How do you drain radiator on a 97 Mazda Millenia?

Draining the radiator

You would remove the radiator cap to ensure smooth flow.

Put a pan or bucket under the radiator to catch the coolant. Please make sure you don't spill any, or clean it up if you do. Antifreeze tastes sweet. Cats, dogs and other animals are very attracted to it. It is fatal when they drink it. For us too.

There should be some kind of a draincock at the bottom of the radiator. Open it to drain the coolant. Flat pliers or similar tool might help opening the draincock if it is stuck, but be very careful not to break it. They are made of plastic and can become crisp with age.

If the draincock doesn't seem to open (or you might break it), you could, as a last and rather messy resort, open the clamp around the lower radiator hose and hope that the entire content of the cooling system doesn't escape all at once. Have a wide bucket ready!

Be aware, you cannot the drain the radiator without draining the entire cooling system because it's all connected. When you refill the system, please follow the procedures as described in the answer to "How do you bleed the coolant for a 1998 Mazda Millenia?" This will avoid bad and costly surprises with an incompletely filled cooling system.

First answer by ID1153989688. Last edit by ID1153989688. Question popularity: 55 [recommend question]