Loss Of Coolant

[Barry1000]

My Ls430 seems to be loosing coolant. I have recently had it gas converted ( about 4000 miles ago) and also had the cam belt changed just after the conversion. While the cam belt was changed I had the water pump replaced at the same time at a main dealer. What is the best way to solve? I am thinking of just taking into the main dealer, but I am a little concerned of opening my self up to mega costs! Has anyone any suggestions? Any help much appreciated. The car has done 45000 miles with a full main dealer history and is 10 years old.

[Bluesman]

My Ls430 seems to be loosing coolant. I have recently had it gas converted ( about 4000 miles ago) and also had the cam belt changed just after the conversion. While the cam belt was changed I had the water pump replaced at the same time at a main dealer. What is the best way to solve? I am thinking of just taking into the main dealer, but I am a little concerned of opening my self up to mega costs! Has anyone any suggestions? Any help much appreciated. The car has done 45000 miles with a full main dealer history and is 10 years old.

Go back to the main dealer who did the engine work. Mike

[Maduggo]

Sorry to partially hijack your post.

My Ls430 coolant is on the low marker, it is a pink colour.

What is the lexus part number for this stuff as i would prefer to put in the stuff they use.

Is it readily available without paying through the bank manager.

[messi]

You can get the coolant from Lexus dealers for around £7.

With regards to losing coolant after the cambelt has been changed, i do know from when i had an ls430, well i had 2, and when the dealers replace the cambelt they also replaced the radiator at the sametime. Dont ask my why. They didnt charge anything extra for it, but did advise they have to do it when replacing the cambelt on the early ls430.

[ManicMark]

Sorry to partially hijack your post.

My Ls430 coolant is on the low marker, it is a pink colour.

What is the lexus part number for this stuff as i would prefer to put in the stuff they use.

Is it readily available without paying through the bank manager.

Should be checked warm not cold see if its up then, Coolant can be bought off eBay £26 for 5 litres concentrated delivered.

[steve2006]

When you say the car "seems to be loosing coolant" is this from observing the level in the expansion tank constantly falling and are you having to keep topping it up?

Is there any evidence of a coolant leak e.g. puddle under car, dripping coolant, pink crystaline deposits?

Sometimes after major surgery the level can fall and need topping up as air purges out of the cooling system.

Also remember the LPG system you had fitted requires tapping into the cooling system to warm the evaporator so is there a loose connection there?

Lexus are probably the best people to investigate but may not want to become involved if the problem lies within the LPG side.

[messi]

Your right there steve. Lexus dealers wont touch it if its on LPG.

[Maduggo]

Sorry to partially hijack your post.

My Ls430 coolant is on the low marker, it is a pink colour.

What is the lexus part number for this stuff as i would prefer to put in the stuff they use.

Is it readily available without paying through the bank manager.

Should be checked warm not cold see if its up then, Coolant can be bought off eBay £26 for 5 litres concentrated delivered.

Have checked it cold, warm and hot, still on the low marker.

Is this the coolant you are referring to

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chill-Factor-5-Litres-Antifreeze-and-Summer-Coolant-RED-for-Lexus-LS430-/200915900345?pt=UK_Vehicle_Oils_Lubricants_Fluids&hash=item2ec78557b9

[Bluesman]

Your right there steve. Lexus dealers wont touch it if its on LPG.

According to Barry they did all the engine work after the LPG conversion without any problem Mike

[Rupert Dubreaux]

Chris ,I think this is the stuff Mark is refering to .

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-TOYOTA-RED-COOLANT-ANTIFREEZE-5-L-CONCENTRATE-/360617438111?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item53f6796b9f

It is the one I allways use anyway seems to do the job.

[messi]

Thats odd because they wont even a starter motor if an ls400 is on lpg. Maybe its easier working on the ls430

[Maduggo]

Chris ,I think this is the stuff Mark is refering to .

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-TOYOTA-RED-COOLANT-ANTIFREEZE-5-L-CONCENTRATE-/360617438111?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item53f6796b9f

It is the one I allways use anyway seems to do the job.

Thx mate

[ManicMark]

Sorry to partially hijack your post.

My Ls430 coolant is on the low marker, it is a pink colour.

What is the lexus part number for this stuff as i would prefer to put in the stuff they use.

Is it readily available without paying through the bank manager.

Should be checked warm not cold see if its up then, Coolant can be bought off eBay £26 for 5 litres concentrated delivered.

Have checked it cold, warm and hot, still on the low marker.

Is this the coolant you are referring to

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chill-Factor-5-Litres-Antifreeze-and-Summer-Coolant-RED-for-Lexus-LS430-/200915900345?pt=UK_Vehicle_Oils_Lubricants_Fluids&hash=item2ec78557b9

its genuine toyota £26.73 thats the one

[Barry1000]

Thank you all your help. I have noticed the level is down and goes down again after topping up and going for a run. I have put some paper under it tonight to see if it is leaking. It is also going in to Lexus on Wednesday. My nagging concern is that it has blown a gasget, although the engine oil looks pristine. I hope that its just a hose that needs tightening up. I will let you know.

[brendangeorge]

Your right there steve. Lexus dealers wont touch it if its on LPG.

