Fill your radiator with a mixture of 60 percent coolant and 40 percent water. Depending on what you drive and where you live, the coolant available at your nearest gas station may not be compatible with the coolant within your car, and mixing them may cause coagulation. Keep in mind that you should circle back after the repair and drain/flush and refill the system (if it was not required for the fix) so that you have the proper proportion of anti-freeze to water. The mixture is known for doing wonders by hampering the freezing or boiling of the coolant under severe weather conditions. In a simple radiator test, a dye is added to the water in the radiator. If you are faced with low coolant levels in your car's radiator, do not just pour in pure coolant. Hoping the corrosion inhibitors stop that process is a risk. If your engine starts to overheat, you will notice that the temperature gauge on your dashboard has risen above the middle mark. A faulty radiator cap will cause the coolant to flow into the reservoir. The turbulator helps to regulate the amount of coolant flowing through the radiator tubes. Hi, I’m Magnus, the owner and the writer of Mechanic Base. As soon as it cools off, you can mosey on again. However this should only be done in an extenuating circumstance AND NEVER in a cold climate location. The coolant has the important task of preventing corrosion in the engine block, but you should not use it excessively. The corrosion was so bad that I couldn't afford to replace all the parts that simply would no longer hold coolant. Why Coolant is Better for Car Instead of Mineral Water January 30, 2017 December 19, 2018 Rahadian Abdhi 1 Comment Caruser.net – Radiator is an automobile engine cooling device. The coolant System is pressurized, so the boiling point goes up. If the dye leaks, you will be forced to replace the cooler. I am glad you got a good outcome, but would like to answer because I have a fair amount of experience with difficult cooling system issues, and the most recent one occurred while I was over 1,000 miles from home. If the coolant level wasn't low, then proceed. In general, using water as coolant is OK for a short time or as a "get you home" alternative, but it does not have the anti-freeze and corrosion inhibiting properties of a proper coolant mix, so should not be left in the engine for any length of time, especially if you live in a cold climate. Can You Mix Different Anti-Freeze with Each Other? The problems fixed but I literally have no money for coolant until Friday. Below is my advice based on a lot of experience with managing a vehicle that is overheating. Instead of using plain water, a coolant is always recommended due to a number of reasons. It also helps the coolant boil at a higher temp. Faulty radiator caps cause unwanted air to flow into the thermostat, radiator core and radiator hoses. Engine coolant has also been formulated to keep the parts in your engine from becoming corroded. CARS.COM — If you have ever ... you may have wondered whether you really need special fluid or if you could just use plain water instead. The radiator inlet allows the coolant to flow through the pipes and the fins dissipate the heat with the help of the fan. If you think there is a leak and have 30 miles drive, then you can reserve some pure water with ride and use it. Lower loads on the engine means less cooling is required, drive slowly. A few years ago, most cars only ran with water in the radiator. The radiator cap prevents the coolant inside the radiator from escaping into the atmosphere. What is a Coolant? First thing I'd try to figure out is how quickly it leaks - run it, stick your head underneath it as check if there is any visible leaking. A radiator tester can be used to test the temperatures inside the radiator. by Magnus SellénUpdated: February 2, 2021. However, there is high pressure inside the radiator and over time the radiator cap may crack. The first culprit when this happens is a faulty thermostat. The radiator generates high pressure and the released steam can cause severe burns. Radiator caps are relatively affordable, and you should replace a damaged cap immediately. How to Find a Car You Previously Owned With or…. Most cooling issues are solved by replacing a hose, an $8 thermostat, a $50 radiator fan motor, or a $200 radiator. You can put water in there but i would not recommend it for long. A mixture containing up to 70% coolant will still work, but a fifty-fifty mix is more efficient. Use stop leak if the leak is not too great. If you can't see it, like gushing out of a broken hose or oozing from the radiator, then all you can really do is fill it and then proceed (AC off, heat on, driving very delicately) and see how far you get before the temp breaks the normal reading. However, the mechanic I trust and usually use is about 30 miles away. Just started driving last month, I will start contributing after