Tools you need for coolant flush on a 2005-2015 Toyota Tacoma

On the 2nd gen Tacoma this is one of the easiest fluid jobs on the truck. There is a plastic drain cock at the lower driver's side corner of the radiator, and once the engine undercover is off you can reach it with your fingers or a small flat screwdriver. Both the 2.7 2TR-FE and the 4.0 1GR-FE use Toyota Super Long Life Coolant (pink), and the US-market jugs are almost always pre-diluted.

A radiator-only drain gets about two gallons out of a system that holds a bit more, so most people do two drain-and-fill cycles rather than fight with the block drain plugs. The two things people get wrong: overtightening or cracking the brittle plastic petcock, and not burping the system - use a spill-free funnel, run it with the heater on full hot, and recheck the level after the first couple of drive cycles.

Complete tool and parts list

Differences within the 2005-2015 generation

Fastener sizes are the same on both engines - the undercover and splash shields use 10 and 12 mm bolts. The difference is capacity: the 2.7 2TR-FE holds roughly 2 gallons total, the 4.0 1GR-FE closer to 2.5 gallons, so buy 3 gallons of pre-mixed coolant if you plan a flush on a V6. Block drain plug location differs (driver's side of the block on the 2.7, harder to reach behind the exhaust on the 1GR-FE).

Torque specs

How the job goes

1. Work on a cold engine only. Chock the rear wheels, lift the front of the truck and set it on jack stands under the frame rails.
2. Remove the engine undercover or skid plate if fitted (10 and 12 mm bolts) to expose the bottom of the radiator.
3. Open the hood and remove the radiator cap to let the system vent and drain freely.
4. Slide the drain pan under the lower driver's side of the radiator, push a length of 3/8 in hose onto the drain cock nipple, and turn the plastic petcock counterclockwise about 2-3 turns with a flat screwdriver or your fingers.
5. Let it drain fully (about 2 gallons). If the reservoir is dirty, siphon or pull it and wash it out.
6. For a more complete drain, remove the engine block drain plug(s) on the side of the block, let them drain, then reinstall with the sealing washer. Optional - skip it if access is tight and just do two drain-and-fill cycles instead.
7. Close the drain cock hand tight and reinstall any plugs. Do not overtighten the plastic petcock.
8. If flushing: fill with distilled water, run the engine to operating temperature with the heater on full hot, cool down, and drain again. Repeat until it runs clear.
9. Attach the spill-free funnel with the correct adapter to the radiator neck and pour in pre-mixed Toyota SLLC slowly. The 2.7 holds roughly 2 gallons, the 4.0 slightly more; go by the funnel, not the bottle count.
10. Start the engine with the funnel half full and the heater on max heat, high fan. Let it idle until the thermostat opens and the level drops; keep topping the funnel. Squeeze the upper radiator hose a few times to help burp air.
11. Once the level stops dropping and both radiator hoses are hot, shut it off, let it cool slightly, remove the funnel and install the radiator cap.
12. Fill the plastic reservoir to the FULL line. Reinstall the undercover, lower the truck.
13. Drive it, let it cool completely, then recheck the radiator level by removing the cap and top off. Recheck again after a couple of drive cycles - air pockets often show up later.
14. Dispose of the old coolant at an auto parts store or recycling center.

Watch out

The 10/12/14 mm fastener sizes, the plastic lower-driver-side radiator petcock and the pink Toyota SLLC spec are consistent across the 2005-2015 Tacoma; confirm the block drain plug torque and exact capacity for your engine and transmission in the factory repair manual.

Other jobs on the 2005-2015 Toyota Tacoma

Coolant Flush on other vehicles