Radiator Drain

[Larry Weil]

I have a 2008 Impreza 2.5i, and want to change the coolant myself. I
was looking at the radiator as best I could, and could not find the
drain (petcock?) for draining the radiator. Can someone guide me where
to look or if I have to remove one of the shields to get to it? I do
not have a lift available, I hope to be able to do this in my driveway.

In a related question, does the store that sells me the anti-freeze have
to take back the old stuff for proper disposal and/or recycling?

 

[VanguardLH]

I have a 2008 Impreza 2.5i, and want to change the coolant myself. I
was looking at the radiator as best I could, and could not find the
drain (petcock?) for draining the radiator. Can someone guide me where
to look or if I have to remove one of the shields to get to it? I do
not have a lift available, I hope to be able to do this in my driveway.

In a related question, does the store that sells me the anti-freeze have
to take back the old stuff for proper disposal and/or recycling?

You don't have a means to raise your vehicle. You are going to drain
your coolant WHERE? If you spill it onto your driveway and out to the
street, that's very likely illegal, plus it only takes something like a
teaspoonful to kill a dog (and they love the sweet taste). If you're
going to collect it, where are you going to dispose of it? It may have
high lead content. It is unlikely to be legal to dump into your sewer
system. Are there nearby local recycling or hazardous waste sites in
your area? They may charge for taking the waste (unless you wait until
a "free" day when they let you dump lots of stuff without a fee or one
small fee for it all).

Do you really intend on just changing the coolant sitting in only the
radiator? You're not going to replace the coolant in the hoses and in
the engine, too? If you're going to install a backflush tee in the
hose, just where is all that flushed out coolant going to go?