Don't touch your PetCock?

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So my cars are both 2 years old and for reference, have seen two salty grimy winters. I'd like to do coolant drain and fills on these two new Toyotas but read on another mechanics site to not TOUCH your salty or dirty petcocks. Rather use the lower radiator hose to drain. Your PetCock may take in grit as turned back in, tear or finely scrape it's seal etc.

Ideas?
 
I had a 97 Dodge Stratus that I never changed any belts, hoses, or antifreeze/coolant in 13 years, and 97k miles.

Also, a 2002 Dodge Dakota 4.7L same thing for 11 years.

I'm not saying everyone should do this, but the chances of getting wrong coolant installed can cause extreme corrosion.
 
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Originally Posted By: SumpChump
So my cars are both 2 years old and for reference, have seen two salty grimy winters. I'd like to do coolant drain and fills on these two new Toyotas but read on another mechanics site to not TOUCH your salty or dirty petcocks. Rather use the lower radiator hose to drain. Your PetCock may take in grit as turned back in, tear or finely scrape it's seal etc.

If these Toyotas are two-years-old, your factory coolant is rated for 10-years. And I wouldn't even touch it for at least five.

All the drain plugs will come out just fine and grit will not be an issue, so don't worry about that.
 
Hmm, I just did coolant last weekend on my two Toyotas, and they are older. And in the same environment. I'll have to check later as to this issue. But I had no issue. If anything I'd be more worried about touching the hose and splitting that, break that and now you need to order parts.

Mine had no issue. On the Camry I did have to use pliers, but that was largely due to where it was at. I didn't remove the air dam, and reaching down from the top left me with little grip. It wasn't that tight.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
pull a hose if possible.

If the block drain is lower than the thermostat housing, then pulling a hose will leave old coolant in the system. Bad idea.

OP should read the shop manual and find out how to do the job RIGHT.
 
Originally Posted By: Tegger
Originally Posted By: SumpChump
So my cars are both 2 years old and for reference, have seen two salty grimy winters. I'd like to do coolant drain and fills on these two new Toyotas but read on another mechanics site to not TOUCH your salty or dirty petcocks. Rather use the lower radiator hose to drain. Your PetCock may take in grit as turned back in, tear or finely scrape it's seal etc.

If these Toyotas are two-years-old, your factory coolant is rated for 10-years. And I wouldn't even touch it for at least five.

All the drain plugs will come out just fine and grit will not be an issue, so don't worry about that.


I thought it was 5yr/100k for Toyota coolant?

Toyota has been having issues of late with water pumps. Probably not related to coolant but just the same it seems wise to not push it. That is why I short changed my Camry and did it at 3.5yr/85k. The truck was likely due, as it is close to 5years old.
 
Originally Posted By: 40w8
I had a 97 Dodge Stratus that I never changed any belts, hoses, or antifreeze/coolant in 13 years, and 97k miles.

Also, a 2002 Dodge Dakota 4.7L same thing for 11 years.

I'm not saying everyone should do this, but the chances of getting wrong coolant installed can cause extreme corrosion.



Using the "wrong" coolant doesn't cause "extreme corrosion", leaving any coolant in there well beyond it's specified service time will.
 
Originally Posted By: Tegger
Originally Posted By: Chris142
pull a hose if possible.

If the block drain is lower than the thermostat housing, then pulling a hose will leave old coolant in the system. Bad idea.

OP should read the shop manual and find out how to do the job RIGHT.


Why not drain and fill at shorter intervals? Toyota wants 100k for factory fill and then every 50k after that. Methinks they don't expect people to do full drains.
 
I've done Hondas, Toyotas and Nissans multiple times all using the petcock. Never had an issue. No leaks, seal maintained. And I do multiple distilled d&f's when I flush a system. Always try not to over tighten.

That said, they are plastic/nylon with orings so I suppose it's possible to damage, just not my experience. And a heck of a lot easier than getting to and removing lower hose.

