# Heater only works well in warmer temperatures

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-only-works-well-in-warmer-temperatures/181649>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** toyota, camry\
**Created:** [January 4, 2022, 7:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-only-works-well-in-warmer-temperatures/181649 "2022-01-04T19:49:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 6:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-only-works-well-in-warmer-temperatures/181649/21 "2022-01-05T18:46:14Z")

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Wondering how many shops use distilled water for coolant changes.

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**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 11:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-only-works-well-in-warmer-temperatures/181649/22 "2022-01-06T11:27:54Z")

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Tester is right, unless you remove the drain plugs in the block, you don’t get all the coolant (or water after you flush it). This is why I don’t like 50/50 coolant. The Pink extra long life coolant for my car is not available in anything except 50/50.Toyota says it is good for 10 years at the factory fill but only 5 years after you change it.

Next summer I will drain what I can flush it with a garden hose and add the correct amount of a full strength coolant and fill the rest with water. I will then mix up a 50/50 mix for the remote reservoir and for topping off.

I have never used anything but tap water. I think it depends on the quality of your water.

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**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 3:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-only-works-well-in-warmer-temperatures/181649/23 "2022-01-06T15:03:17Z")

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> [@oldtimer-11](#):
>
> Toyota says it is good for 10 years at the factory fill but only 5 years after you change it.

I have a Toyota and change my own coolant also. I always assumed that Toyota assumed you wouldn’t get 100% of the old coolant out, hence the 5 year change recommendation after you do a drain and fill. If it was good for the first ten years, I can’t see any reason it wouldn’t be good for ten years again if you could totally flush the system and get 100% new coolant in there?

I did a drain and fill on our 2013 at 100k miles. A little early going by years, but obviously 100% of the coolant wasn’t replaced by just removing the bottom radiator hose. I’ll do it again in 2023 or so. Then every 5 years. It’ll never all be new coolant in there, but it’ll never be all old coolant either. I figure it’ll work out well enough.

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**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 3:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-only-works-well-in-warmer-temperatures/181649/24 "2022-01-06T15:38:15Z")

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> [@Barkydog](#):
>
> Wondering how many shops use distilled water for coolant changes.

I think it depends on where you live. Tap water near me has low dissolved solids, and should not be significantly different from distilled water. Well water would be a different story.

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