On Mon, 12 May 2008 10:45:53 -0500, observer wrote:

>I guess this may be in the manual but for a 2004 Corolla, when do you
>like to change the coolant and if so, do you just drain it or flush
>it? Does it really matter which? Do you think this car with 3500
>miles (low miles) needs to have either done (mostly sat in the garage
>or very local driving)?
>
>If you flush it, in the old days we just ran a water hose with the top
>of the radiator open and the stem valve open at the bottom while the
>engine ran, is this still the same procedure now?


Just to add to this, I talked to an auto parts manager who has a 2008
Corolla and he said normally we just top it off and do neither.
Suggestions?

observer wrote:
> On Mon, 12 May 2008 10:45:53 -0500, observer wrote:

> >If you flush it, in the old days we just ran a water hose with the top
> >of the radiator open and the stem valve open at the bottom while the
> >engine ran, is this still the same procedure now?

Be sure the heater valve is left open. I leave the engine turned off
and flush through the heater hoses as well as drain the radiator, then
I remove as much remaining water as possible with compressed air
(almost a necessity if you buy 50/50 premixed coolant).

> Just to add to this, I talked to an auto parts manager who has a 2008
> Corolla and he said normally we just top it off and do neither.
> Suggestions?

Yeah, don't listen to auto parts managers for advice.