kmchby76

not sure if this has been asked, but does anyone know what olor antifreeze is supposed to be used in the 96 runners? i have been told it is red and there is green in mine. what is the difference in the red and green antifreeze. thanks

sdgirl619

this might help
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...ht=antifreezes

and from something i read, which pretty much is the same as above:

Red: Mainly used by Toyota. Good for a life of 100,000 miles I believe.

Orange: Generally referred to as Dexcool, used primarily by GM. Good for a life of 100,000 - 150,000 miles I believe.

Green: Probably the most common one you'll find. Good for a life of 50,000 miles I believe.

Yellow: Honestly, I don't know much about this one and never use it.

kmchby76

thanks. this is good info.

Beartracker

I'm not sure about the 96 Toyota's but on the newer one's with aluminum blocks and aluminum in the radiator the green is bad news. You must use the red or even the orange will work fine but not the green.

habanero

My 96 has red, but I bought it used from a dealership so I don't know if it came with that originally. It has had red in it for awhile, when I pulled the timing covers it looked like pink bubble gum buildup from a slow waterpump leak. Uck.

My owner's manual states:
with ethylene-glycol antifreeze (do not use alcohol type.)

JGM

Use red and NEVER mix.

kmchby76

well, i'll be attempting a timimg belt and water pump change today. looks like i will be flushing the coolant and replacing it with the red. i will double check with the dealer on monday. thanks for all the input.

KZN185W

iTrader: (1)

The 3rd gen has an aluminum rad so the geen, red, and the newer pink coolant are all ok. But never mix. Flush the cooling system, including the heater (turn it on when flushing) completely before pouring in the coolant.

I think the major difference is that the red and pink coolants have a longer life than the green one. Also the pink and red ones have additional additives to help maintain the water pump, rubber seals, and reduce cavitation and corrosion/build-up of scales.

bigacuralvr

$22 a gallon for toyota antifreeze. It sucks!! I bought 2 gallons when doing my 4Runner's t-belt. I mixed 70/30 (or maybe 60/40...) with distilled and anti-freeze.

kmchby76

well i guess that's the price we have to pay. but i rather be safe than sorry. well ididn't get much done today, but i will be working it again tomorrow. thanks again.

KZN185W

iTrader: (1)

The Toyota coolant is pre-mixed in 2-liter containers so there's no need to mix with distilled water and anti-freeze.

kmchby76

that should make things a bit easier.

MTL_4runner

This thread has all you could ever want to know about what antifreze to use:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/just-finished-timing-belt-coolant-question-77747/#post810177

To make a long story short use Toyota red or pink only (from the dealer).

Roy, not sure what they offer overseas, but our Toyota Red coolant over here needs to be mixed 60/40.

kmchby76

Thanks for the thread. very informative.

w99t4rweos

Use the FACTORY RED coolant, it has excellant anti corrosion properties in it. I seen the green crap corrode in radiator in as little as 1 1/2 years . I've used the Toyota coolant in my domestic vehicle in which I had to replace the radiator after the tubes got corroded. After 4 1/2 years , it still looks new and no corrosion.
Just make sure the old stuff is flush out and don't mix it withanything else.

DoubleZero4x4

Ok...that was information overload when it comes to anti-freeze/coolant. Guess Toyota Pink is probably what I will use for my flush next month. Now the hard part...how to do it myself...anyone have any suggestions?

MTL_4runner

Yep (see my coolant flush info at the end of the thread):
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/those-cold-climates-hows-your-heat-74448/#post839284

spindleshanks

There is coolant in every color of the rainbow.All of them have anti-corrosion inhibitors and silicates to lubricate water pump, etc. The red in Toyotas is not an Organic Acid Technology (OAT) like DexCool, which, by the way, is not actually good for 100K miles in the real world. In actuality, DexCool has a tendency to become corrosive and eat away at head and intake gaskets. Green is safe for any vehicle (even aluminum blocks/heads), though the system must be flushed if switching from one type to another. But there are too many antifreeze myths and confusions out there, so I would just pay the extra for Toyota's brand, whatever they call for. This document is what my company used to brief us on the modern world of coolants: http://www.babcox.com/editorial/bf/bf060572.htm