Greetings Scotty, I have a 2004 Toyota Solara (2.4L 4-cyl). I bought it used less than a year ago with 76k miles on it. My coolant level is currently pretty low. It probably never has been drained-and-filled. So,
1) Should I do a flush, or just adding some coolant would be fine?
2) The Toyota Red Coolant is a bit pricey; is there a cheaper alternative to it?
3) Also, what's a good, relatively inexpensive Dextron II or III transmission fluid (as power steering fluid)?
Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas!
First of all, congrats on your car. Those are extremely reliable cars and I see them going 300k miles without any issue. Regarding your questions:
1- I would flush it, since you don't know what it has now and how many miles the runs on the current coolant.
2,3-You do not need to buy OEM coolant. Find out what type of coolant your car needs and buy the same type from another brand. The same goes with the power steering fluid.
I did some reading about coolants. I had a similar question,,,for Toyota Highlander.
All coolants are clear when made,,,there are many different shades of color used for a final product ,,,and they mean absolutely nothing.
Just read the list of ingredients. I ended up buying Peak brand called Asian Blue,,,and its the same ingredients as their Pink coolant for different cars,,,,,the only thing that is different is the color - which means nothing.
Read the ingredients. And the price was quite a bit cheaper,,,for the same thing.
