Coolant **urgent Advice**

[is200 Newbie]

I have an issue with the heaters in the car not blowing hot the past few months - I can get them to work and blow hot when in manual but think that's a strange situation to have as they should work in either drive setting..?. There's nothing at all wrong with the switches etc in the cabin.

I have noticed it more when sitting in the car when its idling as it blows cold even when set on max

I have checked the coolant level tonight in the white bottle reservoir by the radiator and noticed its just below the minimum level but that was after driving it home so I am guessing it may get lower when cooled down.

Question - I can see its red coolant in the bottle - for the time being am I quite safe in mixing a small amount of normal coolant in this just to top it up - think it will take approx. half a pint of liquid to top up. I am thinking this will be the cause of the heat loss in the cabin but it may need a flush through in a few months?

Anyone know if there is an issue in mixing the coolants at this quantity - I don't think I have a choice really and I would rather have fluid in there than none at all.

Question - where could this coolant have gone? There's no leaks and no coolant in oil or visa versa - If I am honest I never checked the coolant level when I bought the car so it may have always been low - anyone with any ideas..

Appreciated - thanks

.

[agent_dess]

As far as I know u can't use off the shelf coolant as it has to be the Toyota super long life coolant (pink)... As for where it is going u either have a leak or ur water pump is dying thus leaking...

[is200 Newbie]

I have just topped it up with blue coolant - just under quarter of a pint of coolant to the same in distilled water.

Knowing the luck I am having with this car its probably the water pump !! - is that an expensive repair? there's no tell tale noticeable rumble though and no apparent leak around the parts..

The top up is only temporary - id rather have some coolant in there than none at all.

Ran it for 10 minutes (idle) but still no heat.

[agent_dess]

Well it depends I had to pay £450 for water pump replacement but someone else on the forum only paid £250! I think he got it done at lexus Reading, I got mine done at lexus Edinburgh.... It's crazy how prices vary between dealers!! If ur good at tearing ur car apart then u can buy the pump with coolant for £190 and do it yourself but I imagine it's a big job... Why not get ur car checked into a lexus dealer and get them to a have look over the entire car, atleast they can tell u all that is wrong with the car.

[mraines]

I would recommend that you get Lexus to have a look then. Lexus Reading diagnosed the water pump on mine (noisy rumble and small leakage) as soon as a technician had a look/listen within a minute and when booked in it was fixed for £250 all in. The leakage was so small that if hadn't affected the coolant level below minimum though.

I would imagine that with no heat though you might have a thermostat stuck open as going back many years that was a classic symptom of a car not warming up.

Hope that helps and good luck.

[normski2]

I have to agree...it does sound likely to be a jammed thermostat.

[is200 Newbie]

:shifty: HAVE HEAT :shifty: HAVE HEAT :shifty: HAVE HEAT

I TOPPED THE EXPENSION TANK UP LAST NIGHT FROM WHAT WAS A LOW LEVEL (BELOW THE LOW MARK) TO JUST UNDER THE MAX MARK. ENGINE WAS WARM SO AM EXPECTING THE LEVEL TO GO DOWN A BIT. AS OF YET I HAVENT CHECKED IT AS I WANT THE ENGINE COLD SO I CAN DO A PROPER CHECK. WENT OUT TODAY AT LUNCHTIME AND SAT IN THE CAR PARK WITH THE CAR IDLING AND HEAT WAS COMING FROM THE VENTS (NO MORE COLD HANDS !!)

I DONT THINK THERE WAS NO COOLANT IN THE ENGINE AS IT WOULD NOT BE RUNNING NOW - JUST THINK IT HAD BEEN LOW FOR A WHILE (NEVER CHECKED IT WHEN I PURCHASED)

I DID HOWEVER EXPERIENCE A GURGLING NOISE WHEN STARTING THE CAR A FEW TIMES WHICH HAS BEEN SUGGESTED COULD BE AIR IN THE SYSTEM - AS I HAVE TOPPED IT UP WITH NON TOYOTA COOLANT I PLAN TO DO A COMPLETE FLUSH AND REFILL WHEN THE WEATHERS A BIT BETTER - I HAVE FOUND A TOYOTA DEALER SELLING 5 LITRES OF THE RED CONCENTRATE COOLANT AT £26 SO MAY BUY A COUPLE OF BOTTLES OF THIS, ESPECIALLY AT THIS PRICE.

THE WATER PUMP SEEMS OK - BUT SAYING THAT I WILL MONITOR THE LEVELS FROM NOW ON JUST AS A PRECAUTION.

[is200 Newbie]

2 pints of fluid (1 litre) is what it took to top up with just under half a pint of that being actual coolant.

Will keep on monitoring it until I manage to get the flush done. Water gurgling noise has all but gone in the cabin and heater on max is hot.

[ChumpusRex]

The IS250 uses toyota pink coolant. This is not the same as the red coolant, and the red coolant is not recommended (but is probably OK).

While the toyota red has a number of aftermarket alternatives - e.g. the purple coloured Comma G30, the toyota pink is unique with no equivalent or compatible product available on the UK market.

Some caution is advised with the use of generic blue coolant. Traditional UK market coolants contain silicates, and toyota strictly require zero silicates. Mixing silicate coolant (blue) with phosphate coolant (pink) is not recommended as the coolants will react and the system will need to be thoroughly flushed.

Just to add further complication, toyota pink is not available as concentrate. If the cooling system is flushed with water, then because of retained water, the coolant concentration will be wrong when refilled with pink. You'll need to perform the following very expensive procedure: Flush with water and drain. Refill with pink and drain. Refill for a second time with fresh pink.

[is200 Newbie]

Mark - I needed a quick solution to what was, I thought, a dry system. Turns out that the quantity was only just a bit more than the expansion tank empty. I believe the system holds around 10 litres so I don't think with what I have added has caused a problem as I am banking on it blending together - I am monitoring it as I cant understand why it was empty in the first place but suspect it was empty when I bought it.

One twentieth of the overall solution in the system will be the blue coolant which I don't think is a lot but as you say it does need the Toyota coolant. I have found a Toyota dealer selling the Red coolant so I will quiz them on the compatibility of using this as the alternative like you stated will be expensive.

I have just bought some time really in getting through the winter which so far has not been too cold.

[koppatroppa2002]

A load of rubbish info with this "Toyota" - only pink coolant !!! I've got Prestone wich has all "zero" contains as Toyota coolant and no problem at all. Happen to have same problem as no heating + gurgle noise so after thoroughly investigation found out 2small leaks corners radiator hence the air getting inside the system and giving the gurgle noise. Flushed all system and ad Prestone "All makes All models" # add to any colour antifreeze !!!!! But do not add water !!

[ChumpusRex]

The prestone universal has an organic acid formulation similar to the Toyota red, but instead of using sebacic acid, it uses 2-EHA. This additive is known to be incompatible with some of the seals and gaskets Toyota use.

While the prestone universal can be used as a top-up, with little risk. However, it is not the correct formulation for filling the system from empty, because it does not contain the phosphates that Toyota recommend - these are needed to lubricate the water pump and are the reason why Toyota switched from the phosphate free red formulation to the hybrid phosphate/organic pink formulation.

The chances are that you will get away with it, at least for a few years, but if you're planning to keep the car, it's probably best to use the recommended fluid, or in an emergency top up with a Toyota red or equivalent (Comma G30) fluid.