For some people with a Toyota, antifreeze is not always affordable. It can be quite unreasonable to think that you should spend an amount of money on a jug that doesn’t even fill up the entire capacity of the car.
So you need to be careful when choosing the right Toyota antifreeze equivalents for your vehicle.
Read on to learn more!
What Is Toyota Antifreeze Equivalent?
On your shelf, you see a line of jugs. Antifreezes are distinct in color, and those colors are associated with their special features as well. This can cause a lot of confusion for new users.
But before we can choose which Toyota antifreeze equivalent to go for and apply for your car, you need to know what antifreeze is first.
To put it simply, antifreeze is an additive to water-based solutions that helps to achieve the state of freezing-point depression. When your car uses water as a coolant, your engine doesn’t waste energy by producing surplus heat. That same water will be frozen and unable to function in below-freezing temperature. Thus, antifreeze is there to solve this problem.
Over the years, many manufacturers have tried their hands and improved the basic ethylene glycol-based formula. That doesn’t mean the most simple version isn’t on the market; there is just so much more nowadays than the basic 1+1.
Now that we have a basic understanding of what role antifreeze plays in a car, we can start to analyze which Toyota antifreeze equivalent is best and/or most suitable for you.
How To Choose The Right Toyota Antifreeze
Green Antifreeze:
It’s the most basic mix that we mentioned before, and green is the color that’s most associated with the product, too. It’s super identifiable if it ever leaks from your car, thanks to the striking color and the sweet smell it emits.
Green antifreeze is currently the most common on the market, so you can always start with this substance and make some deductions for your car needs. In other words, using green antifreeze means you will be able to evolve into other types if the need arises.
But there’s a catch to using green antifreeze. Its sweet smell may attract small animals, and they will attempt to drink the substance should it leak from your vehicle. So if you have pets and/or toddlers, please keep watch of them since just a few teaspoons of antifreeze can be lethal.
Orange antifreeze:
Orange is the second most common color you’ll find on the antifreeze racks at your local tool stores. Oftentimes, it will be called Dexcool.
Orange antifreeze is a variation of the basic formula, and its additives turn it to a very bright neon color and give it a longer service life. This makes the vibrant substance very popular on the market, as it’s very cost-effective.
The only downside to orange antifreeze is that it might build up acid in engines and cause erosion if left in the vehicle for too long.
Other Antifreeze Variants:
Aside from these two sorts, the market provides you with a plethora more options that will cater to your vehicle’s specific needs. There are red and pink from Toyota, yellow, blue; each is made with a designated function in mind. Please do your careful research before reaching the store to make your trip easier!
Can I Mix Antifreezes?
The only thing that’s required to be mixed with your antifreeze is water since antifreeze is a water coolant additive.
We advise you not to mix different colors of antifreezes without consulting a professional mechanic and stick to a singular antifreeze. This will prevent you from contracting any dangers created by unknown mixed chemicals and wasting money on experimentation.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to find Toyota antifreeze equivalents, it’s time to get yourself some items to test on your vehicle. Don’t forget that your engine needs to be protected in winter weather to function properly and last longer. So please be careful in this weather, and invest in good products to prevent unwanted road accidents!