Can I drain and fill the coolant without the hoses?

[PseudoKirby]

my car didnt come with the service hoses... can I drain and flush and refill the system without these hoses?

my car needs it bad..

if not where can I get replacement ones and how much

[o6spdracer]

You can just buy some new hose at Home Depot. I did not have to use the hoses when I drained, flushed, and filled. With the engine running, I just turned the heater plug 2x until I got pretty steady flow while filling the coolant without letting it drop low enough for air to get in. Then filled the reservoir to max and checked it a few days later. My friends and I have not had a problem doing it this way for several 2's.

[como]

I was able to do a fill without them, as well as a full drain- but you'll find that draining the engine block without one WILL be a mess, the coolant will get all over everything.

Filling is less of a mess, the heatercore bleeder will make a bit o a mess in your front trunk, and the radiator bleeder will dribble all over the front area...
It's a bit hard to get all of the air out without making a huge mess, but you can get enough out that it functions properly.

[traintech86]

save yourself the trouble. i bought the piping at holmes depot for like 5 bucks. it was even better then the stock because there was so much that i found ways to hold it up without tape. also its clear. don't hold me to it but i believe i bought 3/8's OD and 1/4's ID

Edit: just wanted to let you guys know(for the people who come accross this), i had to warm the hose up a bit to get it to fit. it was a bit hot. some warm water or maybe a lighter from far away. i just put it in the sun. GL

[patholiar]

forgive my lack of knowledge...

I am goin to try and flush my coolant and i've seen the walkthrough. It tells us to drain the overflow bottle but not fill it up.

What does the overflow bottle do? Is it like backup coolant if it gets too low? Do I have to fill it up after i flush and fill the pressure cap?

also when i drain, should i use cheapo stuff then fill it with a better brand? (whats a good brand?)

[te51levin]

Originally Posted by patholiar

forgive my lack of knowledge...

That's what we are here for. There is a lot of good searchable information here, and a lot of people to help you when you can't find the answer. Some of those people actually even know what they are talking about...

Originally Posted by patholiar

What does the overflow bottle do? Is it like backup coolant if it gets too low?

Exactly. Basically, the coolant in the overflow bottle acts as a reserve, sort of a buffer between the sealed cooling system and the atmosphere. When the cooling system gets hot, pressure increases. If pressure exceeds the rating of the filler cap ("radiator cap"), coolant is released into the overflow bottle. When the system cools down, the coolant is drawn back in from the overflow bottle to the cooling system. If everything is working properly, this prevents air from entering the cooling system.

Note that the radiator cap and overflow bottle cap (and its hoses) must all be intact for the system to work as designed. If any of them aren't doing their job properly, you will not have a sealed system, and air will be drawn in. This will result in a bouncing idle at best, or a blown engine at worst.

Originally Posted by patholiar

Do I have to fill it up after i flush and fill the pressure cap?

You should have some coolant in the bottle during the refill and burping procedure.

Originally Posted by patholiar

also when i drain, should i use cheapo stuff then fill it with a better brand? (whats a good brand?)

If you do a thorough flush and get all the cheap green stuff out, you can use Toyota's red coolant. It is silicate-free and supposed to be kinder to rubber seals, aluminum, etc than the old green coolant. It is a concentrate, meant to mix with water, so you'll need to buy two gallons to do a full refill. Should cost you between $20 and $25 per gallon at your local Toyota dealer. Our local Carquest store stocks it too (though I don't know where they buy it) so that may be an option for you.

[nuk1ear]

tubing for the bleed valves are 8mm diameter, dont take the risk of air in your system, its dangerous.

[PseudoKirby]

Originally Posted by nuk1ear

tubing for the bleed valves are 8mm diameter, dont take the risk of air in your system, its dangerous.

I did it like 4 months ago with the tubes.. this is an old topic