is on 70K+ now and its running OK, no problems at all. toyota pink coolant is total rip off!!

The orange stuff can be too. It was designed primarily for GM cars but will run in anything provided the system is flushed first. And, you can buy a green coolant that is 'less harmful on the environment'.

But I have to agree, don't mix them. They can have reactions that cause buildup when mixed...Regardless of the pretty colors they'll make :p.

Antifreeze comes in a variety of flavors nowdays and it can be very confusing. The Japanese manufacturers all use a similar formulation in a variety of colors; Toyota pink, Honda blue, Subaru green, etc. European and US manufacturers use several formulations with few similarities. All are ethylene glycol based with either "organic acid" or "hybrid organic acid" additives. The Japanese use no silicates but high phosphates, while the European use high silicates and no phosphates. Then there is the famous GM DexCool, the German G-12, and GO-5.

Having now said more than I know, if your car is under warranty use the Toyota stuff at the high dealer cost. Otherwise Toyota wil be more than happy to avoid fixing any coolant related problems under warranty. After warranty, I plan on using GO-5, which seems to be compatable to most engines including Mercedes. DexCool also seems to work OK in most engines if you keep air away from it to avoid forming the snot of death.

There are several explanations around the web where this is more or less explained in detail. Just do a search. There is a fair amount of information on "bobistheoilguy.com" as well.

well i just got some. ALL of the new ones say they are able to mix with ANY color antifreeze.. its in bold print in bright yellow.. but i have yet to put it in.

Is that actually the case that the tC comes with the extended life coolant?

If so, then if there is ever a leak or the car needs more coolant for whatever reason it may be, rather than flushing the system, just go to the dealership and get more. Otherwise you have to deal with flushing the system which is an easy process, but time consuming (time required for the car to warm up and cool down several times)

I'm personally going to use the Toyota Coolant when i need to add a little here and there. I know it costs more but it's not like I'll be doing it often or a lot.

I follow two basic premises in servicing the coolant system in my cars: 1.) Never assume two types (or even two brands) can be mixed freely, 2.) Never allow anything but coolant and distilled water ($0.70/gal at Walmart) in your system.

While this may be extreme and at least one is advertised as "mixes with anything", the benefits of extended coolants like Toyota 5 yr, 50,000 mile no longer applies once a mixture is created. When I need to add small amounts and don't suspect a leak, I use Zerox GO-5 and distilled water added to the overflow tank. If you drain and fill I further suspect almost any coolant will work in most cars. This might not apply to the old green antifreeze, but this is no longer made anyhow. Coolant systems in todays cars seem to have little if any excess capacity and several metal combinations requiring protection against attack and from each other. Coolants are complex chemical solutions and not simple protection against freezing.

The issue is corrosion control. Each manuafacturer recommends a coolant with a chemical composition designed to suppress the corrosion of the particular metals used in their engine. If this coolant is not used, or is mixed with another, the "long life" feature is compromised and conventional bi-annual changes may be needed. Here are what the manuals say:

Maintenance Guide, Page 16:
100,000 mies ofr 120 months. Replace engine coolant.

Maintenance Guide, Page 21:
Engine Coolant Drain and flush the cooling system and refill with an ethylene-glycol type coolant....
Note: Your Scion is equipped with Genuine Toyota Super Long-Life Coolant. The replacement intervals for engine coolant recommended in this booklet are based on replacement with Genuine Toyota Super Long-Life Coolant or similar high-quality non-silicate, non-amine, non-borate ethylene-glycol coolant with long-life hybrid organic acid technology (i.e., a combination of low phosphates and organic acids). If another type of ethylene-glycol coolant is used, replacement intervals may be different.

Owners Manual, Section 7-2, Page 196:
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.)
"Toyota Super Long Life Coolant" is a mixture of 50% coolant and 50% deionized water. This coolant provides protection down to about –35 C (–31 F).
NOTICE
Do not use plain water alone.
Scion 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 system malfunction on Scion vehicles.

Info on Toyota coolants:

2004
LLC (Long Life Coolant)
Red
First change 30,000 miles
Subsequent changes every 30,000 miles or 24 months

2005-on
SLLC (Super Long Life Coolant)
Pink (comes premixed 50/50)
First change 100,000 miles
Subsequent changes every 50,000 miles

If LLC is mixed with SLLC, the interval for LLC must be followed.
If LLC is replaced with SLLC, the interval for SLLC may be followed.

:)