Low Coolant?

So I was filling up with washer fluid and noticed my coolant is low. Its a little bit below the low mark on the reservoir. Wondering if I should be worried? I haven't really been keeping an eye on it so no idea when it got low. I know two years ago when I bought it, it had more lol.

No major obvious signs of a leak. It gets parked in the garage usually so I would notice puddles on the floor. Other threads said to check the water pump. I'm not exactly sure where that is right now. It hasn't over heated or anything. Truck runs great. Oil level is fine and looks clean.

It did get cold here the last month or so and I have been driving more than usual.

I guess maybe just top it up and see what happens. The coolant smells a little rotten to me. Probably wouldn't hurt to drain the whole thing.

Should I get the OEM Toyota Fluid or as long as it is pink?
Thanks guys

 

Yeah Toyota Long Life is best.

So how Old is radiator? Tank may be leaking really slowly but also check the overflow hose, they get old, crack..

 

OEM. Check your hoses and the bottom of that radiator ASAP.

 

Assuming original radiator. Where is the over flow hose? I am a total noob with radiators.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXlZc5glbbo&ab_channel=turdsandwicher
Random video because camera wouldn't focus. Yeah that clamp looks rusted to shit but appears to be clamping fine. Kind of looked like a little bit of pink coolant but its hard to be sure... I also sprayed some fluid film not that long ago. So it could be that.

 

I think Ill be okay. Fill her up and see what happens.

 

Waterpump likes to weep on these trucks, you'll see a trail of pink crust accumulating underneath the fan clutch area, might have to pull skid plate to see it.

 

Hmm Ill go poke around at it again. I have the skid plate off. I think I know what the water pump looks like now thanks to youtube.

 

Did you see what level the fluid is in the radiator? What does the fluid look like? Does it look like strawberry milkshake? I would fill it back up and see what happens. But I would check it after one use to see if the fluid is dropping. Since you haven't looked at the level in 2 years this could be a gradual think that's no big deal or it could of started the day before you opened the hood. If the fluid is like a milkshake you could have a bad trans cooler (a big problem) and your fluid is mixing with the tranny fluid. While unlikely if this is the case you need to identify it immediately or you will damage the transmission.

 

Replace that lower clamp. It'll be clamping fine until it doesn't, then you're going to have a big problem. If you remove the hose to replace the clamp (OEM spring clamp), drain the coolant from block and radiator, flush the system, and replace the coolant.

Otherwise, top it off and observe closely the overflow reservoir level and temp gauge. If the reservoir level starts dropping, it's probably because the engine is getting hot enough to expand coolant into the reservoir until the reservoir overflows to the ground. Once you've lost enough coolant from the system that the radiator is sucking air back in, the radiator level will be dropping. The risk of extreme overheating and engine damage is then increasing as time passes and more coolant is lost.

 

You might also consider pressure testing the cooling system. That would eliminate worry about anything major being involved.

 

This. Just did mine...

 

Was it a slow leak?

 

Yes. Was weeping past the first seal. It's made like that so it doesn't kill the bearing and strand you.