One of the biggest failure points of an internal combustion engine is the cooling system, so it is important to keep it well maintained. A healthy cooling system on an SW20 MR2 starts with the coolant. Using the wrong coolant can lead to some pretty nasty things happening to your MR2’s engine, so we have created a guide to help you select the correct one.
What Is the Best Coolant for a Toyota MR2 SW20?
The best coolant for an MR2 SW20 is Toyota’s OEM Long Life Red Antifreeze Coolant. This coolant is exactly what Toyota uses in their cars and is Ribena red-like in colour. Toyota Pink coolant will work as well, but it tends to be recommended for newer vehicles.
Green coolants such as Prestone Green 50-50 will work as well, but Toyota Red Coolant is definitely the most recommended. Consider reading our guide on Toyota red vs pink coolant for more information on this subject.
Can I Mix Coolants
No, if you are switching your SW20 MR2 from Toyota Red to something like Prestone Green (or vice versa), you must flush the cooling system completely. Mixing coolants can corrode your MR2’s cooling system, which can lead to nightmares down the track.
When Should the Coolant Be Replaced on an SW20 MR2?
According to the service manual, the coolant in an SW20’s engine should be changed every two years to keep the cooling system in good working order. Unfortunately, not many MR2 owners do this as it is quite a time-consuming process to do correctly.
To find out more about changing the coolant in a Toyota MR2 SW20 we recommend that you check out this guide.
What are the Signs of Bad Coolant?
If the coolant in your Toyota MR2 is brown or muddy it needs a change. Additionally, if you notice that there are any oily bubbles in your coolant you have big problems that need to be addressed immediately. Oil in the coolant suggests that the head gasket has blown or that the cylinder head is cracked. Another sign of this problem is milky coloured coolant.
Now make sure you check out our Toyota MR2 SW20 Buyer’s Guide!
