Previous Thread
Next Thread
New Reply
Print Thread
Rate Thread

#57302 Nov 1, 7:54pm
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
Hey guys!

I was cleaning my engine bay today, and noticed my coolant was WAY below the "low" mark.

I did a search here, and I've found that some people say just pour some water in there, others say to go to the dealer, others say to lift the resevoir up and fill it up.

What should I do. Keep in mind I do NOT want to go to my dealer (LONG story) thumbsup


To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
and sung with exultation
To know even one life has breathed easier
This is to have succeeded.

Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 78
Member
Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 78
if your not overheating or running hot, you put in 50/50 mix of toyota red coolant. topping it off with distill water wouldn't hurt either...
If its really empty, you might want to burp her.

Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
burp her?

Can you give me some step by step?

Does it HAVE to be toyota coolant, it takes my dealer like 1 week to get parts in, and I don't want to wait that long if I don't have to


To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
and sung with exultation
To know even one life has breathed easier
This is to have succeeded.

Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
It's not running hot, never even been over the middle bar.

It's not super low, just about a 1/4" below the low mark.

I've been hearing that gurgling noise, as well. confused


To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
and sung with exultation
To know even one life has breathed easier
This is to have succeeded.

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 196
Member
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 196
Originally Posted by DiabloGTS
burp her?

Can you give me some step by step?

1) Pick her up
2) Put her over your shoulder
3) Pat her on the back

Just kidding!

I think what you want to do is:

With the engine cold...
1) Unbolt the coolant reservoir and lift it up a few inches and set it on the hood latch. The reservoir is designed to slip right over it.
2) remove the coolant reservoir cap

With the engine running...
3) add 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water to reservoir
4) pinch and release the tube going from the radiator to the reservoir several times to get any air out of the system

There is also a bleeder valve on the reservoir, so if you just want to make sure there is no air in the system preventing you from filling it all the way up, you don't have to take the cap off. You can just loosen the bleeder valve (with engine running) and pinch the tube to get any air out. Loosen the bleeder valve slowly and carefully, and don't loosen it too much or you could get hot scalding coolant on you.

In your case, you probably don't need to do all that, just top if off and check to make sure the level remains where it should and you aren't overheating.

I would suggest sticking with Toyota coolant, especially if that's what's in there already. The dealer should have it readily available since they use it all the time in the shop. My dealer sold it to me for $14 a gallon, which is only a few bucks more than what you would pay for most long-life coolant, and is supposed to have additional benefits.

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 71
Member
2001 Audi TT 225 Quattro
Member
2001 Audi TT 225 Quattro
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 71
what they said...and be sure to use the red stuff..not the cheap green coolant.

Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
can I buy this any place but the dealer (The coolant)

I refuse to buy stuff from my dealer, they wouldn't even give me the CEL codes. angry


To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
and sung with exultation
To know even one life has breathed easier
This is to have succeeded.

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 196
Member
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 196
Originally Posted by DiabloGTS
can I buy this any place but the dealer (The coolant)
Not that I know of. Is there only one Toyota dealer in your area?

Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
Originally Posted by Doppelganger
Originally Posted by DiabloGTS
can I buy this any place but the dealer (The coolant)
Not that I know of. Is there only one Toyota dealer in your area?

Nope, I'll have to drive 50-60 miles and I don't want to go very far on low coolant.

Can I buy long life coolant someplace? or does no one make decent coolant except toyota?


To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
and sung with exultation
To know even one life has breathed easier
This is to have succeeded.

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 71
Member
2001 Audi TT 225 Quattro
Member
2001 Audi TT 225 Quattro
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 71
get some redline WaterWetter supercoolant

redline waterwetter [bestbrakes.com]

Do a search there are tons of places that sell it. A lot of people recommend this stuff.

A qoute i found:

"My last car was a Taurus SHO (with the Yamaha V6) which was prone to run hot, so the last time I had my mechanic flush the coolant, I had him do the WaterWetter thing. Dropped my average running coolant temp significantly (not too cold, of course)."

Redline WaterWetter Technical info [redlineoil.com]

This is just coolant...not coolant/antifreeze. So if you live in cold weather then probably try something else.

Last edited by isayx3; Nov 2, 2003 4:56pm.

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,154
ECelica Staff
2002 Toyota Celica GT
ECelica Staff
2002 Toyota Celica GT
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,154
yes the Water wetter is good thumbsup


[Linked Image]

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 196
Member
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 196
If you're going to change to something else, flush out what's in there and do a complete fill. I wouldn't recommend mixing two different types of coolant.

Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
how do I flush it out?

this is quickly turning into another $90 trip to my dealer only to have them break something angry


To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
and sung with exultation
To know even one life has breathed easier
This is to have succeeded.

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 196
Member
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 196
Honestly, if I were you, I would just grit your teeth, walk into your dealer, and give them the $15 for a gallon of coolant, then top off your coolant with a 50/50 mix. That beats giving them $90 and saves you from their poor service.

If you want to be totally free from relying on your dealer for Toyota coolant, then you can flush your radiator and refill it with aftermarket coolant.

With engine cold...
1) Open reservoir cap to relieve the pressure
2) place drippan under lower right side of radiator
3) loosen petcock on lower right side of radiator
4) wait until coolant stop coming out

If you really want to flush out all existing coolant, fill the radiator back up with fresh water, start the engine and let it run for 10-15 minutes, then drain it again. If you do this, you'll want to use a higher concentration of coolant when you fill it back up, since there will still be water left in the system.

5) Fill with new coolant per directions on sticker under the hood

Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
I'm just going to buy it and top it off, ASSUMING they will sell it to me.

They REFUSED to sell me a control board to my car, they would only give it to me if they installed it, $450 instead of $60 for the part angry angry angry angry angry angry angry


To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
and sung with exultation
To know even one life has breathed easier
This is to have succeeded.

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14
Member
2002 Toyota Celica
Member
2002 Toyota Celica
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14
Check if your water pump is leaking. I had that problem on mine. You'll see red stuff on the left side of your engine. I got it fixed under warranty.

Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 973
hookah-meister
2000 Toyota Celica GT
hookah-meister
2000 Toyota Celica GT
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 973
Yeah my red coolant is WAYYYY below the low mark. I'm trying to get coolant and fill her up, but how do I take off the passenger-side plastic piece in the engine bay so I can get access to the reservoir?

Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,061
Specialist
2001 Toyota Celica GT
Specialist
2001 Toyota Celica GT
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,061
do NOT use distilled water in the celica! The water does not mix well with the red coolant, and does not have the cooling capability of it either. Either go to the dealer and buy a gallon of the red coolant, or go to an auto parts store and get it. The toyota stuff has some other additives in it, i don't know exactly what for, but regular RED coolant will work too, and will mix with the toyota stuff.


[Linked Image]

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 196
Member
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 196
Originally Posted by carbon_blue_gt
do NOT use distilled water in the celica! The water does not mix well with the red coolant, and does not have the cooling capability of it either. Either go to the dealer and buy a gallon of the red coolant, or go to an auto parts store and get it. The toyota stuff has some other additives in it, i don't know exactly what for, but regular RED coolant will work too, and will mix with the toyota stuff.

What are you talking about? You can't just use coolant by itself, you have to mix it with water. I've never seen red coolant at an auto parts store; I've only seen green and orange.

As to the previous question about removing the plastic engine cover, there are five plastic clips that will pull out if you push down on the center of the clip with a small screwdriver or a pen or something like that. Just don't lose them.
1862401309-celica 062.jpg

Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,061
Specialist
2001 Toyota Celica GT
Specialist
2001 Toyota Celica GT
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,061
Originally Posted by Doppelganger
Originally Posted by carbon_blue_gt
do NOT use distilled water in the celica! The water does not mix well with the red coolant, and does not have the cooling capability of it either. Either go to the dealer and buy a gallon of the red coolant, or go to an auto parts store and get it. The toyota stuff has some other additives in it, i don't know exactly what for, but regular RED coolant will work too, and will mix with the toyota stuff.

What are you talking about? You can't just use coolant by itself, you have to mix it with water. I've never seen red coolant at an auto parts store; I've only seen green and orange.

As to the previous question about removing the plastic engine cover, there are five plastic clips that will pull out if you push down on the center of the clip with a small screwdriver or a pen or something like that. Just don't lose them.

You can buy redi-mixed coolant at most auto parts stores, and the orange is basically the same as the red, just pigmented differently. The two basic kinds are the green, and the red (or orange).


[Linked Image]

Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 973
hookah-meister
2000 Toyota Celica GT
hookah-meister
2000 Toyota Celica GT
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 973
Originally Posted by carbon_blue_gt
Originally Posted by Doppelganger
Originally Posted by carbon_blue_gt
do NOT use distilled water in the celica! The water does not mix well with the red coolant, and does not have the cooling capability of it either. Either go to the dealer and buy a gallon of the red coolant, or go to an auto parts store and get it. The toyota stuff has some other additives in it, i don't know exactly what for, but regular RED coolant will work too, and will mix with the toyota stuff.

