Just want to make sure, is this the drain plug on the cylinder block that must be removed to drain the engine coolant? I'm not referring to the radiator plug, I know where that is. Took this pic directly beneath the suspected drain plug, it's circled and located above the oil filter.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=42626&stc=1

No one's ever drained their antifreeze before?

Just flush it a lot? :shrug

I just unplugged the radiator drain plug. I kept feeding water through the radiator cap and ran the car with load(a/c and stuff) and watch it drain until the coolant turned clear.

i just drained mine, a couple of weeks ago. Im almost postive thats where the block drain is. I couldnt get anything up in there to actually get the bolt off before i had to go to work, so i just flushed the radiator. my cars been running fine since. You should be fine, unless you never have drained your block before, then you might want too. also make sure you clean out your coolant reservoir, mine had a crap load of that stop leak in from when i bought from the dealership, and whats wierd is even with all that removed, i dont have a leak. good luck and if anyone has a easy way to remove that block drain bolt post up cause i couldnt get mine (not that i was trying all that hard).

Yeah, the radiator drain bolt was impossible to remove. I did get a ratched in there, sprayed some pb blaster on the bolt, and turned as hard as I could. Nothing. There isn't much room to start a war down there, so I think you have to be Arnold Schwarzenegger to get that bolt off.

Is it even totally necessary to remove the engine drain plug to do a drain, flush, and refill?

I am asking only because I plan on doing the procedure soon and would like to save myself the hassle of having to try to remove it.

not sure the haynes manuel said too i think. My cars been running fine even though i didnt drain the block. just make sure you flush your radiator out good, i think thats where most of the depoists sit at. the water running through the block probably should be pretty clean considering how hot the block gets. but again im not sure, one of the old schoolers around here should know.

So the general consensus is that it is NOT completely necessary to remove the engine block drain plug in order to do a antifreeze/coolant drain, flush, and refill?

It would be fine to just drain the radiator and proceed with the normal procedure, correct?

Originally posted by JM19
So the general consensus is that it is NOT completely necessary to remove the engine block drain plug in order to do a antifreeze/coolant drain, flush, and refill? It would be fine to just drain the radiator and proceed with the normal procedure, correct?

My dad is a mechanic and we have done several radiator flushes together, just pull the drain on the radiator, empty out. Fill with water, warm the vehicle back up to operating temp, drain, add water again and radiator flush stuff from autozone, warm to temp again, empty. Fill with antifreeze.

What if you had some coolant additive in there like water wetter(tm)? It says you should do a flush before winter? If there is some left sitting in the block, how much do you think that would affect things for winter?

Edit


Yes I resurected a 2 year old thread, but hey... I know how to use the search button.

Originally posted by FlyinEsi

Originally posted by JM19 So the general consensus is that it is NOT completely necessary to remove the engine block drain plug in order to do a antifreeze/coolant drain, flush, and refill? It would be fine to just drain the radiator and proceed with the normal procedure, correct?

My dad is a mechanic and we have done several radiator flushes together, just pull the drain on the radiator, empty out. Fill with water, warm the vehicle back up to operating temp, drain, add water again and radiator flush stuff from autozone, warm to temp again, empty. Fill with antifreeze.

THANK you for finally clearing this up... lol