Water instead of coolant?

[donsrno1]

Just a quick question. I had always pressumed you would be OK to use just water in an engine for cooling during the summer months when it doesn't drop below freezing, but will the car run any hotter like this? or should you always have coolant in anyway, even if it won't drop below freezing?

Thanks.

 

[Martin_172]

well i read somewhere that water has better cooling properties than anti freeze so in summer you want pure water and in winter you want water and antifreeze (is it 50/50 cant remember?)

not sure how true that is tho

 

[tidyclio]

you could use water but coolant also has things in it to stop corrosion so better with coolant.
i knew someone once who had an engine rebuilt and they filled it with water never told him and the next winter the water froze and cracked the block!

 

[MRBILLYUK]

You should always use coolant , cos it does exactly what its name says , it doesn't get as hot as water plus it contains rust inhibitors.

 

[donsrno1]

thanks, I knew you could run it fine with just water but wanted to check if there was any difference in the cooling properties.

 

[Mark5290]

50/50 all year round.

 

[G_F]

You will be needing a new rad very soon, if you just use water.

 

[Matbrown]

Never use just water!



Mat.

 

[172 Dave]

Never use just water!



Mat.

exactly the coolant has the anit corrosion in it! Just water will destroy it

 

[Turkish]

It's not just the fact it has anti corrosion in it, listen to the name "coolant" it's an antifreeze and summer coolant it helps maintian the operating temperature as well as stopping it freezing during the winter. Only a muppet would run clear water in the cooling system.

 

[rory182]

defo dont use just water, ok to top up with water if caught out but not too much.

 

[172 Dave]

were off to motorworld!







for some water .

 

[Paddy_g46]

oops! im off 2 halfrauds for soem coolant!

 

[Mark5290]

Buy one of them cheap coolant strength gauges while you are there aswell.

 

[donsrno1]

lol, don't worry I'm not running with just water - I just used water by itself when starting it up to test the system as the bugger keeps leaking coolant.

 

[Adam]

yeah i always use a 50/50 mixture of coolant and water all year round...
that when my car doesnt fooking drink it all

 

[john.med]

You can run just coolant 100%. a few garages I've been to do this, and recommend it. Can't remember why

 

[Guy]

doesnt the coolant mixture have a higher boiling point than just water?

 

[MRBILLYUK]

^^ Yep, almost twice the boiling point of water , just under 200 degrees C .

 

[J273]

You can run just coolant 100%. a few garages I've been to do this, and recommend it. Can't remember why

this is what i do....didnt think it needed mixing 50/50 :S

 

[Mark5290]

You can run just coolant 100%. a few garages I've been to do this, and recommend it. Can't remember why

Do you mean 100% antifreeze, i can see why they said that as they want the work when your car overheats and they need to change the head gasket.

Edit - having too much antifreeze is as bad as not enough in certain conditions.

 

[J273]

so the green coolant you get from renault your meant to mix this 50 /50 ?

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Ethylene glycol ( anti freeze ) actually freezes above the freezing point of water , for it to work at its best it needs to be diluted 60% anti freeze 40% water .

 

[J273]

woops

 

[MRBILLYUK]

^^^^ Exactly what i was thinking , lol

 

[J273]

well ive only been topping the coolant up with it straight out the bottle not diluted.

 

[Mark5290]

Check what it says on the bottle it may be already diluted if from Renault, topping up with neat antifreeze if a little bit low in the reservoir is usually what is recommended, the level should be between the max and min, if it drops below min regularly(sp) there could be something else wrong, either using or losing it.

MrBilly - the vehicle manufacturer i used to work for used to recommend 60/40, but then they changed to 50/50 which is what a lot of other manufacturers are.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

50/50 is fine , just the nature of ethylene glycol based anti freeze works better at 60 / 40 , either would be ok , but 100% anti freeze and your asking for trouble come the winter months .

 

[Mark5290]

^^ Yip agree on the 100% antifreze and asking for trouble.

 

[Munson]

Your engine temps will reach nominal quicker with a good mixture i.e. it'll take ages to reach temp with neat water. I'm not sure about the boiling point. The pressure in the system stops the water boiling anyway though. Thats why it's pressurised, to stop it boiling. Thats basically the reason it 'explodes' if you unscrew the cap when the engine is hot.

Antifreeze is incorrect nomenclature. Its coolant, as has already been suggested.