Coolant maintenance and Ford Dealership reseller

Thought I'd post this as a recent experience in Reno, NV, during which the question came to mind:
How long does it take to create a rusty block when weak coolant mix or mostly water has been used? [ vs. 50/50 'Asian red coolant'].

Looking at '05 AC V8 2WD SR5 [trd], 134K odo: undercarriage is clean, no sweat or drips fr/trans pan or block/trans seal; just a bit of sweat [not dripping] on steering rack boots. Oil filler clean cap. Genr'ly clean truck in/out, starts right up, but b4 starting i looked down into rad neck and its clear as water along w/reservoir tank. Not liking that. Also, havent driven yet. Carfax shows oil/filter services routine and LBJs replaced and a 'minor collision' passenger side. No signs of repair, overspray, color mismatch, surface quality differences, door/fender/bumper mis-aligns, etc. Either great B&P or very minor damage.
Its a trade-in on a Ford lot; likely took as down on new Ford...I'll drive b4 any offers, but their ask is $12.7...of course no record of T-belt so its likely never been replaced, as well as h2o pump & radiator. Given all that gets close to $2K w/out me turning a wrench, I'm thinking $10.5 max, provided all else [including compression & code chk]...
Too much to ask/hope for, or just walk away quickly since no absolute way of knowing how long its been run on "watered-down" coolant, or given that condition, what other dumb things have passed for 'maintenance'.
Your thoughts?

Epilogue: After a 30 min drive around Reno , truck didn't feel bad, but I noticed a bit of 'lurch' when releasing brake pedal just before hitting throttle from a stand-still. Not sure what it was; seemed to be brake related, otherwise it pulled to the left when 'free-wheeling', which confirms right side impact they claimed was contact with a stationary object, but 'minor collision' per CARFAX...
As stated, the rt side B&P was very well done, but that and the rt rear scuffed wheel skirt confirmed collision. In total, not horrible drive and afetr, 'internet sales manager' came out to see if I was hooked.
I probably offended him, but I came right out and said the most I could offer was $8.8k..his reply: "..Oh, no! We go by posted price [$12.7k] and we might drop a few hundred if cash".
I would have been surprised if he was willing to negotiate, but thats how I saw this truck [which you can also see online @corwinford.com], so I was content to walk. On my way out I mentioned that not only was coolant so low I couldn't test it with my 'draw-bulb', but that it looked like only water vs. the recommended type 'Red', and so given that I just drove it fairly hard, it might be a good idea to update coolant before the next test driver shows up. He claims he had no idea and mildly thanked me. [yeah, right!]

Trivia: Before test driving the truck, I talked to a local 'Toyota-centric' independant mechanic about the truck, whom stated; 'they're far from reality on asking', not just for year, mileage, condition but also the fact that no-record if T-Belt ever done, and likely original radiator, then he concluded: "..on top of that, they'll sit on that a long time since nobody in this area is interested in 2WD's..if they do sell for $12.7k, god-bless that guy.." This shop owner was so damn frank about Gen1 Tundras and some Lexus SUVs, he could have charged me for the 40 mins we talked. Most certainly he emphasized how bullet-proof the 4.7's are.
Otherwise he said it might have been a trade-in for a new Ford, and that buyer likely got very lo-KBB, maybe $4-5k at max, since not surprising for dealerships to work on huge margins. Imagine the guy in his 'new Ford F150' casually browsing used Tundras online and stumbling across his old Tundra re-marketed! [it probably shipped to the next county dealership]

In the end, maybe I was pipe-dreaming but apparently, so are they..

 

You appear to be interested in a 2WD. I have no need for 4WD and always buy a 2WD. A good condition low mileage 2WD Tundra will sell with quickness if priced reasonably.

 

If I had no use for 4WD, I would avoid it like the plague. It's another thing to break.

Likewise, if I planned to lower a truck, or install sport suspension, I'd never buy a 4WD.

There's a time and place for everything.

 

Wait, you'd lower and install sport suspension on a 4WD?

 

Typo. Corrected.

