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Hi, I have a 2007 Toyota Sienna with 262,000 miles. I brought it in to the dealer for a coolant change, which is recommended at 100,000 miles, then every 50,000 miles thereafter by the manual.
It uses Toyota Super Long Life coolant and has a 12 US quart (3 gallon) capacity according to the manual. I asked the service advisor at the dealer if they did a coolant flush or just drain. He said they don't do flushes since a flush is unnecessary except in the case of contamination.
My receipt said this:
Quote:
Qty. 1 - 00272-SLLC2 - Super Long Life C - $21.65
That is the price for 1 gallon of coolant. Their parts department sells it for $18.95 with coupon.
So am I to believe the mechanic put just 1 gallon of new coolant in and mixed it with the 2 gallons of existing old coolant? That's like only doing 1/3 of an oil change!!!!!
Do the engine block and hoses and heater core really hold 2 gallons, and the radiator only 1 gallon?
Should I take my car back and make them re-do the job free of charge?
And why do both radiator hoses for my car attach to the BOTTOM of the radiator? For my old Chevy Cavalier, the upper radiator hose from the thermostat housing attached attached to the top of the radiator, and lower hose attached to the bottom and sent the coolant to the water pump. How can gravity do its job if both of my radiator hoses go to the bottom of the radiator??
There's also the heater core and hoses.
The coolant is supposed to be mixed with distilled water, not just pure coolant. So your fluid capacity isn't going to match the coolant you need.
Your radiator hose setup will still allow for a gravity drain at the lowest point of the radiator. As long as the block and heater core is higher than the valve at the bottom of the radiator, the fluid should gravity drain pretty much everything.
There's also the heater core and hoses.
The coolant is supposed to be mixed with distilled water, not just pure coolant. So your fluid capacity isn't going to match the coolant you need.
Your radiator hose setup will still allow for a gravity drain at the lowest point of the radiator. As long as the block and heater core is higher than the valve at the bottom of the radiator, the fluid should gravity drain pretty much everything.
There's also the heater core and hoses.
The coolant is supposed to be mixed with distilled water, not just pure coolant. So your fluid capacity isn't going to match the coolant you need.
Your radiator hose setup will still allow for a gravity drain at the lowest point of the radiator. As long as the block and heater core is higher than the valve at the bottom of the radiator, the fluid should gravity drain pretty much everything.
00272-SLLC2 is the pre-mixed stuff, I doesn't get mixed with water. It sounds like the dealer just drained the radiator, and not the block.
The EPA brought flushing to an end. Dealerships, if their honest, are doing what Toyota tells them to do (keep in mind that your 2007 manual is now out of date). "Refill only with an ethylene-glycol type coolant". What Toyota sells in pre-mixed.
Thanks everyone who replied. I use the term "coolant" to mean a mixture of water and anti-freeze. The SLL coolant Toyota sells is a 50/50 pre-mix in a gallon container, so I am sure it is set a the right protection level.
My main concern is I am still running 2 gallons of old coolant in the system, mixed with the 1 new gallon they just added. They didn't drain the block or other areas, just the radiator. Is this sufficient, or should I complain? Why bother doing a coolant change if they only drained 1/3 of the system????
The EPA brought flushing to an end. Dealerships, if their honest, are doing what Toyota tells them to do (keep in mind that your 2007 manual is now out of date). "Refill only with an ethylene-glycol type coolant". What Toyota sells in pre-mixed.
Wouldn't the flush required by by service manual be grandfathered in by the EPA? Toyota just expects drivers to be running old coolant in their system after a change?
Thanks everyone who replied. I use the term "coolant" to mean a mixture of water and anti-freeze. The SLL coolant Toyota sells is a 50/50 pre-mix in a gallon container, so I am sure it is set a the right protection level.
My main concern is I am still running 2 gallons of old coolant in the system, mixed with the 1 new gallon they just added. They didn't drain the block or other areas, just the radiator. Is this sufficient, or should I complain? Why bother doing a coolant change if they only drained 1/3 of the system????
Sounds like a discount. The radiator drain is lower than the block. How would you still have coolant in the block if you drained the radiator? As long as there is a hose at the bottom of the pump, gravity should send everything to the lowest point in the system.
Did you check the fluid level now? Did they forget to top it off after running the engine?
Sounds like a discount. The radiator drain is lower than the block. How would you still have coolant in the block if you drained the radiator? As long as there is a hose at the bottom of the pump, gravity should send everything to the lowest point in the system.
Did you check the fluid level now? Did they forget to top it off after running the engine?
I don't know about the Sienna, but with my Tacoma I can drain the radiator, and then I can open the valves in the block and get another gallon out.
Sounds like a discount. The radiator drain is lower than the block. How would you still have coolant in the block if you drained the radiator? As long as there is a hose at the bottom of the pump, gravity should send everything to the lowest point in the system.
Did you check the fluid level now? Did they forget to top it off after running the engine?
I hope you are right about the discount! Yes, I did check both the radiator and overflow tank for coolant after they did the job. Assuming there are no air pockets, it looks like the right level.
In the olden days, when I drained the radiator on my 1991 Chevy Cavalier, there was still coolant left in the block that I had to flush out with a garden hose until just pure water came out. I then had to add pure anti-freeze and carefully adjust for a 50/50 pre-mix. So there might be coolant passages that go up and down in the block that can trap coolant even if the radiator is drained??
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