which coolant?

[400exboy2]

I have been reading a couple questions and answers on here about diiferent kinds of coolant. I have a 2000 tundra 4.7L. I just changed my timing belt, water pump, and put jba headers on it. I know it had red coolant in it before. Today i ran to autozone and grabbed two gallons of the 50/50 premixed coolant, that has the green color to it. Will it be ok? I ran it for about five mins today, but i cant really drive it because its open headers still. Some of the posts i have read tonight say that red coolant is bad because it eats seals and can damage the water pump, and then some people say the same about the green. im confused? I wanted to put something in it for the night, because it just had all water in it before (just making sure it would run before i spent more money) and its supposed to get pretty cold tonight i think. Will I be ok with the green coolant? After it ran i checked it, and it was a little brown, but im going to drain some more and put some more fresh in it tomorrow.

[CJM_T100]

I have always used the green regular old coolant in every vehicle I have ever owned and we usually use it at the shop unless there is a reason not to (some vehicles do need special coolant, usually highend stuff tho). Never had any issues at all ever, most of the problems I see with coolant corrosion is from not changing the stuff ever basically.

[integraGSR]

i just put whatever that was in it. '00 should have been red.

my integra had green for years and i had some red, so i put it in because i was leaking coolant. couple of months later, my waterpump and leaking. i have heard that red coolant is more corrosive then the green, that is prob why it ate up my waterpump. after replacing it though i have red in there since. no problems so far.

[400exboy2]

allright thanks guys. Ill just run the green coolant. If it eats anything up oh well, atleast I know what im doing since i just replaced everything. One more thing, did you all ever use any rtv sealant on a water pump gasket that had a built in seal? When i replaced my waterpump the gasket i got with the water pump had a lil seal that was on the gasket all the way around so i just stuck it on and bolted the water pump right up. I didnt see any kind of sealant when i took the old one off so i didnt want to take a chance.

[george60]

I have '03 V8 SR5 2wd. The first time I went to the dealer for pre-mix coolant he said there had been some running changes around 2003. He went out and saw I had pink coolant. That's what I bought. Been using it ever since.

[Dinosaur]

When I change my coolant (flushing the system) out I will be going with Amsoil coolant because it is biodegradable/less toxic. Kids and dogs are around and when I spill some I won't have to worry as much. My 2 cents.

[HOGWILD]

I would run what the manual called for since Toyota has made their own brand of coolant which does not interact with Toyota cooling system components!
http://www.nbt-brunei.com/part/knowledge/coolant/
I have run the green stuff in my 93 Toy but when i did the water pump at last Timing belt i changed back to Toyota Red! What color did you drain out of your truck? Red or Pink?
Toyota coolant is going to casue you less corosion problems and like you said if it causes problems you can change the water pump and all will be good!

[400exboy2]

It was red when i drained it the first time. It now has Prestone 50/50 prediluled extended life in it, which is green in color. Its the stuff where apparently you can mix with any color and run it in any make/model.

Thanks guys

[HOGWILD]

Prestone :: Car Care : FAQ
Seems that Prestone has worked the formula to work in Toyotas with the new kind like you are using!

[Greenie]

Choice of coolants and lubricants is always a touchy subject with opinions as varied as the number of products.

Toyota's current red coolant is an OAT (Organic Acid Technology) based coolant which like most Japanese coolants contain phosphates but no silicates or borates. Although the addition of hydrated inorganic salts indicates the red coolant is a unique Toyota formulation.

Here's the ingredient label from a Toyota Long Life red coolant (not diluted) gallon container in my garage:

Ethylene Glycol (107-21-1), Diethylene Glycol (111-46-6), Water (7732-18-5), Organic Acid Salt (532-32-1), Hydrated Inorganic Salt (1310-58-3). the mix contains no silicates or borates. Note that both organic and inorganic salts are included in the mix.

Pre 2004 Toyota used a red OAT based coolant, and later switched to a pink Phosphated HOAT (Hybrid Organic Acid Technology) based coolant for '04 and up.

Mixing Toyota red and pink coolants is acceptable practice according to TSB PG010-02. See attachment. However if you add pink coolant to red or vice versa the Super Long Life efficacy of the pink will be compromised. The Super Long Life pink coolant is pre-diluted but is not diluted Long Life red.

