Change Coolant

[KevinK]

Hi,

Could someone please give me an instruction on how to change coolant for 2002 RX300? I could not get a factory manual. I bought 2 gal of Toyota long life coolant for $12 each. I could not find the drain plug. Sould I put some seelant also?

Thank you for your time.

[monarch]

The factory manual is available on ebay http://tinyurl.com/3adkr

You need the manual to find the drain and fill plugs and to find out whether or not special air bleeding procedures are needed.

Since you car is so new, all you really need to do is drain and refill the radiator and do not need to be concerned about draining and refilling the engine block or flushing the system which in much more complicated.

Just draining and refilling the radiator every year or two with a 50/50 mix of Toyota long life coolant and distilled water will keep the entire cooling system looking like new for decades and unlimited miles http://www.saber.net/~monarch/238..JPG

http://www.saber.net/~monarch/89thermohouse.JPG Probably only one jug of the coolant and distilled water will be needed. So that's just a $13 expense once a year to keep the cooling system looking like new regardless of time or mileage.

Sealers and coolant additives are not needed or recommended It says this in your owners manual.

[jbarhorst2]

I recently did my 2001 RX and here is how I went about it.

With a cold engine, remove radiator cap. Open drain valve near bottom of radiator (plastic white wingnut) and drain fluid. Remove overflow reservoir tank and clean out with distilled water. When radiator has finished draining, close drain valve. Refill radiator with distilled water. Replace radiator cap. Replace reservoir tank.

Drive vehicle until you start getting heat out of the heater. This ensures that you have flushed the heater core also.

Allow engine to cool slightly and carefully remove radiator cap. Open drain valve again and drain out as much fluid as possible. It will go much faster this time as the water is thinner than the coolant mixture. Close drain valve. Add enough Toyota coolant to fill system in a 50/50 mixture. I believe the manual says that the cooling system holds 9 quarts, so put 4 1/2 quarts of fresh coolant in the radiator. Pour slowly as it will take a while for this to work its way through the system. After adding coolant, top off radiator with distilled water. Replace radiator cap. Fill overflow reservoir to proper level with 50/50 mixture of coolant and distilled water.

Drive the car until it gets hot. Make sure you run the heater.

The next day check your coolant level in your overflow tank and your radiator. If you need to add any fluid, make sure it is a 50/50 mixture.

Any questions, let me know. :)

Tom

[monarch]

jbarhorst2, a problem with your method is that you won't end up with a 50/50 mixture in the system because draining just the radiator only removes 50-60% of the old coolant in the system. The other 40-50% is still inside the engine. To drain the engine, the two coolant drain plugs on the engine block must be removed.

To avoid all these complications, I just drain the radiator annually refill with a premixed 50/50 solution in order to replace about half of the coolant. On vehicles less than about 4 years old there is no need to flush the heater core or anything else because the system is still clean and free of corrosion and sediment and the drained coolant with be clean like this: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/89drained.JPG

[sgriffith]

I am in the process of doing this as well. I know the Toyota coolant is supposed to be excellent, but is there anything else that is just as good (like prestone or something)? I don't have a dealer in town to go buy some from, and I have to drive an hour to get there. Just wondering if anyone thought that there was an acceptable alternative that could be purchased somewhere like oreilly auto parts or something. Thanks!

[monarch]

I understand the following dealer will ship fluids via FedEx Ground to your doorstep: Champion Toyota Gulf Freeway - Houston, Texas 77034 · (713)943-9900 www.championtoyotagulffreeway.com

There is no exact aftermarket equivalent to genuine Toyota Long Life antifreeze.

[99lsguy]

Those drain plugs under the block are easy to get to if you have a pair of ramps. Just loosen and the coolant will flow out the aluminum tubes (very nice). I put clear plastic tube over the draincocks and directed old coolant right into gallon jug

Then fill engine block first with 50/50 mix. Top off radiator & reservoir. Turn heat on full tilt and warm engine. top off as needed.....

Monarch, your method is a good one and even easier :D - good preventive maintence is key to long engine life!!

99

[KevinK]

Hi, Guys, Thanks very much. I will try one of these two methods this weekend.

BTW, where do I refill the engine bolck? Is the filling place under the engine cover? I have never removed the engine cover in lexus before.

[monarch]

99 has an LS400 V8 engine and your RX300 V6 is different. I don't have a V6 either and wouldn't dream of changing the coolant unless I had read the factory manual first. It is possible to burn up the engine if the coolant isn't refilled properly and if the air in the system isn't bled off properly using the procedure outlined in the manual.

[jbarhorst2]

Monarch,

I tend to get wordy so I may have left out this part. The mixture ends up being 50/50 at the end of my process because I have added pure coolant in the amount of 1/2 of the total system volume. With the water left in the block from the rinse and the water that you add to top off, it makes a nice 50/50 mixture. I do agree that you must be very careful not to get an air buble locked anywhere, but I have been lucky so far in that regard.

Tom

[KevinK]

Changed the coolant today. I draind the radiator. About 5 liters coolant came out. I filled about the same with 50/50. Let engine run with heater on for a few minutes, toped off the coolant again. Cleaned the reservoir and filled with 50/50 mixture. Easy job. I guess will do the same every year. Thanks a lot for your advises.