OK, I'm stymied. Where is the radiator drain plug on a 2003 Tribute?? The bottom of the radiator is covered with a large black plastic shroud (as seen from below, looking up). Does that have to be removed? Not even clear which screws need to be loosened to remove it. Is the drain in the middle of the bottom of the radiator, or on one side or the other?

 

If you are wanting to drain the radiator, pull the bottom hose.

 

Can't tell you, but sometimes checking the Mazda (dealer) part sites can help find things.

Google 'Jim Ellis Mazda Parts' and bring-up the diagrams for your car. Should find it that way.

 

You might call an auto parts store if they have that radiator in stock, I'm sure they would let you look at it.

 

Yeah, well, it seems kinda dumb to pull the bottom hose if there is supposed to be a drain plug somewhere ... and there is supposed to be.

Actually, I may have found it. Off on the passenger side of the radiator near the bottom. A 3/4" white plastic hex head at the end of some spigot-like thingy. Pissn' hard to reach without removing the plastic shield (and not easy to reach even if you do!

Is that it? I'd rather not turn it and have something other than coolant come out.

 

Heh. No sooner than I complain about how hard that hex head is to get to, I just pop the hood, and look straight down the passenger side of the radiator from the top. And there it is! It's obviously connected to the radiator, so I'd be hard pressed to get transmission fluid out of it.

Sheesh.

It's a bit of a reach, but at least I'm not skinning my wrists trying to get to it. The "Insert Image" doesn't seem to work, but see this.

http://oi50.tinypic.com/15pqx42.jpg

 

If you are going to drain the radiator seems kinda dumb to look for a 1/4 petcock to drain it with while ripping your skin to get to it when the bottom hose is alot easier, and faster to drain.

 

Getting to the bottom hose isn't really a lot easier, because in order to get to it, I have to remove a large shield. Since I don't have the car up on blocks or on a lift, it's pretty tight underneath, and when I pull the hose, I'll get a gusher in my face.

This way, I control the drain from the top. Yeah, it'll take a minute or two instead of ten seconds to drain, but who cares? If Mazda thought it was easier to pull the hose, why would they have put in a drain?

 

Every radiator has a drain petcock. My suggestion to you was if you wanted to drain the radiator pull the hose. The petcock is there to partial drain a radiator, i.e. weak coolent drain, then top off with good.

 

To each his or her own.

It takes 5-6 minutes to drain the radiator through the petcock, and a few seconds (it's just finger-tight) to open and close it. If I want to flush the system (run the engine between flushes), I'd rather not have to keep swapping the hose on and off. Especially if the car isn't on a lift, so I have to do it by getting under the car. If it is on a lift, I'm not going to be starting the engine.