This TSB is dated 2002 and I have not been able to find an updated TSB on the subject.

After market coolants containing silicates can cause problems for water pump seals because of their abrasive nature hence the absence of this ingredient in Toyota and other Japanese coolants. Borates may pit/corrode aluminum.

Personally I would not take a chance with any coolant other than what Toyota recommends but to each their own. A gallon of Toyota coolant is a minuscule percentage of the purchase price of the vehicle.

[Remmy700P]

Originally Posted by Greenie

Choice of coolants and lubricants is always a touchy subject with opinions as varied as the number of products.

Toyota's current red coolant is an OAT (Organic Acid Technology) based coolant which like most Japanese coolants contain phosphates but no silicates or borates. Although the addition of hydrated inorganic salts indicates the red coolant is a unique Toyota formulation.

Here's the ingredient label from a Toyota Long Life red coolant (not diluted) gallon container in my garage:

Ethylene Glycol (107-21-1), Diethylene Glycol (111-46-6), Water (7732-18-5), Organic Acid Salt (532-32-1), Hydrated Inorganic Salt (1310-58-3). the mix contains no silicates or borates. Note that both organic and inorganic salts are included in the mix.

Pre 2004 Toyota used a red OAT based coolant, and later switched to a pink Phosphated HOAT (Hybrid Organic Acid Technology) based coolant for '04 and up.

Mixing Toyota red and pink coolants is acceptable practice according to TSB PG010-02. See attachment. However if you add pink coolant to red or vice versa the Super Long Life efficacy of the pink will be compromised. The Super Long Life pink coolant is pre-diluted but is not diluted Long Life red.

This TSB is dated 2002 and I have not been able to find an updated TSB on the subject.

After market coolants containing silicates can cause problems for water pump seals because of their abrasive nature hence the absence of this ingredient in Toyota and other Japanese coolants. Borates may pit/corrode aluminum.

Personally I would not take a chance with any coolant other than what Toyota recommends but to each their own. A gallon of Toyota coolant is a minuscule percentage of the purchase price of the vehicle.

I'm still having a hard time understanding exactly how the Toyota Red formulation is so "proprietary". I'm sure Toyota doesn't produce the coolant internally, so who is the 3rd-party manufacturer?

Further, the Prestone Long Life 5/150 (Prestone :: Car Care : FAQ) has no silicates, borates OR phosphates either, so, under the argument presented above in support of the Toyota formulation, the Prestone meets the requirements for the protection of the applicable cooling system components/seals/etc. What harm would come from using it in place of the Toyota Red?

** Note on phosphates: Due to the fairly low dissolved-solids nature of the water in most of North America, the addition of phosphates into the coolant actually provides enhanced corrosion resistance. In Europe, the already mineral-laced (hard) water can alone support the formation of deposits (which initiate corrosion) so a phosphate-free coolant formulation is required.

[Ravenslair]

I only use Toyota red in our Toyota vehicles.

[INDYMAC]

This magazine article was helpful for me when my 2000 Tundra started developing radiator, water pump and thermostat manifold leaks while using DexCool for my coolant (my local shop used it instead of Toyota Red thinking it was OK).

Motor Magazine Coolants Article - Consumer Maintenance - Automotive Aftermarket | Gates Corporation

[Greenie]

Toyota red coolant is a phosphate formulation also. I believe Honeywell manufactures Toyota's coolant as well as some others. Someone correct me if I have erred.

Members of other Toyota forums claim to have used domestic coolants with no problems. It's the mixing of two different formulations that apparently cause problems. Other coolants may or may not be compatible with Toyota engines. If you're going this direction a complete flush of all the old coolant and I mean all would be wise before switching.

Dex Cool is the subject of class action litigation. Check the Dex Cool Litigation Website. November 30, 2009 5:00 PM Eastern Time is the cut off date to file a claim.

See attached for more details on coolants.

[cheapskate]

It took me a while to read through Duffy and Greenie's posts but I think understand what you both are talking about................I think. It's the abrasives that are most harmful. I think a lot of people buy a good coolant, then add crappy old tap water that is full of hard water deposits.Tap water can destroy your whole cooling system with all the deposits. I learded that one the hard way some years ago. Always use deionized or distilled water when the addition of water is required.
Just my 2 cents.