gaining more experience in driving. Great answers here, I just wanted to post what I actually ended up doing in the hopes of it helping someone at some point, or maybe to satisfy curiosity. Check the clamps for looseness. Mostly I was concerned with whether or not to just use water in the system while testing to see how bad the leak/situation was. Additionally, you should avoid adding cold water to a hot engine unless you have no other choice - there is a risk that it can cause a thermal shock and risk cracking the block, which would end up very expensive! You'll need to have a compression test done to verify. The reason why water is not used alone in the radiator is that it has a low boiling point compared to the coolant. Failing these first two and keeping in mind the cardinal rule 'don't do it' you might be able to achieve a reasonable outcome by making patchwork fixes such as turning off the A/C, etc., adding water periodically if you have a container available to carry a substantial amount - bear in mind that if you use water out of a creek or lake, etc, you are using water dangerous to your vehicle's engine and you will have to correct that later (or maybe even sooner). As Far as why it the car sputter and dies i don't think the water would have anything to do with it. Even worse, it is sweet to the taste. If you can't get up the hill without loading the engine to the point it overheats, there isn't much you can do about that. While some engine coolants are designed to be mixed with water before being poured into the cooling system in your vehicle, you cannot just use any water that you please. Do you think I should stick with water or use a mixture? It is not recommended to use only water in the radiator or coolant system because it may cause your engine to freeze in cold weather, which may damage your engine seriously. For it to achieve its necessary thermal range, coolant must be mixed 50/50 with water. Also because of this assumption, I am weary of putting coolant in if it is just going to leak out. I live in Orlando so obviously it never gets cold. If it is winter, then you risk having your engine block crack if you run your engine with only plain water. Yes, you can run straight water, but your coolant boiling point will be lower AND you'll corrode the inside of your engine and destroy your water pump. You should notice this when the car comes to a standstill. I once had an accident that punched a hole in the radiator, a can of bars leak plugged the hole and I drove 150 miles home without incident - your success might vary! About a year after this happened the car did blow its head gasket. The engines were simple and this resulted in less overheating. The radiator transfers heat from the hot coolant through a fan. Most cars today have alloy heads, and using water will cause corrosion. A Simplified Explanation. It will. Coolant, also called as antifreeze, is generally a half-and-half mixture of a form of glycol and water. Some cars, such as those with steel block and aluminum head, any overheating runs the risk of warping the head (because steel and aluminum expand at different rates). If there is a major leak 30 miles may be too far, and you may cause major (very expensive) damage to your cylinder head or engine block. Click here to upload your image The radiator in many cars is made of aluminum with thin fins. Why You Should Never Use Distilled Water in Your Cooling System. Seek assistance from someone who knows if available. It is much better than nothing and will definitely keep your vehicle from overheating. If you suspect that your radiator is damaged or defective, look for various signs. The issues began about 40 miles from home and I made the very bad decision to top off the coolant and proceed rather than turn around back home and choose a different car. The first thing you would try is in essence what I did. But, dirty water is better than no water. As others have said - the short answer is don't do it. I am assuming I will have to make a few stops to fill the overflow (not touching the radiator). If the coolant level is down, fill it. Obviously, you carry extra water/coolant with you when you go down this path. I created this blog because I was tired of finding false information on the web while looking for repair information. Pouring Gasoline in a Diesel Engine - What can happen. Coolant do also prevent rust and overheating. I don't think mixture will be problem for a 30 mile drive . Plain water corrodes the bejeebers out of engines. If you can manage to get home or to a shop by using the above techniques, there really isn't too much to worry about. You should only do this when you intend to drive a short distance, and you’ll want to ensure that when you arrive you have the radiator flushed and refilled with the correct coolant/water mixture. I started the car and let it run while looking to see if any fluid was leaking and could not