I’m in the process of changing the coolant on my 98 Mazda Protege LX. I have the radiator drained and rinsed out. Now I want to get the rest of the coolant out. Anyone know where the engine block drain plug is on this car? My Haynes manual shows a picture of the location but It’s of a different model so it’s not much help.
My Haynes manual also told me to undo the block drain on my Escorts - there isn’t one. It took me three emails to get someone to finally just give me the scoop that the manual is wrong.
The lower radiator hose should be just fine for draining it. Our engines are quite similar. I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t have a block drain.
I can’t say as I remember ever seeing an engine block drain plug on anything and the only thing worse, much worse, than a Haynes manual is a Chiltons.
Misinformation is the order of the day on those things.
Petcocks on engine blocks were eliminated long ago. I have never seen one on an automobile engine made after WW II.
My 1984 Toyota Tercel had one. Was WW II after that? 
Haynes mostly just edits old manuals when new models of cars come out. They add a little…often don’t remove things. Perhaps the block plug instructions have been hanging around since WWII 
It wouldn’t surprise me.
There was a time when I would have taken a Chilton’s over a Haynes. But now Haynes owns Chilton’s - so, well they both just stink. I won’t buy any more of them.
Is Haynes the only company that makes shop manuals?
Also, I have a jug of green coolant in the garage that is around 8 years old. The foil seal is unbroken. Is it safe to use?
My Odyssey has a drain bolt on the block, not a petcock though. I may be able to look up the location on AllData tomorrow for the Protege.
Chrysler products used petcocks on the blocks well into the 50s. WWll ended in 45. They used a removable bolt through the 60s. They were also the last one to give up the torque-converter drain plug.
Yeah I bought a $25 Chilton instead of the $150 factory manual like I usually do and I have to say the Chilton is just about totally worthless for much of anything except the metric conversions.
I’ve never used the drains plugs even when they had them. Can’t get to them and would probably break something anyway.
Apparently I missed all those petcocks on late model cars. I just don’t get around much.
All Data doesn’t appear to say anything about a drain plug for a 98 Protege.
Thanks for lookin Goldwing.
I just ordered a genuine OEM manual from ebay, so hopefully it’ll be a lot more helpful than my Haynes manual.