Coolant Guide
From Wiki
Parts list
- Toyota pre-mixed red coolant
- Flat screwdriver
This guide is assuming that you have already checked your coolant, and for whatever reason need to change it.
For instance, maybe it has discoloured, you have had a coolant leak etc...
First, Go to a toyota dealer and buy the 5 litre toyota pre-mixed red coolant, if you do not already have some, then also buy the smaller one aswell, as you will probably need more than 5 litres (and it's also a good idea to have some spare).
Making sure the engine has been off for a while so the coolant will not be hot!
Place some sort of container that will hold the amount of coolant coming out of the engine, underneath the left side of the radiator.
Undo the drain plug (no tools needed, you should be able to undo it by hand) on the bottom left of the radiator (looking at the engine from the front) to drain the old coolant out.
If you can't undo the plug, then you should remove the bottom radiator hose, using the screwdriver to undo the clamps that hold it in place, you don't need to undo the top part of the same hose unless you are also replacing the thermostat.
Pull the hose off the bottom of the radiator.
Flush it through if you need/want to with a radiator flush treatment to get rid of any sludge etc...
Put the drain plug back in.
Next, Remove the radiator cap, and start to fill it back up with the toyota pre-mixed red coolant (available from toyota for around £15 for 5 litres), If you can't get to a toyota dealer then you can use a 50/50 mixture of coolant (ethylene-glycol based) and distilled water. But the best option is to use the toyota coolant.
Now that you have an engine full of coolant, turn on the cars heater controls to hot.
Start the engine leaving the radiator cap off and let it idle for a few minutes until warm.
Eventually you should see the coolant flowing across the bottom of the radiator cap hole.
Keep filling the radiator up with the coolant until it fills up and bubbles which will let any air escape.
Squeeze the top radiator pipes going to the heater matrix to help get rid of any air.
Keep topping up with the coolant until all the air has escaped and the level is just below the radiator cap hole, it could take a while, depending on how much air is trapped, but on average after about 10 minutes the coolant should stop bubbling etc.. put some coolant into the overflow bottle, so it has some to suck back in if needed.
Replace the radiator cap.