 

weadjust: you are100, I said as much up top.
Understood tho about any decent shape [relatively broad definition] Tundra being priced right. Between FB & CL, the better ones disappear in hours to days. I knew this before my search started, but I'm patient and vigilant.
I saw a pristine AC 2WD V8 that was waaay overpriced at $16.5k in San Diego [even had an equally nice 'SnugTop shell']. It drove and looked like a new truck @ 64k ODO. Dont want and dont need that much 'newness` quality in an 18yr old. I live in SoCal but if I lived in the Reno-LakeTahoe-SierraNev zone and needed to get around-year-round, yes more than likely I'd skip 2WDs entirely, which, I agree w/mecahnic shop owner: 'a 2WD in those parts has very limited use and thats why it'll sit there a while [at least until the supply runs so low that...]
Anyhow, glad I skipped the FORD dealer; that would just encourage an already inflated market.

 

So, back to my original query:
How long does take before you ruin a 4.7L by not running prescribed coolant?
or, maybe better question is:
Whats the most damage the 4.7L can expect from using weak or non-Red coolant or just plain water?

As we've all heard by now, most seem to think the 4.7L's are the toughest engine Toyota has built, but seems like no engine made anywhere is going to survive [very long] running on weak coolant or plain water, or whats first thing to go:
Hoses, water-pump, head gaskets, freeze plugs...?

 

Honestly, if nothing has broken yet....I'd do a really good flush with distilled water. Then fill her up with the proper pink. Keep an eye on the temps for a few days (especially since it's summer now) and if everything is good, I'd forget about it.

my truck over heated. I misdiagnosed it for a few days and still had to drive it back and fourth from work and back on a bad thermostat. So temps were above normal and would drop dramatically. Basically I tortured my engine for a week. And it's still doing fine.

A 2uz is a Viltramite. You can kinda kill them, it just takes extra effort.

 

Yes, testament to Toyo design/manufacture... I ask b/c I'm still looking for my unicorn and want to know how bad is really bad...one rig I looked at, seller said he bought as 3rd owner @ 160k and it didn't have a thermostat installed. Crazy, but he put one in eventually; during test drive, engine was as smooth and powerful as one could expect @160k.
Would think 1st sign engine about to fail would be radiator, but if not there, then headgaskets, on & on til you get to heat warp of heads, block etc...from what I have 'gleaned' theses blocks are hard to rust thru or even create blockages.

 

Fish: "Viltramite"..thats one I've not heard before..

 

https://youtu.be/TqxXVNejouM?si=w5y1DgiHRIiUwyeN

if you haven't seen that show yet. Holy shit.

 

You're probably not going to "kill" a 2UZ running the wrong coolant. I feel it's more like coronary disease, arterial buildup, which after a long time, will lead to a heart attack.

This is what came out of Crackie when Tundra2 opened it up and realized his PO put wrong coolant in, he may've mixed coolant OR used tapwater and that's rust and yellow coolant precipitate mixed.

It was in everything, like the throttle body bypass, the lines to the oil cooler, clogging everything up to the oil cooler, clogging the internals of the oil cooler, completely clogging cooling hoses, one radiator hose, another radiator hose. This was the consistency of it.

His case is a radical one. But it's a good reminder why it's important to use the correct fluids, and not run too much water and/or anything other than distilled water inside the cooling system of ANY engine.

Is what happened to Cracki going to happen to you if you wait another month or two to flush? Nope. But if you end up with enough precipitate from using the wrong fluid, it'll work its way into little passages, stick to the walls of tubing just like lipids/cholesterol to an artery and ...

 

I think you are underestimating the value of these trucks. I would say if it’s clean that’s a 10.5-11k truck all day long especially in Ca.

The 1UZ followed by the 2UZ are the best engines Toyota has ever made, they are near perfect. I don’t mind the timing belt at all. It is a very easy cheap DIY job. And ever 100k you are replacing all the timing components, water pump, the 3 little water hoses. While in there I always replace the primary drive pulley’s, tensioner and serpentine belt.

While in there, through in some new plugs. So all your engine wear items are replaced for around $400 in parts.

As for secondary air injection. That is annoying, but mine is still going strong at 345k same with my Starter.

