anyone know where it's located on a 2000 ES Pro. You'll save me from poking around.

 

You have to unbolt and lift the large black air-intake? around the radiator and it's located on the right side, as you look at the steering wheel from the front of the car...hope this helps.

 

thanks MIJ, all give it a look.

 

Under the car, 19mm, looks like the oil pan, faces the rear.

 

I was talking about for the automatic...sorry if the question was for a manual trans.

 

yes, i was asking about the plug on an automatic.

 

Not sure if there is a drain plug under the car on the automatic. What I did was drain and refill with a machine that empties out the old by putting in the new through two connectors where I indicated earlier. There may well be a third access, but I was not aware of that. Sorry for not being much help here....guess the logical thing to do is get under the car and look...have changed my oil every 3000 miles for the life of my car, which is now at 50K and I've never noticed such a plug on the end of a pan that looks like an oil pan.

 

If it's similar to my old Escort (Mazda tranny), the drain isn't on the pan. it's on the diff housing, just below one of the axles (can't remember which side). Don't quote me on it, because that was back in 93 and they might have changed, but check there.
You're probably better off going to Jiffy Lube or someplace to do that T tech thing, where they change all the fluid out thru the cooler lines. That way you change all the fluid instead of the 2 quarts or so that drain out when you pull the plug.

 

Mark..totally agree...that's why I've never looked for the drain plug.

 

There's also a filter you ought to change... usually you have to take off the tranny oil pan to get to it (which you would need to do anyway to change all the fluid). The drain plug on my first gen is 24mm, but I doubt it's really the same.