Not much on the 'grit as turned back' idea. Clean the petcock if concerned, drain cleans fitting.

My .02
 
I always use a bucket and pull the lower hose. Much faster than the petcock and on both my cars it is much more accessible. You have to remove a splash shield to get to the petcocks.
 
Originally Posted By: sayjac
I've done Hondas, Toyotas and Nissans multiple times all using the petcock. Never had an issue. No leaks, seal maintained...


Same here, even Hyundai added to the list. These were on 3-4yr/old vehicles and all I did was a drain re-fill of the radiator and overflow bottle. I added a little silicone grease to the petcock seal before I tightened it back up. Not even sure I'd call them a petcock. They're more of just a drain plug.

Obviously, use your judgement. If the car was 10yrs/old and the plastic radiator drain won't budge, leave it.
 
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Originally Posted By: SumpChump
Ok, most votes the so far are saying that the plastic petcocks do not tend to fail or leak after use as was my concern. That's good!


I think you have a Camry. On mine I jacked it up enough to get a small bucket under it. Iirc about 5L came out. Not more than that. Or maybe it was 3L, forget now. I did not remove the petcock but let it drain slowly--went inside for some lunch. I left the air dam in place.

On my truck, also a Toyota, I had to remove the skid plate so I pulled out the petcock for faster draining. Which meant the driveway got a good dousing too--which was largely why I didn't pull it on the Camry.

My Camry seems to need topping off of the overflow tank yearly, so I didn't drain that. I did drain on my truck as it was at least two years old, and it will pull from that after this job.

I didn't want to deal with a full flush and fighting air bubbles, so I only did a radiator drain. I'd rather do this once a year. Easy and fast. Transfer station takes the old coolant so I dumped back into the containers.
 
Radiators with any age on them will have scale sitting in the bottom near the petcock. When you drain em the scale cant get thru the small valve opening and they leak afterward. Unscrew and remove the petcock from the radiator provides a larger opening. Pulling the hose is best.
 
Originally Posted By: SumpChump
Ok, most votes the so far are saying that the plastic petcocks do not tend to fail or leak after use as was my concern. That's good!

Two examples. 01 Civic radiator ~200+k miles, radiator failed, petcock still original when radiator pulled and replaced. Had done several full system distilled flushes on that rad which means multiple petcock drains. One because stealership used original green instead of Type2 with head gasket job.

01 Tacoma ~144k miles, original rad. Last change over was to Peak Global LT full strength from Toy Red which meant complete system exchange with distilled flush series. Petcock only way to go, and still original.

But pull the lower hose if you choose, I wouldn't.
 
Originally Posted By: SumpChump
So my cars are both 2 years old and for reference, have seen two salty grimy winters. I'd like to do coolant drain and fills on these two new Toyotas but read on another mechanics site to not TOUCH your salty or dirty petcocks. Rather use the lower radiator hose to drain. Your PetCock may take in grit as turned back in, tear or finely scrape it's seal etc.

Ideas?

You mean the radiator drain plug? Those hardly ever break and in the unlikely case that they do, you can buy a new one for less than $10. Cylinder-block cocks or plugs are even cheaper to replace. Or are you worried that the radiator would crack when trying to remove the drain plug? They shouldn't be installed too tight, as they have an O-ring. Cylinder-block cocks shouldn't be tightened too much either.
 
Originally Posted By: Gokhan

You mean the radiator drain plug? Those hardly ever break and in the unlikely case that they do, you can buy a new one for less than $10.


Yep the drain plug aka petcock. Plastic. They usually are flimsy and squeek-creak when turned.
 
Originally Posted By: hsd
Radiators with any age on them will have scale sitting in the bottom near the petcock. When you drain em the scale cant get thru the small valve opening and they leak afterward. Unscrew and remove the petcock from the radiator provides a larger opening. Pulling the hose is best.


OOOh , the scale issue. Good thought.
 
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