ONLY at Keith Pierson Toyota as low as 0% 36 months on Camry, Corolla and RAV4.
Diesel, gasoline, hybrid, and electric-powered cars naturally create heat. Your vehicle’s engine cannot handle all of this heat and needs to cool to continue running optimally. Radiator fluid, also called antifreeze or coolant, manages the heat your car’s engine generates. Without it, the engine would overheat and eventually fail.
Toyota acknowledges the vital importance of engine cooling in its vehicles and has painstakingly developed a specialized radiator fluid for its entire vehicle range. This specially formulated fluid guarantees optimal performance and efficiency, safeguarding the longevity and reliability of Toyota vehicles. Our Keith Pierson Toyota team in Jacksonville, Florida, shares more about radiator fluid and its importance in this article. You can trust us for unparalleled service and maintenance to keep your Toyota performing at its peak.
What Does Toyota Radiator Fluid Do?
Radiator fluid is a key component in your vehicle’s cooling system. It helps move heat away from the combustion chambers and transfers it to other parts of the car, ensuring temperatures stay within an optimal range. This water-based solution also has corrosion inhibitors and specialized additives to prevent advanced forms of rust and wear. So if you want to keep your car, truck, or SUV running like new, ensure you’re giving your Toyota’s radiator fluid the attention it deserves.
What Types of Radiator Fluid Are Available for Your Toyota?
Determining the best radiator fluid for your Toyota can be challenging with all the options available. At Keith Pierson Toyota, we understand your confusion and want to help you make the best choice for your vehicle. Every Toyota model and variant requires a specific fluid, so consulting the owner’s manual to ensure you pick the correct fluid for your vehicle is imperative. Toyota radiator fluids come in five colors: pink, red, blue, green, and clear. So what do the colors mean? Let’s break it down:
- Toyota Super Long Life Coolant (pink): Toyota has carefully formulated this coolant using hybrid organic acid technology, ensuring optimal efficiency and exceptional durability. It’s the best coolant for most Toyota models and may be more expensive upfront, but its longer life span eliminates the need for frequent top-ups or replacements.
- Toyota Long Life Coolant (red): The alternative to the pink coolant is red inorganic acid technology coolant, which is for Toyota’s older and lower-end models. This coolant is more affordable and comes as a concentrated solution, but you may need to replace it more frequently than the pink one.
- Toyota Super Long Life Coolant Blue: Toyota formulated this coolant with organic acid technology in a joint project with Subaru. So you can also use the blue Subaru Super Coolant if your Toyota has a Subaru boxer engine, such as the 86 or BRZ.
- Toyota Frostox HT-12 Coolant (green): This coolant utilizes silicate organic acid technology and is part of Toyota’s joint project with BMW. The Toyota Mk5 Supra and the 2019 BMW Z4 share the same engine, making Frostox HT-12 the ideal coolant for these vehicles.
- Toyota Fc Stack Coolant (clear): Toyota exclusively uses colorless coolant for its fuel-cell electric vehicles, such as the Mirai.
Which Toyota Coolant Is Right for Your Car?
While it may seem you could rely on the color of the coolant to determine what’s right for your vehicle, the truth is that’s not always the case. So how can you determine the best coolant for your car? You need to consult the owner’s manual or seek professional advice.
At Keith Pierson Toyota, we can help you determine the best radiator fluid for your make and model. Our experienced technicians know what type of coolant is safest and most effective for your vehicle’s age, mileage, and performance.
What Happens if You Neglect Radiator Fluid?
Ignoring your car’s radiator fluid could have serious consequences for your Toyota. Here are some risks that come with not changing the coolant when necessary:
- The engine may start to run hotter than usual, resulting in possible overheating and severe engine damage.
- The head gasket could blow, mixing coolant with the engine oil, and cause a major engine problem requiring replacing the engine or buying a new vehicle.
- Other engine parts, such as cylinders and pistons, may suffer damage when the engine runs hotter than it should.
- The heater could become damaged.
- Fuel economy may decrease.
- The coolant won’t protect the cooling system’s components from corrosion, leading to parts, such as the radiator and water pump, rusting and eventually failing.
Why Check and Change Radiator Fluid Regularly?
Regularly checking and changing the radiator fluid is a crucial aspect of routine maintenance for any Toyota. Let’s look at some of the benefits you can enjoy:
- Hinders corrosion: Coolant loses effectiveness over time, leaving the cooling system vulnerable to contaminant build-up. A thorough flush eliminates these particles, ensuring a clean and efficient system.
- Prevents maintenance issues: Like getting a wellness check when you’re not sick, radiator flushing is an important part of preventive maintenance for your car. A coolant flush also involves inspecting the cooling system for leaks and other potential problems before they cause significant damage.
- Cleanses the cooling system by removing contaminants: Coolant loses its anti-corrosive and rust-inhibiting properties over time, resulting in rust and scaling that contaminate the coolant and turn it into a murky brown liquid. Regular radiator flushes help clear out the old coolant and any contaminants within.
These are just a few benefits that regular radiator fluid checks and changes can provide.
The Keith Pierson Toyota Advantage
We take great pride in providing your Toyota with the best service and maintenance at Keith Pierson Toyota. Our technicians are knowledgeable and up to date on all the latest technologies, so you can be sure your vehicle is in good hands. Whether it’s a simple oil change or a more complex repair, our team delivers top-notch service to ensure your vehicle’s longevity.
Contact us to schedule your next service appointment and experience the Keith Pierson Toyota difference. From our first-rate customer service to our meticulous attention to detail, we guarantee you’ll drive away happy with the results.
Close-up of temperature gauge on car dashboard by Ivan Radic is licensed with CC BY 2.0
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