Homemade tools for coolant change

[RMcG]

Originally Posted by RMcG

I followed the instructions for changing coolant given by tmontague (and minitip by johnwk) at this post http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61899 . I will reproduce those instructions in the next post (below).

Thanks,

RMcG

I used a lot of newspaper to catch leaking old coolant, because it took a little time to perfect the tools and system I described in the first post. I also used two old plastic trays from Costco that contained mushrooms when the trays were new. In addition to the homemade drain pan, I used these trays to catch some of the old draining coolant that was leaking through holes in the plastic under-engine guard . I have attached a picture of a tray.

I ended up using the older Toyota Red 00272-1LLAC-01 coolant for the new replacement coolant, which is discussed in the previous thread http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/sho...t=61899&page=2 and I diluted it myself. Much to my surprise, the local Toyota dealer carried this older coolant.

Thanks to everybody, especially tmontague, whose instructions are reproduced below.

R.

Instructions from tmontague: Do it yourself in the parking lot - here's how:
Buy a large oil drain pan (or equivalent plastic container) and slide it under the front of the car where the drain petcock in on the bottom drivers side of the rad. Look for a yellow plastic knob, you can reach it from the top of the engine bay. It may be stuck but be careful because you can break it.
Drain the coolant out from this pet cock (remove rad cap to speed this up and make sure coolant is not hot!). This will take 20 mins or so to fully drain, but once it stops draining close the pet cock and re fill with fresh Toyota coolant (50/50 mix) from the rad cap. Fill until it over flows. Then squeeze both the upper and low rad hoses a few times and if the coolant level drops at the rad cap, re fill until it is at the top. Keep the rad cap off and start engine. The coolant level will drop, refill it again until it is full and put
rad cap back on then turn off engine. Make sure your overflow reservoir is full of coolant to at least the F line if not more.
Turn the car on and go for a drive. 20 minutes in current temps should be enough to get coolant up to operating temps, go for a jaunt on the highway and back.

Get back home and park the car. Check the coolant level in your overflow reservoir, it likely dropped some. Fill it back up to the F mark. Once your coolant is cool enough, remove the rad cap and if the coolant is not at the top then fill it to the top and replace the cap.
Drive the car as your normally would over the next week but after every day check the overflow reservoir and refill it so it is at the "F" mark. After a week of this you no longer need to keep checking it.
The yaris burps the air out of its cooling system very well by itself as the fill neck is properly situated as the highest point in the system. As it burps air itself it will pull coolant from the reservoir tank which is why you need to check it after you drain and refill the system.
Your only potential issue may be needing to use pliers on the drain petcock valve to crack it open. It is easier to do from under the car but can be done from above. Just be cautious not to crack it. Warmer temps help keep the plastic more pliable.
You can easily drain the overflow reservoir by removing the small diameter hose from the radiator fill neck. Once it is removed lower it in the engine bay so that is points into your drain pan. Once it is lower than the outlet on the reservoir, coolant will automatically drain from it.

Johnwk's mini-tip: I found that only unscrewing the radiator drain plug part of the way prevented it from spraying all over the plastic under-engine guard (where it will collect and sit).

[RMcG]

Originally Posted by RMcG

Johnwk's mini-tip: I found that only unscrewing the radiator drain plug part of the way prevented it from spraying all over the plastic under-engine guard (where it will collect and sit).

I just realized that I misunderstood Johnwk's mini-tip. I thought he said to partially unscrew the radiator cap (at the top, near the top of the radiator) to slow down the flow of the draining coolant. This does work, but it does not work well enough to prevent a mess, it does not slow down the horizontally shooting stream of draining old coolant at the bottom of the radiator enough to keep the coolant going downward through the hole in the under-engine plastic guard. In any case, I have told my story.

I will probably only unscrew the radiator drain plug (at the bottom of the radiator) part of the way in the future (as suggested in Johnwk's minitip), rather than making my fancy homemade funnel with the slot in it for the horizontally shooting stream of draining old coolant at the bottom of the radiator. But this system does work. And the homemade drain pan and homemade regular funnel (without a slot) do work; and the old mushroom trays work too and they will work for everybody no matter what system you use.

Thanks,

R.

[RMcG]

Originally Posted by RMcG

I just realized that I misunderstood Johnwk's mini-tip. I thought he said to partially unscrew the radiator cap (at the top, near the top of the radiator) to slow down the flow of the draining coolant. This does work, but it does not work well enough to prevent a mess, it does not slow down the horizontally shooting stream of draining old coolant at the bottom of the radiator enough to keep the coolant going downward through the hole in the under-engine plastic guard. In any case, I have told my story.

I will probably only unscrew the radiator drain plug (at the bottom of the radiator) part of the way in the future (as suggested in Johnwk's minitip), rather than making my fancy homemade funnel with the slot in it for the horizontally shooting stream of draining old coolant at the bottom of the radiator. But this system does work. And the homemade drain pan and homemade regular funnel (without a slot) do work; and the old mushroom trays work too and they will work for everybody no matter what system you use.

Thanks,

R.

After having slept on it, I am not so sure I will use Johnwk's minitip in the future of partially unscrewing the radiator drain plug. The tool I made of a funnel with a slot cut in it for the horizontally pointed radiator drain (picture of the funnel with the slot attached to the first post) works well and allows the radiator to drain quickly. You can also essentially stop the flow from the drain (even if the drain is wide open), by screwing on the radiator cap at the top. So you have some control of the flow even if the drain is wide open.

It is also easy to make one of these funnels with a slot cut in it. You can get such empty soda pop bottles from a recycling bin if you don't have any of your own. I think a bottle smaller than 2 liters would work for a funnel with a slot as well.

I am now almost finished with my own coolant change; I just have to add small amounts of more coolant to the system over the next week or so as the level goes down slightly with driving.

Thanks everybody, especially tmontague.

R.

[RMcG]

Originally Posted by RMcG

I used a lot of newspaper to catch leaking old coolant, because it took a little time to perfect the tools and system I described in the first post. I also used two old plastic trays from Costco that contained mushrooms when the trays were new. In addition to the homemade drain pan, I used these trays to catch some of the old draining coolant that was leaking through holes in the plastic under-engine guard . I have attached a picture of a tray.

I just want to mention that people can also easily make a tray that is similar to the mushroom trays by cutting off the bottom of an empty plastic gallon milk jug and using that bottom. Even the bottom of a half gallon milk jug would work as well.

R.