Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Hey guys,

Just wondering if it would be ok to use Toyota Red coolant in the ZX10R ? I know the manual says to run green stuff, but Toyota Red is actually better than most common green coolants (price tag certainly shows it)
But just unsure... anyone got any ideas ??

I assume that standard Kawasaki green coolant doesn't contain any silicants, and seeing as modern Toyota motors are made from cast aluminum, i assume Kawasaki motors would be also!. I've always used Toyota red in my Jap cars and never had an issue!

Cheers

if Toyota Red is a type of Dexcool..be careful (GM and FORD RED is Dexcool based)
Dexcool is a type of antifreeze/anti rust/ anti corrosion coolant that is long life and is NOT meant to renewed every 2 years like most green 'glycol' based coolants
and to achieve that Dexcool is a much 'stronger' coolant and its not only the engine that it is in contact with... so Dexcool may affect hoses and radiators
if used ...or used in the wrong concentration.

I would carefully check the green stuff Kwaka recommend v the Red stuff before using it....maybe even talk to a cooling/radiator repair place or Kawasaki Oz
and see what they say


my 2c

Cheers Smithy some very good advice there, i just checked and its one that you have to replace it every 40,000k's its a long life coolant but one u have to change! Maybe they say long life as a sales pitch.

I was reading a bit more on coolants and most coolants from Japan dont have silcants or something like that in them where as US based coolants for there cars do. Euro has different stuff again! But from wat i understand most if not lal enginges from japan are designed to run on non silicant based coolant.

I run the red stuff in my bike and have had ho problems. just make sure that you flush out all the green as they don't mix and may cause problems

oldmate wrote:I run the red stuff in my bike and have had ho problems. just make sure that you flush out all the green as they don't mix and may cause problems

oh ok well thats good to know then. Yeah will flush it out.

Is it an absolute must to use Distilled water compared to tap water ?

I've never had issues with tap water in either car or bike. I run Nulon Red coolant in both too

Saki wrote:...................

Is it an absolute must to use Distilled water compared to tap water ?

no........but the experts (radiator and auto cooling places )will recommend that you at least use - demineralized water (available at Bunnings Repco NATRAD etc)
and NOT tap water on engines..especially alloy engines with alloy radiators....... Why? to reduce stray electricity currents and corrosion electrolysis

I suggest a read of these to understand it...................

http://sancarlosradiator.com/electrolysis.htm

http://www.myradshop.com/information/electrolysis.htm

http://www.wjwatson.com/files/Cooling%2 ... olysis.pdf


cheers

Smitty, I concur, and at the end of the day it comes down to the components within the engine and the required parts of the chemicals within the coolant, so as long as it is within the right proportions and ratios there is no need to be color racist!!

Tap water contains addatives. Look at the element of your kettle in the kitchen. The build up is the burnt addatives. The same will happen to your radiator but to a lesser extent. That is why they recommend distilled water. The colour in all coolants is only food dye. Apparently it is illegal to sell without it.However some coolants will not mix well with others and can form glugging and errosion of hoses etc. Make sure that when you change coolants flush the radiator out completely.
Most modern coolants use a glycol usually ethylene or propylene based and all should run DCA's.
Glycol for cooling and DCA for anti corrosion.
I run a coolant called Tech PGXL. It is used in many heavy duty trucks and industrial engines. It is a long life and if tested and treated will last 4-5 years in truck applications so it should keep in my bike for at least that.

Hey there Saki --- You will only need a litre of the Toyota LLC as it is mixed 50/50. it can be tested periodically with a hydrometer.
DO NOT USE tap water !! As per above posts use de-mineralised or distilled water only.
Toyota recommend replacement every two years but I only replace it when it starts looking brown (like tannin makes fresh water rivers type brown - as opposed to rusty brown!!)

Tech PGXL (Fleetguard) is OEM Cummins coolant and also works very well and comes a nice pretty blue colour.

I am running Toyota LLC in the 9 and soon will be in the 10 also . The last bike's cooling system looked brand new after many many years running Toyota LLC.


(Having worked @ or on Toyota's for over over 20yrs I may or may not have a few bottles stashed away )

Echo.................

.....................Echo...........................

the ZZR250 i'm getting has green coolant in it, it is still full and bright green. tho it has been sitting for near 2 years unused and i dont know how long it was used before that.
would you recommend i flush it out and put new stuff in? I have a bottle of this good Toyota Red at home...

with it sitting for so long probably best if you change all the fluids

I have never changed the coolant in the Barge, and it is pushing 5 years old ! pretty green as well........it has only leaked once, at PI on a WSB trip for reasons unknown - added some normal coolant to the resevoir - and it has stayed at the 'full' mark basically ever since......

Maybe I should change it - but probably won't - I am a strong believer in the * if it ain't broke, don't fix it* school of thought.....

red coolant sounds faster than my green stuff.....