Wanted: coolant draining suggestions

[aurelius]

I live within the rules of an HOA and cannot get coolant all over the common driveway area. Not that I'd want to regardless, especially with 2 dogs.

Looking for some kind of cheap rubber hose to hold up to the engine block and radiator drain plugs such that the liquid can drain into a bucket.

The obvious solution would seem to be 2-3 feet of rubber radiator hose but such a thing is elusive. At least when looking for straight, unbent hose.

NAPA and Pep Boys have nothing.

Amazon's wide inner-diameter hose all have 90-degree bends in them.

Home Depot has some that would work but not ideal and surprisingly expensive.

Suggestions? I want at least 1.5" inner diameter. Preferably 2".

[danewilson77]

Buy a large flat storage bin from Walmart. Should be about $8.00.

One of those "Trundel bins" would be perfect.

[LivesNearCostco]

I tried 3/4" (or maybe it was 1") stiff clear plastic hose from the local hardware store and it didn't work, that is it caught less than half of the coolant. Someone suggested 1.5" or 2" flexible drainpipe tubing. I wish I'd tried that!

[BCS_ZHP]

For draining the block, I used an extra piece of dryer vent hose. It's 4" in diameter, you can bend it and position it any which way, then toss it in the trash when you're done. Ditto on a flat storage bin to capture coolant from the radiator draining.

[telijah]

Start the draining using the plug on the bottom of the radiator. It has enough clearance to stick a huge bin under it like Dane said and with almost no risk of it getting everywhere. Once drained, then you can move the bin to the block drain (can't remember if all E46 had this) and then drain the rest. I've done this with no fluid hitting the pavement at all.