# Toyota V6 coolant drain **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** avalon, toyota\ **Created:** [March 18, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-v6-coolant-drain/46274 "2010-03-18T17:05:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![melott](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melott/32/10827_2.png) [@melott](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melott)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-v6-coolant-drain/46274/1 "2010-03-18T17:05:34Z")
I have a 2003 Toyota Avalon. I don’t see a petcock for draining the coolant. Maybe I am missing it, or maybe you chant some magic spell to change the coolant. Any advice? ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-v6-coolant-drain/46274/2 "2010-03-18T17:09:37Z")
True for many new cars. They are “reverse flushed”, quite often by disconnected one heater hose, taking the rad cap off and forcing the cleaner through the heater core engine block and radiator and out the top of the rad. I used to do this in my driveway before the environmental regs forbade it. ---
**Author:** ![melott](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melott/32/10827_2.png) [@melott](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melott)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-v6-coolant-drain/46274/3 "2010-03-18T17:12:21Z")
So, if all I want to do is drain and fill, I could just take off maybe the lower radiator hose? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-v6-coolant-drain/46274/4 "2010-03-18T17:15:37Z")
Yup. That’s the best way to do it. Always was. The challange with many of today’s cars is that there’s often a plastic splash shield with numerous screws that have to be remove to get it off, often with other overlapping panels involved. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-v6-coolant-drain/46274/5 "2010-03-18T18:02:17Z")
Some cooling systems aren’t easy to service. No petcock or radiator cap. It’s easier just to connect a coolant exchange machine and let that change the coolant. There’s also less of a chance of getting air trapped in the cooling system using this method. Tester ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-v6-coolant-drain/46274/6 "2010-03-18T19:03:34Z")
Those little petcocks tend to break off easily (if you even have one) and they are a pain to remove the rest and replace it. The easiest way is to remove the lower hose. ---
**Author:** ![melott](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melott/32/10827_2.png) [@melott](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melott)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-v6-coolant-drain/46274/7 "2010-03-18T19:10:47Z")
Yeah, I am just trying to save a bit of money DIY. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/toyota-v6-coolant-drain/46274/8 "2010-03-18T19:43:08Z")
Be careful removing the lower hose, it’s a plastic tank on the radiator and you can crack it if you use lots of force.