I'm due for a flush/replacement of fluids.
Anyone do it themselves yet ? Can't be that hard.


I'll take some pics and do a little D.I.Y.
if there isn't one.....

 

I drained and re-filled mine. Pretty easy, I didn't do a whole flush tho.

You can def DIY

you might want to jack up the car a little bit.. there's a hole on the driver's side of the plastic guard thingie where the plug is.. if you look from the front of the car to the radiator you can see what im talking about. It's a little plastic screw plug.

Keep the radiator jug capped, unscrew the plug with a pan underneath. I used a litterbox, it was just the right capacity. It will start to drain slow, uncap the overflow tank and it will drain fast. after it's done then plug it up. fill the jug with radiator fluid.. I used 50/50 pre-mixed. keep filling the plastic jug, it will empty then fill some more.. after it wont, cap it then start the car and it will drain and you can re-fil.

it takes a little over 1 bottle.

 

I figure it would be easy. My Celica didn't have a drain plug. You had to remove the lower hose to drain....

 

Yeah, I thought I would have to do that too.. The drain plug is phillips by the way. It's plastic so I wouldn't go torquing it on real tight, or turning it the wront way to get it off.


. and if you do a DIY can I get a by-line?

 

^the drain plug is plastic? weird

 

Well, some type of composite material.. definitely not metal.

 

oh okay..i was thinking liek crappy cheap plastic for some reason. haha i was liek "oh great something for me to break" lol

 

I'd still be careful with it.

 

If you want to do a full flush (rad and engine) the bolt (if the same as my old 13b) is located on the drivers side (intake side for J-spec) of the engine just above the the oil pan seem. That will drain the engine coolant.

 

^^ I'm pretty sure that's what I said Only it's made of a composite material now.

 

There is a drain plug on the rad, and one on the engine as well. If you meant the bolt (not plastic) that is on the engine then my bad. If not then :P

 

Nope, I ment the one on the radiator.. My bad.. thanks for the heads up!!! I didn't see one in the manual on the engine.. I'll look next time I do an oil change.

 

what do you do with the drained coolant? dump into the sewer or recycle??

 

Folks-- be carefull- I overtightend the plug,(can easily be done) pain in the a-- . I Put in new plug- Makes the special they offered at my dealer (brake Fluid flush/refill & Engine fluid flush refill,) ($190.00) seem like a good deal!!

 

Might need a can of gas so you don't run out during the 30min idle session of the flush followed by 10min idle session to clean the solvent out.....lol

 

Better to bring the car into a place that has the proper ability to recycle the radiator fluid. Dumping your old fluid on the ground is illegal in most places. Coolant is toxic.

 

You have 60k on your car already. I mean I'm sure that there is nothing wrong with doing a flush now, but I was going to do it until I read the workshop manual which stated 60k or something like that I gotta look again.

 

Most auto-repair and some store places will take automotive fluids, including oil and radiator.

 

Maintinence sched says 30 - 35 k

 

I think the workshop manual differs from wherever you are getting your information:

Page 19 of the workshop manual states:

COOLING SYSTEM
Cooling system
Engine coolant Replace at first 96,000 km (60,000 miles) or 48 months; after that, every 24 months

Maybe I'm reading wrong, I'm not trying to 1up you just really wanted to know for myself as well, if it is indeed 30-35k then I would want to change it now also.

If you got this info from the car manual or the dealer, then I'm wondering if they just state this to get you in to the dealer so they can charge you for it.


I'm sure cleaning it out at 30-35 isn't bad for the car at all, if anything it's a good thing. I just didn't want to go through the trouble of doing it and couldn't find a DIY thread for it. I have the workshop manual but would rather see color pictures from someone here first before trying it myself.


Anyone have any further information.

 

You're right.. the schedule says to Inspect.. replace is 60k.. my bad. However, I think others have stated that dealerships are asking to do this at 30k.. not suire.

 

Yeah I think that the dealers want our money. I'm sure like I said that changing it now can't be a bad thing. Please let us know the link for the DIY after you have completed it. I'm interested in doing this myself, I hate letting anyone else touch this car, I'm sure you feel the same way.

Thanks

 

Sure thing, I think beachdog is doing one.. I've outlined most of the stuff I did already.. just no pics. I do want to verify the engine coolant plug (instead of the radiator one).

 

Mazda fills from factory 'long-life' coolants that are good for 60k miles, after which you will replace with regular coolants, which are recommend for use for only 30k miles/24 months, whichever comes first

 

Ahh, thanks for the heads up.. looks like ill be chanign mine more often.. no big deal it's so easy