I own a 2004 Lexus LS430 with 36000 miles, 37 months since new. I looked in the book but there is ZERO mention of when to change the coolant. I posted on the Lexus newgroup but still didn't get an answer. Do any of you know when Toyota/Lexus recommends changing the coolant in my car?
There IS a separate maintenance booklet that tells you when to do everything under the sun...except change the coolant.
The 04 should be getting the prediluted Pink coolant. It uses one of GM Dexcool's rust inhibitor but without the other 2-ethylhexane acid (2EHA) that can eat some types of gaskets. 2EHA is fast acting (and also a platicizer) where as the other Dexcool component (sebacate) is slow acting and takes several thousand miles to become effective.
But the phosphates Toyota used in place of 2EHA don't do a good job and industry tests have shown "high weight loss" (corrosion) in systems using Toyota Pink. Normally you shouldn't lose more than 1mg/cm^2/week, but I think the Pink losses 20-30+ mg.
Other than that it's like Dexcool, supposed to be 5/150 under ideal laboratory conditions. So probably 3 years or 45K miles in the real world. Lexus will probably charge you an arm and a leg for the change, but it's about $14/gallon/coupon at Toyota dealers for home mechanics.
D.D. Palmer wrote:
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