artvanderlay wrote: » Hi, I'm driving my brothers car while he is away for a few months. I just noticed that his coolant is a little below the minimum level. Can I add any coolant to it or does it have to be a specific one? The coolant in it is pink, but I was looking at one in Tesco yesterday that wasn't pink; could I mix that in without causing any damage? A simple question I'm sure, but thanks for any advice (it's a 04 Seat Arosa btw).
w211 wrote: » Never ever use tap water on the car cooling system. Even 1/4l tap water have a load of minerals what reduces your car cooling properties.
corks finest wrote: » Thought if it's boiled and cooled it's distilled
jmreire wrote: » w211 wrote: » Never ever use tap water on the car cooling system. Even 1/4l tap water have a load of minerals what reduces your car cooling properties. Well, I did mention to use distilled water too in my post.... and in the past, I have used ordinary tap water, without any problems. But I have seen what mixing different kinds of antifreeze can do, and it's not pretty. Even the so-called " Universal Antifreeze" supposed to be mixable with any antifreeze, I would not use. In the case where there is a bad leak, and you have to drive the car home, I would have no hesitation whatsoever using ordinary tap water.... it often got me out of a tight spot. But otherwise, I would only use the manufacturers approved Anti-Freeze.. Recently I did a complete flush and change with the recommended antifreeze, rather than top it up, as I was not sure what was in the system. But now I know for sure in this case that its the proper antifreeze for that particular car. Job done. This is only my own personal opinion, but I know that others will have their own experience's too so its up to the individual to do as he / she thinks best under the circumstances.
joefuss1986 wrote: » Use Prestone. Can mix with any colour.
w211 wrote: » Yes it hurts because the tap water contains the minerals. All these minerals makes your car cooling system inefficient. The next time please look inside the kettle, what mess are there.
jimgoose wrote: » OAT/HOAT coolants, most of which are pink and based on the original Chevron "DEX-cool" tack, contain additives that, among other things, neutralise calcium in water. Small amounts of tap-water don't do any harm these days.
jmreire wrote: » w211, I understand very well what can happen to electric kettle's, washing machines etc in areas where there is a lot of lime in the water...it cause's furring, but even then, it's a process that can take a year or two or even more. You can't compare adding 1/4 or 1/2 litre of tap water to a car radiator having the same effect. The OP is only asking if its Ok to top up a small amount, and now he is doing a complete flush and change, so it's not a problem.
jmreire wrote: » Yes jimgoose, you are right, and these "OAT/ HOAT " coolants are the very ones that you have to be very carefull NOT to mix with other " Breed's" of antifreeze. It's no longer the case where you can top up with just any antifreeze. You have to check that the anti-freeze is compatible with the engine in your car. And the vehicle manufacturers are very specific about this.
w211 wrote: » The small problem here, the small problem there and the end result will be the junk car. Too many new cars goes to the junkyard thanks that "small problem" attitude. Yes the 5-10 years old car are almost new, because the normal car life cycle can be well over 20-30 year.
XLR 8 wrote: » They colour the coolant for a reason. Some engines run hotter than others under various circumstances. Coolant is as specific to a make and model of car as is the oil. Depending on the make and model some levels can only be checked with a cold engine. The coolant migrates back into the expansion tank over time as the engine cools. Best to check manual.
jmreire wrote: » Yes XLR 8...you are right about there being a specific antifreeze for a given engine....it has come a long way from the time you could basically mix anything with what ever was already in the system. But nowadays, it's not going so much regarding the colour....it's the chemical composition that counts. Personally, I would not go by colour alone , different antifreeze manufacturers make the same ( chemically speaking) product, but may use different colours. Checking the coolant level can only be done on a cold engine...I saw an apprentice getting badly burned when he mistakenly opened the radiator cap on a hot engine.
XLR 8 wrote: » I was referring to a visual check and some can be checked while warm. I never mentioned removal of anything.