What are you talking about? You can't just use coolant by itself, you have to mix it with water. I've never seen red coolant at an auto parts store; I've only seen green and orange.

As to the previous question about removing the plastic engine cover, there are five plastic clips that will pull out if you push down on the center of the clip with a small screwdriver or a pen or something like that. Just don't lose them.

You can buy redi-mixed coolant at most auto parts stores, and the orange is basically the same as the red, just pigmented differently. The two basic kinds are the green, and the red (or orange).

What's the difference (property and purpose-wise) between the two/three?

Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,061
Specialist
2001 Toyota Celica GT
Specialist
2001 Toyota Celica GT
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,061
Mostly, the difference is in the cost, and cooling power. The red is more expensive, and has a higher specific heat, which means it works better (i don't know exactly what all is in the specific Toyota coolant, but they claim it has "special additives"). This makes it better for high strung engines like ours. The green is cheap, and doesn't have the same high specific heat of the red, and therefore doesn't work as well. The green can end up being more economical though, because it works well with distilled water, which the red does not.

This is the knowledge that I gained while researching coolants after discovering the same problem that prompted this thread. It seems that the Celica has a tendency to drink coolant. Even the toyota techs that I've talked to about it don't exactly know why, just that it's a well documented problem. All I have to do is stop by the dealer, and they top off my coolant whenever I need.


[Linked Image]

Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,864
Likes: 1
Specialist
2002 Toyota Celica
Specialist
2002 Toyota Celica
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,864
Likes: 1
if you dont wanna drive to the dealer, then you can go to a auto shop near you and ask them for original (red) toyota coolant/antifreeze. they will order it from the company, they get it for cheap and sell it to u. make sure like others said, 50/50. its a black gallon with red/black sticker on it if i remember. also make sure ur car is RUNNING while you poor the substance in and itll be better to do so when ur car is cool. have the car off for an hour or so and then turn it on and poor it in. the reason for it is because it will harm the radiator if you dont, it might crack it.

Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 198
Member
2003 Toyota Celica GT
Member
2003 Toyota Celica GT
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 198
Use a ethyleneglycol based cooling liquid and use it 50/50 with destilled water. The red stuff from toyota is based on ethyleneglycol and DOESN'T contain any other additives.
And if the level in the reservoir isn't completely empty, you should only fill it up to max(max on the reservoir, not to top). DON'T USE ONLY COOLING LIQUID, use a mixture of 50/50 (maximum 70/30) because else the cooling capability decreases.

Sorry for my English rofl

Last edited by CelicaTC; Dec 20, 2003 6:16am.

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 196
Member
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 196
FWIW...
[Linked Image]

Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Wheezy Joe
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,442
use 50/50 coolant/dist. water

worked great for me! thumbsup


To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
and sung with exultation
To know even one life has breathed easier
This is to have succeeded.

Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 973
hookah-meister
2000 Toyota Celica GT
hookah-meister
2000 Toyota Celica GT
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 973
Originally Posted by Doppelganger
FWIW...
[Linked Image]

Thanks.

Join the conversation - Register Now or Log In to add your comment


Link Copied to Clipboard
Member Spotlight
toysport_celica
toysport_celica
2000 Toyota Celica
Ca

Posts: 52
Joined: August 2004
Thank you.: me, myself, and I...!
Random: a bowl of rice, fried chicken, and a glass of water!
Show All Member Profiles 
Recent Topics
Spyder Headlight LEDs
by Dxnxld - Mar 25, 2024 6:51am
Anyone ever hear this noise?
by CeliacCelica - Mar 21, 2024 10:51am
Clunking sound (not sure where from)
by Juliansky - Mar 20, 2024 3:01am
Does anybody know where i can find a S53 trans rebuild kit?
by MoreRamenNoodles - Mar 19, 2024 8:57pm
Urgent
by SoloXKay - Mar 19, 2024 11:58am
OEM speedometer on aftermarket ecu
by Penaman99 - Mar 5, 2024 11:23am
Brake master cylinder
by Nigel100 - Mar 5, 2024 2:45am
newly purchased 2000 GTS
by CantShift - Feb 27, 2024 9:06pm
Customize Your Toyota Celica Privacy Policy · About · Contact
Privacy Policy · About · Contact
CelicaHobby.com is an independent Toyota Celica enthusiast website. CelicaHobby.com is not sponsored by or affiliated with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. in any way. The Toyota and Celica names and logos are trademarks owned by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
© CelicaHobby.com, 2001-2024
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 8.0.0
(Preview build 20230331)