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Old 05-31-2019, 01:54 AM   #1
RMcG
 
Drives: 2008 Yaris Base Hatchback
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Is it critical to change coolant at 100K?

I have a Yaris Hatchback, base model that has just turned past 100K. It is almost 11 years old. I was just looking at the maintenance schedule and the schedule says the engine coolant should be changed at 10 years or 100,000 miles.

I have to take an emergency road trip of about 1300 miles round trip (all interstate driving) in a couple of days.

Is it critical to change the engine coolant before I go on the road trip?

Would I be taking a big chance if I did not have the coolant changed until after I get back?

Thanks,

R.
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Old 05-31-2019, 02:06 AM   #2
zoidberg444
 
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I actually ended up changing mine at 110,000 about 3 years ago as i was doing extremely high mileage that summer and fell behind on doing all the maintainance. I doubt 1300 miles will make much difference. You should do it when you get back.

I've done 170,000 miles now and my engine still works. I'm overdue for my second coolant change as they recommend 50,000 miles there after the first. I plan on doing it at my winter service in November. I think the coolant can start breaking down and causing corrosion if you stretch it to much.

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Old 05-31-2019, 07:19 AM   #3
ex-x-fire
 
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You'd be ok, I'd check the water pump for seepage. That's the time I'd change the coolant.
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Old 05-31-2019, 12:52 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by RMcG View Post
I have a Yaris Hatchback, base model that has just turned past 100K. It is almost 11 years old. I was just looking at the maintenance schedule and the schedule says the engine coolant should be changed at 10 years or 100,000 miles.

I have to take an emergency road trip of about 1300 miles round trip (all interstate driving) in a couple of days.

Is it critical to change the engine coolant before I go on the road trip?

Would I be taking a big chance if I did not have the coolant changed until after I get back?

Thanks,

R.
you will be fine to change it out once you get back from the trip. The issue with coolant after a while is the corrosion inhibitors wear down as due the lubrication components and it becomes more and more like straight water in time. You can do this yourself with a simple drain and fill from the radiator petcock located on the bottom of the rad.
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Old 05-31-2019, 01:24 PM   #5
RMcG
 
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Thanks to everybody. I don't have a garage, just the parking lot of the apartment I live in. I am inclined to do this myself if it is realistic for me to do this. The cheapest I can find anybody to do it for me at a garage is about $150 (USD). And I think it would be more if it requires flushing, rather than just replacement.

Is this something I can do myself pretty easily?

I was looking at some videos and they were talking about burping the system and other stuff which seemed complex. In addition, the maintenance schedule says it should be changed at 120 months (ten years) and the car is almost 11 years old. So I am thinking that maybe the age is factor in addition to the mileage of 100K.

I just went out and checked the coolant (engine cold). The coolant appears pink and clear, no rust or particulates. And it is about 1 inch above the "LOW" line on the plastic overflow tank.

Any other comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,

R.

Last edited by RMcG; 05-31-2019 at 01:44 PM. Reason: To add info about coolant & age of car
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Old 05-31-2019, 01:43 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by RMcG View Post
Thanks to everybody. I don't have a garage, just the parking lot of the apartment I live in. I am inclined to do this myself if it is realistic for me to do this. The cheapest I can find anybody to do it for me at a garage is about $150 (USD). And I think it would be more if it requires flushing, rather than just replacement.

Is this something I can do myself pretty easily?

I was looking at some videos and they were talking about burping the system and other stuff which seemed complex. In addition, the maintenance schedule says it should be changed at 120 months (ten years) and the car is almost 11 years old. So I am thinking that maybe the age is factor in addition to the mileage of 100K.

Any other comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,

R.
Do it yourself in the parking lot - here's how:

Buy a large oil drain pan (or equivalent plastic container) and slide it under the front of the car where the drain petcock in on the bottom drivers side of the rad. Look for a yellow plastic knob, you can reach it from the top of the engine bay. It may be stuck but be careful because you can break it.

Drain the coolant out from this pet cock (remove rad cap to speed this up and make sure coolant is not hot!). This will take 20 mins or so to fully drain, but once it stops draining close the pet cock and re fill with fresh Toyota coolant (50/50 mix) from the rad cap.