 

These are good things to hear; however Diablo, the unit I saw in Reno wasn't worth 12.7k, nor was it to many in Reno-Tahoe area either as they've had it for sale 1.5 mo's now. But thats their prob, I just don't want to encourage inflation. None the less, decided to visit for wifes' b-day and discovered that Nev vehicles can be relatively clean on the undersides b/c compared to rockies and east of theere, they dont get much snow [unless you're at elevation in the Sierras]; for the most part its as dry and arrid as AZ [colder and windier tho] and according to locals, they dont 'salt' the roads. It never gets so bad that plows cant clear...
Side-lite: Diablo- [not intended to offend] while at a Tahoe resort, they featured a brand of coffee I'd not heard of before: 'Santa Cruz Coffee'.
If I were the city of SC I'd ask this outfit to remove the city name from the brand; it tasted as if it was brewed in a container that had been used as an ashtray. I tried the same brew at another location in Tahoe, thinking maybe the 1st try was old or a bad brewer, but nope- its gotta be the worst I've tasted since I first tried Starbucks' burnt-beans brand.
Oh well, it was a fun trip and eventho it was rain-snowing, we even got to ski in some sticky snow. All good and I'm not giving up on finding my unicorn, even if in NV! Just being patient and cheap.

 

btw: shifty, good analogue to human cardio-vascular- hoping to not have that heart attack right after I hook boat and trailer to it. Staying positive on a good 'unicorn' coming up before summer travel season begins.

 

My 3mo old fluid has a bit of a red/brown tint, but is clear, not cloudy.

 

None taken, Santa Cruz IPA is awful as well.

 

On the 2wd topic...it depends on where you live. They sit on the market for a long time out here in the intermountain west.

In fact the first Tundra I went to look at was listed on FB. 4wd, Access Cab, flatbed, 156,000 miles. Drove absolutely amazing, generally in extremely good shape. Wasn't until I almost bought it that I realized it was 2wd! I just so sure it was 4wd because of the ad, and I liked it so much. Crazy that I never thought to test the 4wd while test driving it...wasn't thinking. I realized later why it felt so nice to drive. No clunky, heavy parts up front. Smooth steering, less weight (flatbed cut down on weight too). I tried all that night to convince myself I could make a 2wd work, I liked the truck so much. But no way. Just no way it work for me. People in the Rockies do make them work, but it's a liability and very limiting. You can do so much more with a front wheel car. Unless you have the best snow tires and hundreds of pounds of weight in the back, you can get stuck in a completely flat parking lot in the winter. I regularly need to use 4wd to get moving on flat ground in the Tacoma.

Turns out, at least out here, when you post a Tundra on FB (I'm assuming, I'm not on FB), there are a few "typical features" that auto-populate. 4wd is one of them. If you're selling a 2wd you need to manually go in and change that setting. I think he was getting calls and seeing interest up until the point I showed him that his ad said 4wd, and he changed it.

Anyway, it's a great truck, low mileage, really well maintained. Been for sale for over a month now. Every 4wd anywhere near it's condition for anywhere near as good a price sells in a week.

I agree though, if I lived somewhere that it didn't snow and I didn't regularly drive steep, loose dirt roads, I'd love a 2wd.


Seems like there are plenty of people out there who never heard of Toyota red coolant and have engines in great condition, but I don't know. I don't think I ever heard of red coolant until I bought my Tacoma. Had several Toyota pickups before then that always ran regular part store coolant.

 

Bring your 2WD tundras to TX. We will gladly take them....

 

I'll bet. I don't know anything about the used car dealer world, but we have small place here, usually with about 6-10 vehicles at any one time. Seems like they go through phases...sometimes it's a lot of Ford pickups, right now mostly Chevy, have had a couple Tundras, usually some Jeep Libertys or something. I assume he buys them at auction or something, they get loaded on to a semi and delivered. I'm sure there's someone down south looking for good deals on 2wds up north where fewer people want them. Buy in bulk and have them shipped down.

A friend of mine here bought his first gen double cab 4wd in Arizona. Says 4wds down there were cheap enough that with the cost of the plane ticket and gas back home, it was still cheaper than buying one locally. Must be similar going the opposite direction with a 2wd.

Someone buy this and make me feel better for backing out last minute! But more importantly to get a great truck. Ready to receive a nice slide in camper or something.