Not entirely true messi - Sytner will not so I cannot use the delaer in MK so have to go to Coventry that is owned by Listers who will.

Bren

[brendangeorge]

Sorry to partially hijack your post.

My Ls430 coolant is on the low marker, it is a pink colour.

What is the lexus part number for this stuff as i would prefer to put in the stuff they use.

Is it readily available without paying through the bank manager.

The red (pink) propylene glycol based stuff at any car

spares will do the job. If you have had the water system worked on then

it is important the mechanic knew what they were doing when it was

refilled. I had a pain with mine because they did not clear an air

lock. Just topping up the expansion tank will not get the job done - I

would get back to the mechanic to sort it out very quickly. I had extra

fun because my thermostat also went at the same time. You will find that

the level in the expansion tank is sometimes below the minimum - and in my case

always. If I fill it up it returns to that level - don't forget the tank

is for expansion not a reservoir for the system when it loses coolant – it should

never lose coolant!

When you start from cold the thermostat will be closed (the

thermostat is not there to control the engine temp but to allow it to warm up

quickly – once open it stays that way until the engine cools which never

happens when running.) so the water pump will push water into the expansion

tank and the level will rise. If the

level goes to high the excess will go out of the overflow and when the

thermostat opens you will see the level in the expansion tank drop and this can

be below the low line. So you top up the

tank and the cycle repeats – however I know nothing (I have just lived the

dream) so have somebody who knows what they are doing check the car – I had a

small water leak when the car warmed up because some clown did not put a clip

on the radiator bottom hose after I had the rad replaced. I was lucky because I was close to home and

kept my eye on the gauge.

Good luck

Bren

[steve2006]

Air locks in the coolant system are quite common with the LS series and can take some effort to remove.

The engine even has coolant drain valves on each bank to allow full removal of all the old coolant.

One possible solution to eliminating air locks when refilling I have considered is to refill the coolant from the lowest point, in other words fill from bottom to top so all the air is expelled from the expansion bottle.

An ideal place for this is to connect a suitable diameter pipe to the radiator drain valve and then using a funnel raised above the engine pour the coolant into the cooling system until the expansion bottle is at the correct level.

This should in theory at least prevent any airlocks.

[brendangeorge]

Air locks in the coolant system are quite common with the LS series and can take some effort to remove.

The engine even has coolant drain valves on each bank to allow full removal of all the old coolant.

One possible solution to eliminating air locks when refilling I have considered is to refill the coolant from the lowest point, in other words fill from bottom to top so all the air is expelled from the expansion bottle.

An ideal place for this is to connect a suitable diameter pipe to the radiator drain valve and then using a funnel raised above the engine pour the coolant into the cooling system until the expansion bottle is at the correct level.

This should in theory at least prevent any airlocks.

Here is a tutorial on how to do it on a 400 http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/cooling/coolant.html

Bren

[MNP]

As a matter of urgency, check your auto gearbox fluid, if it's leaking into there it will be creamy pink. I believe this is possible with the 430 in the same way as it did in my Toyota Land Cruiser.

Good luck, Mark.

[Bluesman]

Air locks in any V type engine are a real bugger and can take time and patience to get rid of them but they go eventualy. Mike

[steve2006]

As a matter of urgency, check your auto gearbox fluid, if it's leaking into there it will be creamy pink. I believe this is possible with the 430 in the same way as it did in my Toyota Land Cruiser.

Good luck, Mark.

Yes good point,forgot about that one, the LS430 has a transmission fluid and engine coolant heat exchanger and there have been a couple of cases,one recently on the forums where this has failed and allowed to 2 to mix. The last one destroyed the transmission!

Link below

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/75127-ls430-gearbox-failure/

[Lexmanic]

My Ls430 seems to be loosing coolant. I have recently had it gas converted ( about 4000 miles ago) and also had the cam belt changed just after the conversion. While the cam belt was changed I had the water pump replaced at the same time at a main dealer. What is the best way to solve? I am thinking of just taking into the main dealer, but I am a little concerned of opening my self up to mega costs! Has anyone any suggestions? Any help much appreciated. The car has done 45000 miles with a full main dealer history and is 10 years old.

Is the heater working hot if not I suggest the coolant system needs bleeding correctly as there's air in the system which may also be causing your coolant loss

[Lexmanic]

My Ls430 seems to be loosing coolant. I have recently had it gas converted ( about 4000 miles ago) and also had the cam belt changed just after the conversion. While the cam belt was changed I had the water pump replaced at the same time at a main dealer. What is the best way to solve? I am thinking of just taking into the main dealer, but I am a little concerned of opening my self up to mega costs! Has anyone any suggestions? Any help much appreciated. The car has done 45000 miles with a full main dealer history and is 10 years old.

Is the heater working hot if not I suggest the coolant system needs bleeding correctly as there's air in the system which may also be causing your 'apparent' coolant loss

[Ifty]

I had the same problem. Check the hoses that go from the radiator to the evaporator and tighten the jubilee clips. Should solve your problem unless the rad is leaking. I have mine serviced every 10k from Lexus BHAM which I believe is Sytner. They don't have a problem servicing it. Due for 130k service after 4k miles.

Ifty

[cleverdick]

Sure it's not just a weak header tank cap?