Annual coolant change.

[prs]

Not meaning to complain too much, just thinking out loud and besides, there has been little activity here to discuss of late.

The manual that came with my 4500Z and the several since then revisions on line call for an annual drain/flush/ and refill of coolant. Mine was delivered to me with the "pink" Asian spec coolant with is the Toyota dye color for super long life silicate free, boron free, and phosphate added organic acid coolant. In automobiles, that "good stuff" is rated for 5 years or well over 100,000 miles service. Other colors of the same product are available for other manufacturer's color match, but the coolant type is the same. Since I still have two years warranty, I will follow "the book" and keep track of the service, but I am not so sure I will do so post warranty. Using a post drain flush agent (usually citric acid) and then flushing again with deionized/distilled water also seems to be overkill if changing coolant when the "old" is still so fresh with its cleaning and anti-corrosion agents. Further, in the far north one might be slightly diluting the new 50:50 coolant due to residual distilled water remaining in the system even though we have no heater core which is often the reservoir for such trapped H2O. Any way, I have Honda Blue super long life and a citric acid flush agent ready to use as my anniversary approaches.

prs

 

[Gary Fowler]

I don't know that I would do a citric acid flush each year nor would I change the coolant. I would change once, flushing out the old factory stuff with plain water till the water runs clear, then drain and install a good Prestone brand equivalent to what you need (Orange or yellow color) then run it for 5 years. There is no reason to change coolant every year on any engine. They are basically all the same, either cast iron block or aluminum block so get the right coolant type in it and forget it for 5 years.

 

[ovrszd]

X2....

 

[cat fever]

X3
and I would add, when flushing with water use soft water or RO water if available.

 

[murphy1244]

The manual also calls for changing your hydraulic filters yearly. My book just notes service cooling system.

 

[ovrszd]

Nice Avatar Murph.

 

[murphy1244]

Nice Avatar Murph.

Its supposed to be Spring so I'm trying to think Green but its still snowing outside.

 

[Fawken]

Never done it. Not for cars, tractors or motorbikes even. If there's something wrong with it like a water pump bearing or a bad head gasket I could see flushing and changing coolant, but you'd need to do that anyway to fix said problems. Never changed the ATF on the 4 service vans I've owned either. Chevy, Chevy, GMC, & Dodge and never had a transmission issue with the respective ownership mileages of 249,000 mi, 376,000 mi, 216,000 mi, & 197,000 miles on the Dodge which is still in service.

 

[prs]

Murphy, the manual also explains what service the cooling system involves as opposed to checking the cooling system which is an everyday of use thing. It is overkill for sure.

The hydraulic oil filter changes are to occur at 100 hours, 500 hours, and then every 1,500 your thereafter as I interpret the rather ambiguous chart. This going by the later revisions of the owner's manual and the one that came with yours and mine are less demanding of filter changes.

prs

 

[murphy1244]

Murphy, the manual also explains what service the cooling system involves as opposed to checking the cooling system which is an everyday of use thing. It is overkill for sure.

The hydraulic oil filter changes are to occur at 100 hours, 500 hours, and then every 1,500 your thereafter as I interpret the rather ambiguous chart. This going by the later revisions of the owner's manual and the one that came with yours and mine are less demanding of filter changes.

prs

Mine calls for every 1000 hours or yearly. WTF is that? Why not just check all the boxs yearly.