Tools you need for coolant flush on a 2012-2017 Toyota Camry

On the XV50 Camry this is one of the easier maintenance jobs. Everything you need is behind the lower engine splash shield: 10 mm bolts, a few Phillips screws and push clips, then a plastic petcock at the driver's side bottom corner of the radiator. There is no usable block drain, so a petcock drain gets most but not all of the old coolant - pulling the lower radiator hose gets you a bit more if you want a cleaner change.

What varies is capacity and the hybrid's second loop: about 6 quarts for the 2.5 L 2AR-FE, about 10 for the 3.5 L 2GR-FE, and hybrids add a separate inverter cooling circuit with its own reservoir and electric pump. The mistake people make is rushing the refill. Use a spill-free funnel, idle the car with the heater on full hot until the fans cycle, and keep topping up until bubbles stop - otherwise you get an air pocket, a cold heater and a temp gauge that climbs on the highway.

Complete tool and parts list

Differences within the 2012-2017 generation

Tool sizes are the same across the generation - 10 mm plus Phillips for the under-cover, hand-turn plastic petcock. Only the coolant volume differs: roughly 6 qt for the 2.5 L 2AR-FE versus roughly 10 qt for the 3.5 L 2GR-FE V6. Hybrids need a second fill for the inverter loop and a bidirectional scan tool (Techstream) to run the inverter pump for bleeding.

Torque specs

How the job goes

1. Make sure the engine is cold. Chock the rear wheels, lift the front of the car on the factory jack points and set it on jack stands.
2. Remove the lower engine splash shield: 10 mm bolts plus Phillips screws and push clips along the front and sides. Set the hardware aside in order.
3. Place the drain pan under the driver's side lower corner of the radiator, where the white/black plastic petcock sits.
4. Slowly remove the radiator cap on top of the radiator to release pressure and let the system drain freely.
5. Open the petcock by hand (turn counterclockwise, roughly a quarter to half turn). Do not remove it fully and do not use a wrench - the plastic snaps easily. Let it drain completely, about 6 qt on the 2.5 L, 10 qt on the 3.5 L.
6. Suck or siphon the old coolant out of the translucent overflow reservoir, or unbolt the reservoir (10 mm) and tip it out, then rinse with distilled water.
7. For a fuller change, also pull the lower radiator hose with hose clamp pliers to dump what the petcock leaves behind, then refit it with the clamp in its original position.
8. Close the petcock hand tight. Check the hose clamp and shield area is dry.
9. Install the spill-free funnel with the correct adapter in the radiator neck. Pour in pre-mixed Toyota SLLC slowly until the funnel holds a few inches of coolant.
10. Start the engine with the heater set to full hot, fan on low. Let it idle and watch the funnel: the level will drop as the thermostat opens and air burps out. Keep the funnel topped up. Gently squeeze the upper radiator hose to help move air.
11. Once the upper hose is hot, the cooling fans have cycled, and no more bubbles appear (typically 15-25 minutes), shut the engine off and let it cool enough to remove the funnel without spilling.
12. Remove the funnel, top the radiator to the neck, install the cap hand tight, and fill the overflow reservoir to the FULL line.
13. Reinstall the splash shield, lower the car, and run the car up to temperature once more. After it cools fully, recheck the radiator level and reservoir - expect to add a little on the first two or three heat cycles.
14. Hybrid only: also check the separate inverter coolant reservoir (front of engine bay, marked for inverter coolant). If you drained it, refill with the same pink SLLC and use a scan tool to run the inverter water pump to bleed it, topping off as the level drops.
15. Drive the car a few days, then recheck both reservoirs cold. Take the old coolant to a recycling center.

Watch out

The 10 mm splash shield hardware, plastic radiator petcock location and Toyota pink SLLC requirement are correct for all XV50 Camrys; double-check your exact capacity and the inverter-loop bleed procedure in the factory service manual for your engine.

Other jobs on the 2012-2017 Toyota Camry

Coolant Flush on other vehicles