Radiator Water level + Antifreeze question

Aqua_lung said:
if you drive a vw, you do not add tap water, only G11 or G12, if concentrate distilled water half mixed with concentrate.
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Heh? I must only use distilled water in my car? Everyone uses tap water in their radiators...not so? Distilled water is only called for for your battery I heard.

isie said:
Houston we have a no go on draining your pipe :D

What made you start this topic today, funny thing dude at my office came to ask me same question as you
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Well...I started my car today and as I drove out the gate my temp light came on...but the engine was still ice ice cold (it stand outside you see). Then I was wondering if it is perhaps warning me that my engine is too cold or maybe something to do with antifreeze (hence the antifreeze topic also). Just to be safe when I got to work I checked the water level (even though my car ran at its normal temp once on the hightway). I did notice that the water is just touching the minimum level...not really enough to make the light go on I am sure.

Oh..curiousity also....when I stopped at work...I switched the car off and back on again immediately...and the light did not come back on. Do you guys think it could have just been because the engine was so cold? It was pretty damn freezing here when I left home this morning.
 
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Fazda said:
Who was the cute guy you got to sort out your power steering fluid? I'm sure he will happily drain your pipe - and I promise you can use the pink fluid it is so much nicer. ;) :p
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haha...I actually sorted out my own steering fluid. I got a bottle of pink stuff from my friend. Her family company is a supplier to Autozone so she just gave me a bottle. :D I filled it that one time and the level is still where it was when I filled it.

I have this porno with mechanincs in it. It really sucks that it does not really happen in real life that you take your car in for a service and in the end you get serviced. :( Oh well....:p
 
No it shouldn't have come on because it was too cold. That's only on cars that don't have temp gauges where the light is blue until it warms up.

Okkie you MUST put anti-freeze in - it helps with hot weather running as well.
 
ocleroux said:
Heh? I must only use distilled water in my car? Everyone uses tap water in their radiators...not so? Distilled water is only called for for your battery I heard.



Well...I started my car today and as I drove out the gate my temp light came on...but the engine was still ice ice cold (it stand outside you see). Then I was wondering if it is perhaps warning me that my engine is too cold or maybe something to do with antifreeze (hence the antifreeze topic also). Just to be safe when I got to work I checked the water level (even though my car ran at its normal temp once on the hightway). I did notice that the water is just touching the minimum level...not really enough to make the light go on I am sure.

Oh..curiousity also....when I stopped at work...I switched the car off and back on again immediately...and the light did not come back on. Do you guys think it could have just been because the engine was so cold? It was pretty damn freezing here when I left home this morning.
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COuld be the snow warning :) My polo give a warning when temp drops below 4 degrees (a nice 4 and snow flake) - European thing (I guess) and i know on diesels got something to do with the solonoids.
If your radiator water froze that could total f-up the system, the whole Ice takes up more space then water thing, try leaving a can of coke in the freezer over night and see what i mean
 
Fazda said:
No it shouldn't have come on because it was too cold. That's only on cars that don't have temp gauges where the light is blue until it warms up.

Okkie you MUST put anti-freeze in - it helps with hot weather running as well.
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I will. Said to the guy I will bring my car to him beginning of next month and then he can do it for me. What on earth does anti freeze have to do with hot weather? Keeps the water from boiling or something?
 
ocleroux said:
I will. Said to the guy I will bring my car to him beginning of next month and then he can do it for me. What on earth does anti freeze have to do with hot weather? Keeps the water from boiling or something?
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Exactly. Raises the boiling point and lowers the freezing point ;)

Also inhibits corrosion.
 
ocleroux said:
I will. Said to the guy I will bring my car to him beginning of next month and then he can do it for me. What on earth does anti freeze have to do with hot weather? Keeps the water from boiling or something?
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Anti freeze does a few things.

It lubricates the pipes and innards of the engine (;) ) it prevents the water from freezing when the car stands outside in the cold, and then in summer it raise boiling temp, so the car won't boil on you - basically a boi should never be without his antifreeze! :p
 
Sinbad said:
Exactly. Raises the boiling point and lowers the freezing point ;)

Also inhibits corrosion.
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Fazda said:
Anti freeze does a few things.

It lubricates the pipes and innards of the engine (;) ) it prevents the water from freezing when the car stands outside in the cold, and then in summer it raise boiling temp, so the car won't boil on you - basically a boi should never be without his antifreeze! :p
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Ahhhh interesting...I understand. Ok...will then maybe take it to him next weekend after this one. A tad busy this weekend with erm...other stuffs. :-)

Thanks guys...always very informative here :-)
 
Never. Car does not use water.

I do however flush the system when servicing.
 
Fazda said:
Anti freeze does a few things.

It lubricates the pipes and innards of the engine (;) ) it prevents the water from freezing when the car stands outside in the cold, and then in summer it raise boiling temp, so the car won't boil on you - basically a boi should never be without his antifreeze! :p
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Unless you have an old model porsch or old VW beetle.
Air cooled , realy old school
 
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ocleroux said:
But it soes stand to reason though that the water will get hot and some water will be lost gradually via steam etc?
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In 90000km I'm still at the same full mark as where I started. So no not really
 
ocleroux said:
But it soes stand to reason though that the water will get hot and some water will be lost gradually via steam etc?
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Nope. Radiator has a overflow/siphon tube into a reservoir tank and the level in that tank stays on the max line. I always check it out of habit but that habit is a waste of time :D

Oh and the milage on my car is much higher than yours so that argument does not hold water either.
 
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ocleroux said:
Oh ok...well my poor baby has got 200 000km on the clock...so he cant be expected to have the pipes of a teenager I guess. :o
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Might be because you have NO radiator fluid just water.
 
Sinbad said:
Exactly. Raises the boiling point and lowers the freezing point ;)

Also inhibits corrosion.
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Probably the most important reason to always use it. A colleague had to replace his engine block because his backyard mechanic never used anti-freeze and the waterway corroded through to the oilway. It took a few years, but you don't want to risk a repair bill in the thousands for the want of 50 bucks worth of anti-freeze.
 
Vegeta said:
Might be because you have NO radiator fluid just water.
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Could very well be. He said that I must not just buy any ol crap also. Said a lot of products these days...specially the al cheapo ones are diluted to the max. It is supposed to have a almost oily consistency which you then dilute yourself as per the instructions of the manufacturer. Does that sound right? Oily stuff in your radiator?? :confused:
 
ocleroux said:
Could very well be. He said that I must not just buy any ol crap also. Said a lot of products these days...specially the al cheapo ones are diluted to the max. It is supposed to have a almost oily consistency which you then dilute yourself as per the instructions of the manufacturer. Does that sound right? Oily stuff in your radiator?? :confused:
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No he probably means in concentrated form it appears more viscous/thick than water. It's definitely not oily and should not be.

In all the years of servicing my own car I just buy the run of the mill stuff and follow the instructions on the bottle wrt mix ratio. Replacing the antifreeze at every service with cheap stuff is better than not replacing it at all.
 
Buy whatever the guy at the motor spares place gives you... you have 200 000kms on the clock its just anti freeze. Anything is better than what you're driving around now.

btw I've never seen oily anti-freeze, its a little thicker than water but i'm not one to focus on such minor things.
 
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