Fill until it over flows. Then squeeze both the upper and low rad hoses a few times and if the coolant level drops at the rad cap, re fill until it is at the top.

Keep the rad cap off and start engine. The coolant level will drop, refill it again until it is full and put rad cap back on then turn off engine. Make sure your overflow reservoir is full of coolant to at least the F line if not more.

Turn the car on and go for a drive. 20 minutes in current temps should be enough to get coolant up to operating temps, go for a jaunt on the highway and back.

Get back home and park the car. Check the coolant level in your overflow reservoir, it likely dropped some. Fill it back up to the F mark. Once your coolant is cool enough, remove the rad cap and if the coolant is not at the top then fill it to the top and replace the cap.

Drive the car as your normally would over the next week but after every day check the overflow reservoir and refill it so it is at the "F" mark. After a week of this you no longer need to keep checking it.

The yaris burps the air out of its cooling system very well by itself as the fill neck is properly situated as the highest point in the system. As it burps air itself it will pull coolant from the reservoir tank which is why you need to check it after you drain and refill the system.

Your only potential issue may be needing to use pliers on the drain petcock valve to crack it open. It is easier to do from under the car but can be done from above. Just be cautious not to crack it. Warmer temps help keep the plastic more pliable.

You can easily drain the overflow reservoir by removing the small diameter hose from the radiator fill neck. Once it is removed lower it in the engine bay so that is points into your drain pan. Once it is lower than the outlet on the reservoir, coolant will automatically drain from it.
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Old 05-31-2019, 02:04 PM   #7
RMcG
 
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Originally Posted by tmontague View Post
Do it yourself in the parking lot - here's how:

close the pet cock and re fill with fresh Toyota coolant (50/50 mix) from the rad cap.

.
Thanks tmontague for the detailed instructions and the encouragement. I plan to do it myself. It's not just the money, it's --- it's ---- it's, well it's being human.

ONE QUESTION: you say re fill with fresh Toyota coolant. Does that mean I should use a special Toyota brand coolant?

I added to my last post that the car is almost 11 years (131 months), whereas the maintenance schedule recommends a change at 120 months (10 years). But I checked the coolant and it appears pink and clear without particulates. And the level is about 1 inch above the "LOW" line on the plastic overflow container. So I think I am OK to wait until I get back from the trip.

Any more comments will be appreciated.

Thanks,

R.
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Old 05-31-2019, 02:12 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RMcG View Post
Thanks tmontague for the detailed instructions and the encouragement. I plan to do it myself. It's not just the money, it's --- it's ---- it's, well it's being human.

ONE QUESTION: you say re fill with fresh Toyota coolant. Does that mean I should use a special Toyota brand coolant?

I added to my last post that the car is almost 11 years (131 months), whereas the maintenance schedule recommends a change at 120 months (10 years). But I checked the coolant and it appears pink and clear without particulates. And the level is about 1 inch above the "LOW" line on the plastic overflow container. So I think I am OK to wait until I get back from the trip.

Thanks,

R.
Most of us YW member recommend Toyota brand coolant instead of other aftermarket brands. That being said, full disclosure - Toyota coolant here is only found in 50/50 mix and is not cheap. I found a company (Recochem) that makes various coolant for all different type of manufacturers and the name they brand it with is "OEM". It is sold locally to me and I can buy a pure concentrate that I mix myself with deionized water. I looked up the MSDS and the ingredient are essentially the same as Toyota's. I go with this instead of Toyota's own coolant and it has worked wonderfully for me.

I would recommend you look at getting Toyota stuff and if it is reasonably priced than stick with that.

Like I said before, you will be fine to do the coolant change after your trip. I doubt the corrosion inhibitors are fully depleted. If they were, driving isn't the issue, worn out coolant will eat away at your engine block regardless of driving or sitting in a driveway. Dip your fingers in the coolant and rub them back and forth, it should feel somewhat slippery.
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Old 05-31-2019, 03:12 PM   #9
johnwk
 
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It wouldn't hurt to run a few gallons of distilled water through the system (following the same drain-fill-drive-drain procedure) before filling it with the new coolant.

