I know this has topic was just about beaten to death earlier, but being the clutz I am, I still need some guidance and help.

Here is my plan: Chime in please with any suggestions.

1. Open radiator cap
2. Open Drain plug on bottom of radiator and allow to drain, then replace plug
3. Fill radiator with water
4. Idle with heater on
5. Shut off and let cool
6. Repeat 1-5
7. open plug and drain again
8 replace plug and fill with straight antifreeze half of the capacity of the system and fill the rest with distilled water
9. Leave cap off and start vehicle and let vehicle idle, burp hose to remove air
10. Shut off and top off radiator and overflow with distilled water

Is this correct?

If I do the flush with tap water, will I have tap water still in the block and heater hoses since I can't get it all out by draining at bottom of radiator, make sense? Should you flush with distilled since you never could get all the tap water out?

I have never been able to find the coolant drain for the engine block on the 3.0, EVER! This is with the owner's manual and a Haynes manual. Anyone know EXACTLY where it is or have pics?
Thanks.

 

So whats the point of "flushing" with water? Are you trying to replace the old green coolant with the new red stuff? If I were going to the trouble of flushing the system, I'd use rad flush chemicals and try to do some good while I was at it.

 

Okay, I will do. Thanks for the info. I didn't know for sure if a chemical flush was necessary being it has been maintained pretty well. I just wanted to get the old coolant out before the new went in. Its been 2-3 years since it was replaced.

Thanks.

 

The times that I've done it, I've done it your way. Just wait till you get clear water in the system, and then add half the capacity with coolant. The easiest way to maintain the cooling system is just drain the radiator and refill it one a year with 50/50.

 

I like that idea. I got the runner a year ago and best I can tell from the PO's receipts is that the last coolant change was 3 years ago. So I need to do a flush i guess.

 

This is what I did and do this AFTER you've flushed w/ the radiator chemicals and run it hot enough to loosen up the junk. I just used the Prestone flush and followed their directions...then did the following.

1. Open radiator cap
2. Open drain plug on bottom of radiator and allow to drain, then replace plug
3. Disconnect top radiator hose (passenger side) at the radiator and push to the side
4. Fill radiator with water until it overflows out the hole you just opened by removing that radiator hose, leave GARDEN hose ON and flowing into the radiator at all times
4. Idle with heater on, while running the GARDEN hose in the top of the radiator (where the cap is or the hole), water running into the radiator and overflowing constantly, don't turn the water off
5. Once it gets hot enough and the t-stat opens, this is why you leave the water running, run until CLEAR water flushes out the radiator hose end you took off, but be warned it will be HOT HOT HOT!!! at first (as you are running COLD water into the radiator, this might take a while and require several cycles, still didn't take me more than about 15 minutes)
6. Shut off and let it cool
7. drain the water out like before
8. Fill w/ Toyota RED as it is pre-mixed to the proper proportions

I think that is about it.



EDIT: I'm a hoser.

 

Okay being the idiot I am I had to read that a couple of times. There was a hose off, the a hose on...the hose on being the garden hose lol, confused me there for a second.

I like this method. Sounds like you would really get all the crap out of the system this way.

Thanks!

 

Okay, you are right, too many hoses, so I edited it I think right.

You'll be surprised how much JUNK comes out of the engine cooling system...mine was icky.

 

Quick question, i know this thread is month old, but, when you guys drain the old coolant, are you guys draining it into some sorta container and disposing of it? or just letting it run off down the stormdrains? isn't antifreeze horrible for animals and surrounding nature?
I want to do this, but im a little concerned of where the run off is going.
Advice? what did everyone do?

Thanks

Steve

 

Drain cock on the bottom of the radiator will make draining easy into a container. I drained mine into an empty milk jug and an old empty anti-freeze jug (you'll have more than 1 gallon come out, or you should). Then I took them to the local auto parts place to be disposed of.

 

Of course, we wouldn't want to hurt any wabbits. I've been dropping mine off at a Walmart autocenter.

 

great, thanks for the reply guys

Steve

 

hey wabbit!

icky, is that actually a technical term?!!

lee

 

"icky" is short for ichthantos which is greek for junk So yes, it is sorta a technical term, but not a latin one.

 

the things you learn on here! yotatech, more than just gearheads!

lee