Something about Coolants

[Rhaveen]

I’ve been running on tap water for a long time
On my radiator.. I took it to a workshop and got the top part
removed and cleaned (found a lot of rust clogged) after cleaning he told
me not to use any coolants or it will clog up again and he filled with tap water…
For some reasons I think what he said is not correct.. Maybe he didn’t know I was running on tap water before or he is just right?

Topic

[David Roddick]

Cars are designed to use coolant and coolant is designed to help protect from rust and other problems. Use the coolant recommended by your car’s manufacturer.

[Dylan]

If you use straight tap water, and the car sits say over night, if you’re in a colder climate, the water will most likely freeze, causing possible damamge to the engine block, and radiator. And the vehicle would over heat because the ice wouldn’t be flowing through the cycles. Use the coolant that the manufacture recommends, nothing else. The manufacture uses specific fluids for a reason, it would be dumb to use other items, there’s a reason for everything installed into a vehicle

[Cameron]

+1 on that.

When using the correct coolant as stipulated by the manufacturer, you may buy a concentrate product that has to be diluted 50/50 with water. Do NOT use tap water for this but distilled or demineralized water which is stocked by many supermarkets, hardware stores, auto shops etc.

[Lorrin Barth]

You can run water (I recommend distilled water) if you add corrosion inhibitor and water pump lubricant (a little can of stuff). Just don’t be where it gets cold.

[Joe]

a lot of manufacturers are using special coolants these days because of all the plastic pieces being used in cooling systems now. Using the wrong type of coolant can eat away at these plastics and cause them to degrade and break.

[Author]

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