First off i would like to say that if your not comfortable doing this please dont. I would only recommend this to those with some automotive background or experience.
I will try to make it as easy as possible to follow. I used a online repair manual with this procedure.

DIY Coolant replacement-

2008 Scion xB Cooling system




1. DRAIN ENGINE COOLANT

- You have to remove the plastic covering underneath the car.



-Next locate the radiator drain **** plug, have a bucket ready and loosen it.





-Remove the radiator reserve tank cap.
-Next you will loosen the cylinder block drain **** plug. I wasn't able to get a clear enough picture of it. That's why i have the diagram to reference back to.

2. ADD ENGINE COOLANT
-First tighten the radiator drain **** plug by hand.
-Then tighten the cylinder block drain **** plug.
if you have a torque wrench it's 13Nm or 9 ft lbs.

-Be sure to only use Toyota's super long life coolant ( The red stuff ), do not substitute for anything else. It could possibly damage the system.
That means no Autozone any make/model crap! Yes u know I am talking to u! It doesn't come pre-mixed so you will need to dilute it to a 50/50 mixture.

-Manual transaxle 6.0 liter/ 6.3 US Qts.
-Automatic transaxle 5.9 liter/ 6.2 US Qts.
-Fill it to the line B on the reserve tank



-Next squeeze the inlet and outlet hoses several times with your hand and recheck the coolant level. If it has dropped refill it to the B line.

-Your going to bleed the air from the system now. Start the engine and allow it to idle. You are waiting for the thermostat to open. squeeze the inlet hose and wait for it the vibrate
you will feel the coolant start to flow threw. Wear gloves cuz the hoses get hot.

-Once you have felt the thermostat open you are going to run the engine at 3000rpm for 5 seconds. Then allow it to idle for 45 seconds. Repeat this process for 7 minutes min or a total of 8 cycles.

-Let the engine cool down and check the reserve tank level.
if it is below the low line, you need to repeat the procedure.
if it is above the full line, drain a little coolant out until it reads between the full and low line.

-POINTS TO REMEMBER
-Never open the reserve tank cap with the engine still hot.
-Properly follow air bleeding procedure to ensure no engine damage occurs.

Now get her done

 

*edit*

 

Just wondering, is your underlying purpose to change from the Toyota Pink (OE in the xB2) to the Toyota Red coolant? I read comments earlier from a Toyota tech saying he considered the red to be a better performing coolant for our engines, is that a choice you made?

 

What is the recommended interval to change the coolant? Since it needs approximately 6 gallons, is it recommended to buy 3 and fill the rest with water?

 

There are coolant alternatives for other colors safe for Toyota blocks, but you'll have to do a search to find them. It needs to be compatible withthe following:

"ethylene glycol based non-silicate, non-amine, non-nitrite and non-borate coolant with long-life hybrid organic acid technology"

For blue, Engine Ice makes a compatible coolant, though it's propylene glycol based and does not mix well with ethylene based coolants, so a full flush is neded first.

Not sure on green, orange, etc. and really only matters if you have a transparent coolant hose or reservoir tank.

 

Thanks. Should I get the coolants replaced at 60K miles or could it go longer without a replacement?

 

How many gallons do I need for 08 Scion xB?

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Toyota seems to think the color of the coolant doesn't matter.

 

Straight from the service manual:

"TOYOTA vehicles are filled with TOYOTA Super Long Life Coolant at the factory. In order to avoid damage to the engine cooling system and other technical problems, only use TOYOTA Super Long Life Coolant or similar high quality ethylene glycol based non-silicate, non-amine, non-nitrite, non-borate coolant with long-life hybrid organic acid technology (coolant with long-life hybrid organic acid technology consists of a combination of low phosphates and organic acids)"

So you have some options.

 

Man my car I had to idle and cool for 30 minutes about 4 times to get all the air out. It was a pain

 

So, you say I'm supposed to use Toyota "Super long life Coolant" (which is Pink and pre-mixed) but you have pictured the Toyota "Long Life Coolant, (which is red and NOT pre-mixed,) which ISN'T what Toyota recommends for models built after 05.

Please clarify....

 

Thanks for the tutorial !
I am about to do this to my 2008 Scion xB.
Does anyone know if I just drain and fill the coolant or do I need to use distilled water to flush the cooling system?

I have had my car for about 8 years and it has 78K with the original long life coolant from Toyota.

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Great write up! Really appreciated the tip on the drain in the front of the block and revving the engine multiple times to get the coolant circulating properly. Your information about the coolant however is incorrect. The red coolant is not "Super Long Life", it's "Long Life" and needs to be diluted. The pink coolant is "Super Long Life" and is pre-diluted. All this is written on the label on the bottles. I found out all this when I returned my AutoZone coolant as you suggested and went to Toyota. According to my local Toyota parts guy, the red is for 2004 and older Toyota/Scion, and the pink is for 2005 and newer. Again, great write up and photos/drawings.

 

Wanted to toss in my 2 cents:

I just finished replacing the coolant in my 2011 xB and I had no issues at all.
My experience with the old green coolant is that you needed to flush the system at some point to blow out all the sludge that builds up over time. Turns out this is not an issue with the Super Long Life (pink) formulation used in 2nd Gen xB.
While draining the fluid I was amazed at how clear it was and how bright the color was. Even with 130,000 miles! In my judgement, it would have been a waste of time to flush the system. This is the only way to go because the pink fluid only comes pre-mixed.
Flushing with water is a pain with pre-mixed because you have to fill and drain at least once to get the water out before the final fill.

I did do one thing different from the instructions in this thread. I disconnected the reserve tank hoses. I was able to get about a pint more fluid out by blowing into the lower hose while plugging the upper one. Then, after closing the drains,
I connected the lower hose but left the upper hose free, using a small funnel to pour straight into the hose. I did 1 engine rev then let it idle till warm. Topped it off to the full mark and was done.
Really, the hardest part about the job is getting the plastic covers back on when you're done.

 

What about changing the hoses? Do you need to do that at the same time? What is the recommended interval?

Thanks
Chris

 

When you work on the cooling system (or periodically), give them a squeeze. They're rubber so they should have some good flex and bounce to them. If they're getting hard or you notice visible cracks, etc, look into replacing them.

 

That makes sense. Thank you

 

When changing the coolant is it required to change the thermostat as well?

 

Nope...but it's likely not a bad idea since the coolant will already be drained.