Antifreeze color - looks tan?

[NCLX450]

Recently purchased a 97 LX450 and it just started dripping some antifreeze on the ground. In going through/trying to find the culprit for the leak I noticed an odd color for Antifreeze. It's not the Toyota Red or Green (well could be old green I guess). I wanted to by a jug of the Zerex green to put in it for now until I get around to a flush. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[Malleus]

If you don't know how old it is, flush it and go from there.

 

[NCLX450]

From this angle its green but not when you get it out.

 

[LINUS]

".....when I get around to it"

Hahahaha - yeah.

Up to you, but if you read about coolant here you'd see the wisdom in a flush & fill.

Your 80, but playing 'chemistry set' in your radiator & cooling jacket isn't my idea of smart.

 

[ZackR]

Its probably a really weak mix of green or its really old. I'd recommend fixing the leak asap and doing a flush at the same time. For the flush you can use water from the hose, when refilling use distilled water + green coolant.

 

[dividedwood]

Buy a flush kit on Amazon, they are like $5 and super easy to use. Drain the rad, install the hose inlet, turn on the water, crank up the heat and run it till the water is clear (then a few minutes extra). Takes very little time and is well worth the effort to know exactly what you put back into your cooling system.

 

[NCLX450]

Thanks for the help everyone. I will flush it and go back with Toyota Red unless anyone recommends a better or just as good alternative. Its not my primary vehicle so I don't have to drive it right now until the flush is done. I was asking to add something temporarily in case I had to drive it for some unknown reason until it was warm enough outside to flush it.

 

[Alleycats]

Actually allot of people are running green.

 

[steffan]

looks a little like mine did the first time i flushed and filled it with the green stuff. it took 3 or 4 good runs before it really cleaned out and all the residual red was gone. i drove it for a week and then drained and filled - did this a few times before it was 100%. i think a lot hides in the rear heater and lines. can't see any problems with the green stuff

 

[BILT4ME]

Thanks for the help everyone. I will flush it and go back with Toyota Red unless anyone recommends a better or just as good alternative. Its not my primary vehicle so I don't have to drive it right now until the flush is done. I was asking to add something temporarily in case I had to drive it for some unknown reason until it was warm enough outside to flush it.

Cruiser Dan (Official Toyota Guru) has given his blessing on Green rather than Toyota Red as long as you drain and flush every couple of years. Plus, the green is MUCH more available on the trail or road less traveled in the even that you have another failure in an emergency. Red is hard to get hold of, is expensive, and you have to carry your own. Do NOT mix the two or you end up with sludge that's kinda like brown gravy.

DO a complete flush and fill with final being distilled water and green. Don;t forget to pull the plug on the left side of the block to drain. Do this all with your key on and you heater valve set to hot to make sure you are flushing you heater cores as well.

This is also the time to replace the PHH and any hard line bypass for the rear heater. I didn't and I regret it.

 

[ajax1]

Do green cheaper and you should change out every 2 years, don't forget to drain block also, once all drain run water fill up truck run it to temp then dump all over again do few times then fill with green

 

[rolliges]

Whatever it was, it stopped working as intended long ago. Flush the entire system; fill with distilled, drive; repeat until drains clear. Fill with 50/50. Done.

 

[bigredmachine]

could be a mix of green and yellow.

reds not that hard to find, any dealership should have it. we always have some in stock

 

[bigredmachine]

and if your going to service the cooling system you may want a new thermostat, hoses, clamps and rad cap as well as flushing out the system

 

[retrofive]

What they all said. Go green with a good flush.

 

[NCLX450]

Whatever it was, it stopped working as intended long ago. Flush the entire system; fill with distilled, drive; repeat until drains clear. Fill with 50/50. Done.

So do you pull the petcock and engine block plug each time you fill it up with distilled water? Once it runs clear you fill it up 50/50 and You're good to go?

 

[Cass007]

Get the flush kit for the flush with a hose if possible. Drain the old out (make sure to contain it), then hook up the flush kit to run the water. Flush till clear with heat on full blast for 15-20 mins, then drain and refill with 50/50.

 

[rolliges]

So do you pull the petcock and engine block plug each time you fill it up with distilled water? Once it runs clear you fill it up 50/50 and You're good to go?

With coolant like that you WILL have rust in the block. So yes, pull the block plug, run a hose through the heater core tubes, through the T-stat hole. It's only complicated the first flush, by the third time it'll be easy. Dont stop until it drains clean AFTER driving it for a bit at temp.

 

[NCLX450]

Thank you. I will plan to do so on the next warm weekend. If I run out of time I will just take it to a shop and have it flushed.

 

[Malleus]

So do you pull the petcock and engine block plug each time you fill it up with distilled water? Once it runs clear you fill it up 50/50 and You're good to go?

One of the few problems with the 80 series: there's no petcock. It's a plug. A petcock is a plug with a valve at 90°. Draining the coolant in this truck is a coolant wash for the lower left side of the engine block.