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Maintanence

The page is a general overall maintenance you might have to do with Kei cars. Ensure that your specific vehicle works with the advice below.

Coolant

Coolant (also called antifreeze) typically comes in three main types, based on the kind of corrosion inhibitors they use:

  1. Inorganic Acid Technology (IAT)
    1. Color: Usually green
    2. Used in: Older vehicles (pre-1990s), including many classic Kei cars
    3. Change interval: ~2 years or 30,000 miles
  2. Organic Acid Technology (OAT)
    1. Color: Orange, red, dark green, or purple (varies by manufacturer)
    2. Used in: Modern GM, Honda, Toyota, and many imported vehicles
    3. Change interval: ~5 years or 150,000 miles
  3. Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT)
    1. Color: Yellow, pink, blue, or purple
    2. Used in: Chrysler, Ford, European cars (BMW, VW), some newer imports
    3. Change interval: ~5 years or 150,000 miles

Ensure that you are using the right type of coolant for your car.

Coolant flush

When you are importing your Kei car for the first time, you should do a coolant flush since you don't know how well the car was maintained before receiving it

You can follow the video guide below:

Fuel and fuel additive

Ideally, you should fill your Kei car up with ethanol-free unleaded gasoline because ethanol can degrade rubber seals, fuel lines, and carburetors in older vehicles not designed for it. However, in cases where that is not available, using a fuel additive to help protect against ethanol damage to the car is sufficient. We recommend STA-BIL® In-Season Protection Fuel Treatment fuel additive for Kei cars to help prevent engine wear.

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Oil

Since Kei cars are 25 years or older, we recommend using a full-synthetic high mileage blend. A Kei car will typically take 3 quarts of oil.

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Oil filter

You can try to import a Japanese oil filter for your Kei car to ensure compatibility. However, you can use domestic oil filters without any issues. See the respective vehicle page to determine the correct oil filter.

Oil filter wrench

The only oil filter wrench worth getting is the alligator wrench oil filter pliers

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Rust

Rust is the trickiest part about importing a Kei car. Many older Kei cars tend to have rust, so it's important to remove or treat any rust when receiving the vehicle.

Removing rust

Preventing rust

Wiper blades

Any J-hook wiper blade should work for Kei cars. Below are some links to wipers that we recommend.

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