Toyota Corolla Coolant Change DIY Guide With Pictures

Apr 05, 2011 1 Replies

Our 2005 Toyota Corolla has close to 90,000 miles after 6 years of driving it. The Toyota pink SLLC (super long life coolant) is supposed to last 10 years or 100,000 miles, so I decided that it was time to change it out.



We opted to do a simple radiator drain and refill which replaces about half of the old coolant. This is more than enough preventative maintenance to keep the cooling system working well when done every few years.



I took pictures of the process and created a quick guide to help out other Corolla owners.



Here's the guide -

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The procedure should also be very similar for other Toyota vehicles like the Camry, Matrix, Yaris, Venza, and Avalon.



I hope someone finds it to be useful.



Cheers, Paul


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Paul, Pretty good job. Note that the Toyota cooling system is a "closed" system, not open. An open system does not recover the coolant.

I also would not recommend a generic radiator cap as the cap is supposed to open at a specified pressure. If it opens too soon, coolant boiling temperature goes up, and if it opens too late, you risk damage to the cooling system. Genuine Toyota radiator caps are very reliable and long-lasting so I recommend the few extra dollars to get a genuine part.

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