I can't find a straight answer to this question: does my 1997 tacoma 3rz motor use dexcool? He owners manual just states use an ethylene glycol based coolant.

 

No it would use the Toyota Red Coolant but who knows what could be in there.

In my older 22REC engines I would use what ever local brands could be bought.

I know some of the newer engines what coolant can be quite critical

 

dont use orange dexcool stuff will destroy ur motor once that stuff mixes with other silicates it gumms up. nearly impossible to get out of ur motor. u should be safe using green just flush out the remaining coolant

 

Thanks Boogiewoogie. That's what my next question was, should I flush would dexcool be safe or use green. I read on another thread that the old green stuff has many more silicates than dexcool and is the reason why it should be changed frequently. I was under the impression (perhaps wrongly) that Toyota red was nothing more than their proprietary blend of basically dexcool. The trend in automotive engineering has been towards the use of longer life organic lubricants and not silicates...

 

Hi
think a previous onwer has mixed antifreeze in my cooling system. yes it is very hard to remove after two years and 15000 miles still finding it sloshing around my system. its like a thick brown mud. flushing with water only removes loose gunk.

 

I'm stuck with the same problem. I can't tell what the heck is in mine. It luckily isn't muddy, but I don't want it to get that way. Right now it just looks very dark. So I'm going to try my best to do a really good flush and I just bit the bullet and bought the stuff from the Toyota dealer just to be on the safe side.

I had an old 22r where someone mixed incompatible coolants and it was a total mess. Even after I changed all the coolin system components I still found gunk floating around...

 

The mud issue is directed with the orange dexcool just get flush tees flush it out good give ur a car a few rev while flushing it to get most of the coolant out and replace simple i have a car that i messed up mixing coolants and had the mud issue i think itS fixed but havent started driving it this year yet i flushed it for 5 hours and it was a pita lesson learned stick green unless its a different color to begin with

 

Hi
am using toyota red in mineas other forums rave about it. it doesnt have any silcates animmes etc etc. on an engine reknown for cooling issues thought get toyota recommended antifreeze/coolant. after fitting flamethrower injectors think i disturbed sludge that was stuck. now on to another full flush and more of toyota's finest antifreeze coolant.