Your Toyota or Lexus, depending on the year, came with one of two types of coolant from the factory. Here in Minnesota we experience one temperature extreme to the other, testing your coolant to the max in both subzero and over 100 degree temperatures. It is important to keep your coolant in top shape. What are the differences in the two coolants Toyota uses?
Toyota Coolant
Before 2004 for most models, Toyota used a red-dyed, concentrated coolant with a 30,000 mile change interval, called Long Life Coolant. Because it comes in a pure concentrate, it must be diluted with water before you put it in your engine. Dilution is important to get right – too much coolant reduces the ability to cool the engine, too little makes the coolant more likely to freeze in the coldest parts of the winter. CARspec recommends mixing your Long Life Coolant in a 60% coolant 40% water ratio. This provides freeze protection below -60 degrees (if you see anything close to this temperature you should leave your car running all the time).
After 2004, Toyota and Lexus switched to Super Long Life Coolant. This is pink in color and has a 100,000 mile initial replacement interval, followed by 50,000 miles thereafter. This coolant is premixed with water and doesn’t require dilution. It also has the advantage of forming readily identifiable deposits when it leaks, making find a leak easier. Check this out for an example.
Beyond keeping the engine’s temperatures in check, coolant protects the internal passages of the engine from rusting and corroding out. It also helps to keep rubber hoses and lines from deteriorating on the inside like on this T100. Old coolant breaks down and can form a mild acid (and develop a voltage), so sticking to Toyota’s 30,000 (for LLC Red coolant) and 100,000 (for SLLC Pink coolant) is important in keeping your car healthy.
CARspec offers coolant replacement starting at $85 – a price point roughly half of most dealerships. As Minneapolis, Minnesota’s independent Toyota and Lexus service and repair specialist, we stock enough LLC Red or SLLC Pink to perform any repair or maintenance on your cooling system, so give us a call today at (952)426-4798!
