I want to learn how to drain and flush my radiator. I need help on how to do so without making as mess

All is not lost flush transmission refill 2 big hoses are radiator 2 smaller are transmission google year & make for diagram of radiator hoses & check on YouTube don't give up mistakes are a part of learning !

You will need to do two things: drain the radiator then remove the lower radiator hose to drain most of the engine block.

Make sure the engine is cold. DO NOT do this if the engine is hot. Leave the radiator cap in place for now as this will allow the expansion tank to drain as you drain the radiator.
Find the radiator drain petcock and place a bucket or pan underneath. You want to catch as much coolant as possible rather than let it pool on the ground. Anti-freeze is highly toxic to animals and people (like little children) so treat it accordingly. It will also make a slick mess on the ground. Open the petcock and allow the radiator and expansion tank to drain. Once the radiator is empty you can remove the radiator cap. You will need to remove the lower radiator hose. Ideally remove the hose from the engine side if you can. More coolant will come out fairly quickly so make sure you have a pan beneath to try and catch it. You have now drained as much coolant as possible from the engine without having to resort to removing the engine block drain plug(s) (hard to get to and not worth the effort IMHO). At this point you will need to flush the system with fresh water to purge the rest of the old coolant. I am not going to go into the finer points of doing that here; you can look that up online as there is a wealth of "How-To" info on this. It's a good idea to use some radiator flush to help remove rust and other deposits from the cooling system especially if the old coolant is brown in color.

There is a drain in the side of the block normall near the back on the side. Sometime it is a tap that you screw in not out to open it. It is possible to flush without removing the plug but if you want a good job take the time to remove the thermostat and flush using the bottom radiator hose and not through the radiator as you won't want any muck blocking up the cores in the radiator. Then flush the radiator from bottom to top.

drain coolant system locate heater cores hoses going through firewall you need to buy the radiator flush kit at any auto parts stores. remove heater cores hoses from one end or buy extra long heater hoses same size as heater core hoses in vechicle at auto parts store use the flush kit when you flush through one of the heater core hoses let the other hose drain in a drain pan when you use home garden hose use low water pressure dont use garden hose to the max or you will rupture heater core. your best bet let radiator shop flush whole coolant system. because heater cores hoses are in a tight spot.make sure engine off if you just going to flush out heater core only .after flushing heater core good time to replace heater core hoses.if job too hard or complicated let radiator shop flush out radiator the engine block and heater core because if radiator stopped up or engine block stopped up the gunk and rust will reenter plug up heater core.if you tight on money you can flush out your own radiator.drain out radiator using large drain pan. remove top radiator hose and remove bottom radiator hoses connect to water pump.use garden hose with flush kit part with water pressure not too high put garden hose to top radiator hose run water until clear water run out bottom radiator hose in drain pan,the flush out engine block remove thermostat.if you had another spare thermostat housing with RTV SILICONE SEALANT THAT HAS SET UP INSTALL THERMOSTAT HOUSING BACK TO ENGINE WITHOUT THERMOSTAT FLUSH OUT THE ENGINE BLOCK, WHEN DONE INSTALL NEW THERMOSTAT THEN INSTALL ORIGINAL THERMOSTAT HOUSING WITH NEW ORING WHICH YOU BUY AT DEALERSHIP.IF ALL SOUND COMPLICATED LET RADIATOR SHOP FLUSH OUT COOLANT SYSTEM.

This procedure makes a bit of a mess and requires catch pans but it is the best way to flush a coolant system without cutting any hoses or adding a flush kit.


If your radiator does not have a drain plug is to remove the LARGE lower radiator hose and drain the anit-freeze. (Even if it does have a drain plug the steps below are the best way) You then plug the lower radiator hose connection on the radiator and have a 2nd person add water to the radiator with a hose. They will need to place a rag over the fill port for the radiator and flush the block until you get clear water from the lower drain hose. Once you get clear water drain off the fresh water by unblocking the lower radiator fitting and flush the radiator. Once you get cleanwater from the radiator connection, reconnect your lower radiator hose. (Tighten the clamp!) Then add your anti-freeze. Remember there will still be a some water in the block so do not be afraid to keep your anit-freeze / water ratio a tad higher because the left over water in the block will dilute it slightly.

Thanks for choosing FixYa,
Kelly

No, the flush kit is mounted on the heater hose and you need to drain the system. Removing the lower radiator hose and termostat is the best method for flushing draining the coolant system.

Hunnybunny has typed in a step by step way of flushing it at home.

Hope this helps you. Here are the basics. There are many problems you may run up against (frozen bolts, stubborn or cracked hoses, rusted clamps, etc)that may need to be fixed or replaced before proceeding: SHut off engine, allow to cool completely. Disconnect the cooling fan, remove negative battery terminal connection. Drain radiator by opening draincock and/or removing lower radiator hose, collecting coolant in a drain pan. Do not let it go onto the ground - bad for environment! Open top radiator hose to allow remainder of coolant to flow out. A few quarts of coolant will remain in the engine block. You will want to totally flush and refill AFTER replacing the radiator to get all the crud out of the system. Unbolt radiator and disconnect any other items still attached (transmission cooler, temp sensor wires, etc.). Remove radiator and replace with new, reattaching all items removed from old radiator. Inspect other items and possibly replace suspects. Reattach hoses and make sure the clamps are tightened without pinching hoses excessively. Do a flush job with water/radiator flush, making sure the water runs clear out the draincock. Instructions for flushing the cooling system are usually printed on the radiator flush bottle. Be sure the heater is on and the engine warms up completely to open the thermostat. SHut off engine and drain as much water as will leave. Fill with 50% coolant mix (Dexcool or equivalent). Estimate water remaining in the engine and add 100% coolant to balance. COmplete fill with 50% mix. Remove air by running engine until warmed with the radiator cap off, adding coolant mix along the way.

You don't want to do that anyway. There is a kit that goes in line to the heater core line. Live chat me and I'll explain it or you can go to your auto parts and they can explain it. Used to be a mobile mechanic and learned how to do a lot of stuff without breaking seals. If this is helpful, please post as such