My Toyota came with the pink extra long life coolant from the factory that is supposed to last 10 years but the manual says when you replace it, only leave the 10 year coolant in 5 years. Why pay the $40 a gallon for 50/50 Toyota fluid when Peak of Prestone cost much less.
I replaced the coolant in my Dodge in 2013 and again this year when replacing the thermostat. I use Mopar 3-year coolant, I donât obsess over vehicle maintenance for things that do not cause problems. If I drove 30,000 miles a year, I would replace the coolant more often.
I would have driven half of that during the 5yr and crystals have started forming. I wish the test strips are cheaper and easily accessible.
Withe the brake fluid, I bought the test device and it seemed unreliable and it eventually broke on its own while being inserted. Perhaps I need a good repair shop - around here all are expensive. I had it done one yr later than manf recommended interval and PepBoys guy told me the fluid looked clean. I know it looked exceptionally clean. So I need to find a way to validate the need before doing it. Tranny is an exception because I can do it so easily and last time it costed me $35 with the revised inflated price. I went for non-Honda gasket.
The interval on new cars for coolant change is now 10 years or 150000 miles for my Dodge Durango . That is the interval for the serpentine belt now too which surprised me .
If the shop doesnât have the strip to test the coolant, you may want find one and start testing from 5yr onwards.
Doubtful coolant pH test strips are that pricey. I use a science-lab version, maybe $10 for 50 strips.
Pls offer me 10 for $2 â LOL
Even if this was a new radiator you canât be assured that the particles were not in the engine from years ago. That type of debris remains in the block and radiator after being drained.
Each car I test for moisture in the brake fluid measures zero, even after ten years, there is very low humidity here. I tested the brake fluid in a vehicle from the east coast, measured 2%, fluid is 2 years old.
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What do you mean - canât be assured âŠ?
New perspective - which part of US are you located? I am in Calif.
Blythe, CA, Elvis took a dump here in 1961.
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Oh you really are in Nevada! You should treat it as if you are in the middle east - why donât you have oil reserves, LOL?
Oh and those particles could be from engine block too! First time I saw them a first time I left it there for 5yrs. I am waiting on the $2 strips
Could u share your biz details - you could msg me directly here Thanks
Why are you making this so difficult? If the bottle says 5 year coolant just change it at 5 years.
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I have trouble not agreeing with @Nevada_545 I would listen to him. No need to track him down unless he wants to be found.
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I noticed that the 10 year drops to 5 years also, if I remember correctly. Or maybe it was 100k miles for the first change, and 50k for the second. I wonder if that is because theyâre assuming youâll only drain the radiator and replace half of the coolant in the system when you change it, so they shorten the interval? I just drained the radiator at 100k, then again at 50k on our 2013 Toyota. I donât really trust our local dealership to really do any more than that anyway.