I'm neither an expert nor a perfectionist, but I just used the Toyota-labeled Prestone stuff from the auto parts store.

A mini-tip: I found that only unscrewing the radiator drain plug part of the way prevented it from spraying all over the plastic under-engine guard (where it will collect and sit).

A word of encouragement for anyone considering doing this for the first time: changing my coolant following tmontague's instructions in another post was the first real job I ever did on any car ("real job" = something I would have normally paid someone else to do), and it really helped me to get over my fear of DIY maintenance.
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Old 05-31-2019, 03:31 PM   #10
RMcG
 
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Thanks tmontague and johnwk and others,

I just checked the coolant by dipping my fingers in it and rubbing them together and it definitely feels slippery and oily.

Does anybody else have any suggestions as to the best way to dispose of the old coolant? I want to do this in an environmentally sound way.

Does anybody else have any feelings about using distilled water as a rinse as johnwk suggests?

Thanks,

R.
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Old 05-31-2019, 03:35 PM   #11
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You can take the old coolant (and dirty distilled water) back to the auto parts store. They will dispose of it for free.
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Old 05-31-2019, 03:38 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RMcG View Post
Thanks tmontague and johnwk and others,

I just checked the coolant by dipping my fingers in it and rubbing them together and it definitely feels slippery and oily.

Does anybody else have any suggestions as to the best way to dispose of the old coolant? I want to do this in an environmentally sound way.

Does anybody else have any feelings about using distilled water as a rinse as johnwk suggests?

Thanks,

R.
Around here our local municipal recycling centers take coolant for free to avoid people being a$$hats and dumping down the drain. Check online, some auto shops will also take it I have heard.

The only issue with adding water to the system to "flush" it is that you will dilute the coolant down below 50/50 as some water will stay in the system that you cannot fully get out. This may not be a problem depending on how cold your winters get. You can buy a tester for cheap to test your coolant when you are done to see what your freezing point is. I personally do this as I use a 10/90 coolant/water mixture in the summer for track use and a 55/45 coolant/water mixture in the winter. I test it to make sure my coolant can handle a bad cold snap throughout the winter.

IMO since you are just replacing Toyota coolant with comparable stuff I don't see a reason to need to flush it out or run water through it. I typically recommending doing that if the car has been given the wrong coolant, or if the coolant looks contaminated with debris or has been in use for way too long.

FWIW most owners never actually change their coolant unless their car breaks down and they need to. Even with this, Toyota's still seem to do well and run ok long term
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Old 05-31-2019, 07:46 PM   #13
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Thanks to everybody, especially tmontague. I think all my questions have been answered.

R.
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Old 06-05-2019, 03:03 AM   #14
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Just a few notes from me:
- before you start draining out the coolant, set the cabin temperature knob to max
- by draining the coolant via the radiator petcock you will not get out everything. I can drain slightly over a half of the coolant only. There is a petcock on the engine that allows you to extract some additional liquid but it is a rusty one - IMHO not worth it (it is like 2-3 dcl only), especially when there is no chance to lift the car up
- I am draining and refilling the coolant once a year. I know it is waaaay too often, however it is a 20 minutes easy job and this way the "old" coolant that stays inside the car has no chance to get "too old".
- I agree that original Toyota coolant is naturally the choice number 1. However, I do not use it. I use Sheron Antifreeze G12 which can be bought already 50/50 mixed and the bottle costs around 7 USD (4 times less than original Toyota stuff). This Sheron product won in the test of several other brands available locally and it matches the specs required by Toyota.
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Old 06-05-2019, 12:57 PM   #15
Mike Dexter
 