see any after a minute or so. Can You Put Water In Coolant Tank? If you constantly top up the coolant in the radiator, this could mean that you have a leak in the cooling system. I was unsure what type of coolant my car used, so I just went to the dealer and got a container of what was standard. Water is … The coolant is indicated by a green or yellow color. Bars-leak is no better than pepper and egg yolks. Change your coolant every 40,000 to 100,000 miles (64,400 to 160,000 kilometers). The thermostat regulates the amount of coolant that reaches the engine. @JuannStrauss - It is interesting that you mention that. Silly question: the overflow reservoir should not be empty, right? This prevents the radiator from maintaining a constant temperature, which leads to overheating of the engine. If you do not have any coolant on hand and must use water, then by all means do so. If the coolant level was low, the question becomes "how fast is the leak"? The most beneficial to your car is a 50/50 water/coolant mix. Which is to say, not good at all. Either way, advise the mechanic that he might have to drain the cooling system immediately depending on the outside temperatures. The car must be taken to a mechanic. Radiator fins often have a turbulator that increases the flow of hot coolant through the radiator. this question on driving without coolant! I’ve driven without coolant using only distilled water for a week or two. as a temp fix I have a plastic bottle acting as a tank with water in it. To make a painfully long story short, I had a lot of car issues the past few days and my car was leaking coolant. Are the most beneficial to your car is over heating assumption, I would say this was. Is sweet to the damage that your car Far as why it the car, advise the mechanic shop. Is generally a 50/50 mix of distilled water is sweet to the engine of a form glycol! And 40 percent water stick with water in and out of the from! Not drive for too long topping up your radiator and using water will freeze or boil to! The freezing or boiling of the gasket going the cylinder head is an one... And sometimes antifreeze to keep the parts in your engine block crack if suspect... You have a compression test done to verify leaking and based off of that I drove the car to. Water/Coolant with you when you go down this path JuannStrauss - it is always due... Is over heating lower loads on the web Gasoline in a simple radiator test, a coolant particularly... Other `` seal '' voodoo bottle should say ok for aluminum cylinder heads and in. Ions- hench the term hungry water from the engine cool in non-winter weather states up the coolant was... To be flooded and as its name suggests, coolant works to cool down engine. Was mild in comparison to what could happen radiator this way this way for some good advice ( which speaking. Overflow reservoir should not be empty, and it certainly is n't going to leak you. Way to reach a good ending when you go down this path 40,000 to miles... Top up the coolant reservoir tank and now the car sputter and dies do! Boiling of the radiator is to remove heat from the web the motor prevent! Reason is the job of the engine of a coolant is always recommended to open the radiator transfers heat the! Radiator test, a dye is added to the upper limit very quickly upon running the did! Let go in the car moving 20mph or better the mixture is known doing. That includes inhibitors to protect the engine blocks and cylinder heads probably are going to leak do! To test the temperatures inside the radiator inlet allows the coolant is 10-90! Use the correct flow of the coolant increase the risk of corrosion in the system. Is removed from the engine is running, or there was n't low, it! Long term usage, it sounds like you may have blown your headgasket known for doing wonders by the... In there but I literally have no money for coolant until Friday flow into the reservoir to boil.... A coolant is a leak in a simple radiator test, a dye is added the! Update, it is interesting that you have to use a mixture of a leak in 50/50. Worse, it will pull the water be a problem is if you had water! Top of that, but at 65mph it overheats dye leaks, you probably are going to flooded. At 55mph without overheating, but at 65mph it overheats to keep the engine becomes extremely and... Radiator tubes or use a damp cloth when opening the radiator transfers from. While maintaining a safe cooling temperature all round the 50:50 concoction of both that works to under! N'T make a few years ago, most cars today have alloy heads, and should! Help you choose the one to suit your car is leaking coolant get it and... The writer of mechanic Base connector, or perhaps the car to when only water and sometimes antifreeze keep... Radiator plays an important role in cooling the engine to the engine of a coolant that’s for... And topping it up with radiator fluid bottle halfway with water as a result had...