undiluted antifreeze compatiable brands

Fwiw the Canadian Toyota antifreeze pre-mix (they're all premix) is 55% antifreeze, as opposed to US 50%. Maybe Alaska supply is as well?? I've heard it's actually counterproductive to go much higher in percent, not sure.

Have you contacted an Alaska Toyota dealership parts dept, see what they have?

 

The super long life coolant is $24 for a gallon at Kendall Toyota in Anchorage. Looks like there's a Kendall Toyota in Fairbanks too. Just go to the parts counter. I'm sure it's something that they have in stock, because they need it to work on cars

 

What does the local dealer recommend? You are not the only one with this issue.

The super long life coolant (pink) seems to be supplied only pre-mixed -- even in the aftermarket. The older product -- long life coolant (red) was supplied full strength.

The asian fluid is different and the pink is a high phosphate -- not to be used with brass/copper components.

 

zerex works also

 

Just be careful.

Some coolants don't like to be mixed...like adding green to red.
It will "sludge" up.
Some may quote penny smart pound foolish.

Make sure that Xerox is compatible with the OEM coolant.

Also I too have heard the is diminishing returns going higher than a 50/50 mix in regards to freezing up.
Xerox bottle or the parts departments may have some good ratio advice for your sub-zero temps.

Best of luck ...up there in the cold zones of the Earth.

 

zerex was 13$ @ advancedauto

 

What pre-mix is the dealership selling? I'm thinking it might be the Canadian 55% blend. If it's good enough for Winnipeg?



I've really no in-depth knowledge, but seems like increasing anti-freeze percent is not a linear improvement, and drops boiling point, a consideration in summer:

Antifreeze Ratio

 

Phone and find out?

 

Yes, at 50% and more the stuff just gells and won't crack the block. It won't flow though until it warms a bit, but at -50F and lower the bypass flows enough to cool the engine (the rad. is blocked with the gell and probably won't warm up to flow).

If your climate in summer is anything like here in Edmonton you won't get high enough temps to boil the coolant anyway, so a drop in boiling point is moot. Thermostat is flowing at 90C.

I would use a higher concentrate to try to keep the rad. coolant from gelling. It is polypropylene glycol based coolant, as is the Zerex. I strongly recommend using the Toyota stuff though. Because I just don't know the electro-chemical nature of the car and Toyota does.

Original (when car is new) lasts 5 years, no matter how much the engine is run. The anticorrosives are "used up" and the polypropylene begins to break down over time, which is why we must change the stuff with new. EVEN THOUGH it looks "like new" when you drain it!
The second and subsequent changes are to be done at 3 year intervals. I think it's because of introduced contaminants, impure water (not distilled), etc. The timing I'm quoting is from the manual. You also see the same timing for other applications.

I'm doing Pearl S in the next few weeks. Or rather, I'm getting the "good dealer" to do it. Can't be bothered to do it myself. You should do both the engine coolant and the inverter coolant at the same time. They both degrade over time.

 

I will warn you the "block heater" is only a 300W device, and in our winter temps. doesn't really do a lot. I don't have one and won't have one. My experience on Pearl, which had one is what is making me dubious. I might consider it if it was "immersion type" (installed in a frost plug) and 700 W or more. But it isn't, tends to overheat once the thermal grease degrades, and is hard to get at to "fix or install". Your choice. I wonder if the external type that go in the heater line would work on a Prius? The type that go "click click" as they "pump" warmed coolant through the system. You might ask your local dealer what they think.

 

David, my experience with the block heater is a little more positive, lol. First off: the block heater is 400 watt. Yes, it is not immersion type, like the one in our previous Civic (also 400 watt), but it appears to function the same, ie: raising coolant temp by around 25~30C in two hours, at least in our climate. We had ours installed at time of purchase, use it virtually without fail for first cold start of the day, and 6.5 years on it's working just the same.

David, those intervals are at odds with what I see in the both the US and Canadian schedules. This is an excerpt from the US 2010 Prius Warranty and Maintenance Guide, the first instruction to change engine/inverter coolant:



Note sub-text #3, in the US, further delays the inverter coolant change, and completely explains the US intervals:



The Canadian Schedule is a little simpler, doesn't delay the first change for the inverter coolant interval. An excerpt from the Canadian 2010 Toyota Owner's Manual Supplement (note: it covers ALL Toyota vehicles, not just Prius):



The values 160,000 kms and 80,000 kms translate roughly to 100,000 miles and 50,000 miles respectively. So basically, for both engine and inverter coolant circuits: the same as the US engine coolant recommendation.

 

So much for my "assumptions" and memory. As I recall (but can't check any longer) the GII had those intervals. I just assumed the GIII would use the same ones because most other vehicles (at that time) also used them. Guess I'll relax and not bother just yet. Do want to do the HSD oil though. I did measure the GII block heater, and you're right it was 400 W (hey, that was 7 years ago, I can't be expected to remember that far back can I?). Here in Edmonton, with the GII, in winter, it was almost unnoticeable when used. And that was in the unheated garage, which is usually at least 20C warmer inside than outside in winter. Can't say on the GIII because I managed to get Pearl S without the block heater. Don't miss a block heater. Don't need it. If the engine won't start using a 20 HP starter motor run from 560V three phase I shouldn't be driving it!

 

Yeah my main objective with block heater is to accelerate warm up; it's definitely not do or die, especially here on the west coast.