What Color Coolant Does Toyota Use?

Engine coolant, as it relates to cars, is a liquid mixture of 50% water and 50% ethylene glycol. The ethylene glycol is used to lower the freezing point of the liquid, while the water transfers engine heat. Ethylene glycol is essential, especially when driving in colder climates.

Aside from the 50/50 water and glycol mixture, engine coolants are dyed to differentiate one from the other. Car manufacturers use different coolant colors to differentiate their recommended coolant from the other coolants on the market shelves. Colors are also used to differentiate the types of coolants: inorganic, organic, and hybrid. But what color coolant does Toyota use?

What color coolant does Toyota use?

Car manufacturers, including Toyota, use a specific coolant type and color for distinct years and models. There are many types and colors of coolant out there, and to make things a bit confusing, all coolant colors don’t mean the same thing.

Red and pinkish color coolants that are ethylene glycol-based and long-lasting are the best-recommended coolant colors for Toyota vehicles. Older Toyota models use Long Life Red, while newer models use Super Long Life Pink.

If you were wondering does Toyota use red or pink coolant, now you know. Let’s see the differences between the Toyota Pink coolant  and the Red coolant.

Toyota Pink Super Long Life Coolant

The Super Long Life, Pink Toyota coolant, has different ingredients such as;

Toyota Red Long Life Coolant

The Toyota Red Long Life is the best coolant for Toyota older model vehicles.

Some believe the Pink Super Long Life coolant is better than the Toyota Red Long Life. The Pink coolant from the factory lasts up to 10 years, after which you change the coolant every 5 years or 60,000 miles. The Red’s long life lasts 30,000 miles or 2 years.

How much coolant does a Toyota need or take?

Every Toyota year and model vehicle requires a certain amount of coolant. Always check your owner’s manual to see how much coolant your car takes. On average, most Toyota cars use 5.5QT to 7.6QT of coolant. Toyota vehicles like Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia may use more coolant.

What happens if I drive my Toyota without coolant?

There’s never a scenario where running out of coolant is a good idea. That is because any car, Toyota included, running without coolant will stop functioning in minutes. Any vehicle that runs out of coolant will experience the following;

Engine overheating

The engine coolant is what keeps the vehicle temperature in check by absorbing the engine heat. If your Toyota runs out of coolant, it means there’s nothing to regulate the engine temperature. And when that happens, it’ll lead to engine overheating.

Temperature gauge

When you run out of coolant, the temperature gauge will climb to the red zone to tell you there’s an issue in the cooling system. This signal can mean your cooling fan is faulty, the thermostat is bad, the water pump is defective, or anything else. But one thing is sure—whenever the temperature gauge climbs to the red zone, something is wrong in the cooling system.

Slight steam from the engine

Steam from the hood indicate two things— a slow coolant or engine overheating. If the steam is small, you have a slow leak and if it’s large, your car is overheating. Do not overlook any steam from the hood, no matter how small.

Heater stops working

Your car heater works with engine coolant—the coolant collects engine heat and sends it into the cabin when you turn on the heater. Running out of engine coolant means the heater will stop working.

Engine damage

If you keep driving without engine coolant, the engine temperature will rise, rise, and rise, until eventually, the motor oil will solidify, the pistons will melt, and cause engine seizure.

How do I tell if I need to flush the coolant in my Toyota?

The common signs that you need to flush your Toyota engine coolant are:

When Should I Get My Toyota Coolant Changed?

If you have the Red Long Life coolant, change the coolant every 30,000 miles or 2 years. But if you have the Pink Super Long Life coolant from the factory, change it every 100,000 miles or 10 years. After that, the subsequent coolant change is every 60,000 miles or 5 years.

If you are okay with changing your Toyota engine coolant every 30,000 miles, then the Red Long Life is the right option. But if you prefer changing it at longer intervals—every 60,000 miles, then the Toyota Super Long Life Pink coolant is the right choice for you.

However, it’s essential to check your engine coolant every 15k miles for red long life and every 30k miles for the pink so you can pinpoint issues early and prevent them from causing severe damage.

Does it matter what color of coolant you use?

I do not recommend using color as an indicator to know what coolant to put in your vehicle, as this is not a reliable way of knowing what coolant your car needs. Instead, check your vehicle owner’s booklet to know what coolant the manufacturer recommends for your specific vehicle.

Final words

Driving without engine coolant is a surefire way of letting your car overheat within minutes. Toyota engine coolant has a variety of distinguishable colors, but that is not a reliable indicator of telling the suitable coolant to put into your Toyota engine. To know the best coolant to use in a Toyota, check your owner’s booklet and see what the manufacturer recommends.