Juz use water for radiator??

[Beast]

Hi guys,

 

Is it really true to juz use plain tap water for the radiator reservior??

 

Thanks!!

[Genie47]

Buy distilled water. Guardian now selling $1 for 1.5L of distilled water. Don't use this is battery if yours is not the MF type. Battery water is 18 mega-ohm water.

[Lgs72]

by the way, so can i use battery water for topping up coolant?

[Genie47]

Can. No problem. Battery water is the purest of all the distilled water commercially available. Too expensive though.

[Lgs72]

Thanks.......

so at least I can just put one bottle of battery water in my car for two uses....

 

:-)

[Spectra]

Three uses...

very thirsty also can drink

[Frankloh]

Don't just use plain water....always add a coolant, else your radiator will rust in a couple of month.

 

Buy a coolant that has rust preventation and with lubricating properties to lubricate your water pump. Even those $5 coolant is good enough.

 

Just dun use only water pls.

[Genie47]

Not just use antifreeze, must use the correct amount of antifreeze.

 

Some people suggest 70:30 water:antifreeze mix because of "hot local weather". This is dangerous.

 

Less antifreeze means less overboil protection.

 

It is true antifreeze does not cool as well as water. But in some areas of the sytem, it gets very very hot. So hot, bubbles will form and thus that area gets very hot because the air bubble actually traps heat. Consider this;

 

30% antifreeze = 102C

40% antifreeze = 104C

50% antifreeze = 107C

 

The coolant system will raise bp by another 3 deg C per psi and this is not enough. Minimum, 60:40 water:antifreeze ratio even for our weather. To be safe, stick with 50:50.

[Beast]

I'm a little confused now.. So I shld mix anti-freeze and coolant with distilled water for the radiator reservior?? The coolant is the same type of coolant water (greenish one) for the engine rite??

[Apollo]

let's not get confused. water is the main cooling property in the radiator. coolant merely act to elevate the temperature of the water (boiling temp) so that it does not evaporates too quickly. additives r added to the coolant to make it anti-rust and anti-freeze (winter)

 

if u r gg for the best, i would suggest Redline waterwetter/ NOS super coolant additive.

[Megalord]

Well, i noticed that diff manufacturers got diff type of coolant premixed like toyota or honda. You can use it direct, its not expensive, colours differ though. Normal top up just water will do. You can try all those water wetter stuff with water too, though i got no idea on its ability to protect.

[Jamesgetz]

u r recommending either waterwetter OR NOS coolant additive right? i'm currently using waterwetter and quite surprised the small bottle of 12 oz is for 12 to 20quart radiator systems. a bit paranoid whether the small bottle is effective enough bcos my original radiator fluid was the greenish kind which is rather concentrated and potent looking

[Apollo]

erm... dilute a bit lor.. overdoze of coolant is bad for radiator bah. anyway, use it when ur next 20k km coolant change is up lor.

[Genie47]

Most radiators are aluminium radiators. This led to many different schools of thought for coolants.

 

Traditional ethylene glycol

Uses silicates to passivate metal surfaces to prevent corrosion. OK to use in European based designed cars (Daewoo and Daewoo engineered Chevies as well). Cannot be used in new Japanese cars. Lasts 1-2yrs.

 

Ethylene glycol - no silicates

Used in Japanese cars. Due to the seal materials used in their designs, the silicates will precipitate out and become abrasive stuff. Uses phosphates to inhibit corrosion. Examples are Toyota and Honda red coolants (both concentrated and premixed). Hyundai is a Japanese car technology follower, so your best bet is to use this type if you are driving a Hyundai. Can last 2yrs

 

Ethylene glycol - low silicates, low phosphates

Used in the new European cars. They got a problem with phosphates foaming from Europe's hard water (as if distilled water can't be found in Europe ). Examples are Mercedes-Benz blue coolant. Lifespan of 2yrs.

 

Monopropylene glycol

Does not conduct heat as well as ethylene glycol but is reported less toxic. Carries no recommendation from any car manufacturer. Some caution against using it. Hard to find locally but a popular brand is Sierra or Peaks. Again, same change intervals suggested.

 

Organic acid technology

OAT as they call it. AKA GM-Dexcool (or Deathcool to some ) Recyclable and biodegradable antifreeze which is based on organic acids and is silicate- and phosphate-free. Due to the nature of the chemicals used, it can attack certain seal and gasket materials and therefore should only be used in vehicles for which it is factory specified.

 

DO NOT MIX glycol based antifreeze with OAT ones! If you must, you have to chemically flush your coolant system before changing over! 3-4yrs lifespan.

 

Ethylene Glycol-based Hybrid Organic Acid Technology

They call this HOAT. Prestone's yellow/orange 5/150 is HOAT based. It uses glycol and OAT based corrosion inhibitors. There is some silicate added. Most of them uses BASF's "Glysantin" additive. Less agressive than straight OAT and offers better cavitation resistance. Like OAT, best to flush your system thoroughly before using. 4-5yrs lifespan.

 

As mentioned a few posts above, minimum you need is 40% of the antifreeze or you will not get overboil protection.

 

Redline Waterwetter is most likely alkaline based technology. There has been reports of Waterwetter not liking other antifreeze together with it even though Redline says can use 30%. Caveat emptor!

Edited April 9, 2005 by Genie47

[Frankloh]

For me I just pour a can of coolant (mostly greenish, but some is yellow or clear) and mix with tap water in my radiator. As for anti-freeze, dun think spore weather needs it :)

[Genie47]

Have you been reading the posts? Even though our weather does not need antifreeze, there is overboil protection to consider. Not just overboiling, cavitation is another serious problem when your engine spends time at stop-start traffic conditions.

[Frankloh]

Water in radiator shouldnt be boiling in the first place right? If its not efficient in the first place, do something to remedy the system, not cover up by using additives.

 

Why make it so chem for a normal person?? Just add an aftermarket coolant or use back the original coolant will be fine.......

[Genie47]

Hello? Have you really been reading.

 

The only "additive" I keep talking about is the antifreeze be it green, yellow or red. Preventing overboiling is raising the bp of the coolant system. This is not cheem. This is just plain explanation. Can add coolant but you cannot anyhow add because your system will leak if you add any aftermarket coolant or coolant not specified by your manufacturer. Toyotas and Hondas are more sensitive to this. Then when you add, cannot be more clever than the automotive engineer and think that 30% enough because we got hot weather. Do that and watch your coolant system fail on you the next year or so.

 

If anyone think this is cheem, best do not ask in this forum for DIY advice and ask for a recommendation of which mechanic do it for you.