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Originally Posted by komichal View Post
Just a few notes from me:
- before you start draining out the coolant, set the cabin temperature knob to max
- by draining the coolant via the radiator petcock you will not get out everything. I can drain slightly over a half of the coolant only. There is a petcock on the engine that allows you to extract some additional liquid but it is a rusty one - IMHO not worth it (it is like 2-3 dcl only), especially when there is no chance to lift the car up
- I am draining and refilling the coolant once a year. I know it is waaaay too often, however it is a 20 minutes easy job and this way the "old" coolant that stays inside the car has no chance to get "too old".
- I agree that original Toyota coolant is naturally the choice number 1. However, I do not use it. I use Sheron Antifreeze G12 which can be bought already 50/50 mixed and the bottle costs around 7 USD (4 times less than original Toyota stuff). This Sheron product won in the test of several other brands available locally and it matches the specs required by Toyota.
I second this. Once per year, radiator drain and refill only. Then you are frequently cycling new coolant through, with little cost & time invested. In my experience, Toyota's are not very sensitive to whether or not you use OEM coolant. I use Zerex brand in my Yaris.
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Old 06-05-2019, 01:49 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by komichal View Post
Just a few notes from me:
- before you start draining out the coolant, set the cabin temperature knob to max
- by draining the coolant via the radiator petcock you will not get out everything. I can drain slightly over a half of the coolant only. There is a petcock on the engine that allows you to extract some additional liquid but it is a rusty one - IMHO not worth it (it is like 2-3 dcl only), especially when there is no chance to lift the car up
- I am draining and refilling the coolant once a year. I know it is waaaay too often, however it is a 20 minutes easy job and this way the "old" coolant that stays inside the car has no chance to get "too old".
- I agree that original Toyota coolant is naturally the choice number 1. However, I do not use it. I use Sheron Antifreeze G12 which can be bought already 50/50 mixed and the bottle costs around 7 USD (4 times less than original Toyota stuff). This Sheron product won in the test of several other brands available locally and it matches the specs required by Toyota.
good points - although I never understood everyone saying to put the heat on high. All this does is move the flap so the air passess over the heater core instead of bypassing it. This has no effect on coolant running through the heater core.

Have there been some past cars that had some sort of coolant heater core by pass when the hvac is set to cold air only?


It seems that a handful of manufacturers have come out with Toyota specific (Asian brand) coolant in the last couple years. Originally when I purchased my Yaris around 5 or so years ago, there really wasn't much options for aftermarket coolant other than green "universal" unicorn tears.
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Old 06-05-2019, 03:24 PM   #17
komichal
 
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Have there been some past cars that had some sort of coolant heater core by pass when the hvac is set to cold air only?
I used to drive some older Mitsubishi and it really used to have some electric-controlled valves that enabled or disabled the coolant flow through the heatcore. It is probably pointless for Yaris, you are right. It is just an old habit that does nothing wrong on some cars and does something right for other cars. :)
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Old 06-17-2019, 08:29 PM   #18
RMcG
 
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Is this Valvoline Zerex ZEREX DEX-COOL acceptable for a 2008 Yaris? Here is an Amazon link. ? Based on looking at the owner's manual, it looks like it is compatible.

I have also attached a screenshot that shows a check by compatibility with 2008 Toyota Yaris.

Here below is detailed information on the composition:

Valvoline ZEREX DEX-COOL antifreeze coolant is a patented* carboxylate formulation with a service life of up to five years or 150,000 miles. It incorporates state-of-the-art organic acid technology in an ethylene glycol base for protection of all cooling system metals including aluminum. ZEREX DEX-COOL antifreeze coolant is approved by General Motors to the GM 6277M specification. ZEREX DEX-COOL antifreeze coolant contains no phosphates, silicates, borates, nitrates, amines and nitrites. It can be mixed with any DEX-COOL and is approved by Opel, Dae Woo and Saab. It is dyed orange to distinguish its unique chemistry from traditional green and yellow silicate coolants. When diluted 50% with water, ZEREX DEX-COOL protects modern engine components from winter freezing and summer boiling. ZEREX DEX-COOL antifreeze coolant is storage stable for up to five years as both a concentrate or diluted with water. It contains a high quality defoamer and will not harm gaskets, hoses, plastics or original vehicle paint. Call 1-800- TEAM-VAL with questions. ZEREX DEX-COOL is formulated to meet or exceed the following antifreeze specifications and/or is recommended: ASTM D3306 SAE J1034, J814 SAE J1941 GM 6277M DEX-COOL APPROVED Siemens Wind Turbines Ford WSS-M97B44-D Saab, Opel Approved Scania, Volvo TMC of ATA RP-302B Federal Specification A-A-870A Navistar CEMS B-1 Type IIIA
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