Can tap water or bottled water be used for coolant?

[daisycutter]

Tap water is fine imho, like mentioned its being mixed with coolant. I do use distilled water in my motorbike, but i care for that like nothing else.

 

[Dr Who]

I'm sure the inhibitors in the anti-freeze would stop it, but would using de-ionised water cause corrosion seen in PC water cooling systems using de-ionised water, interesting.

In a PC I think it is called erosion as the metal dissolves into the water, there is no reason to suspect it wouldn't happen in a car, but also no reason not to use tap water.

Anyone who uses distilled/de-ionised lives by the old saying "a fool and his money are easily parted".

 

[Brookert]

I wouldn't put tap water in mine, I wouldn't want my radiator furred up like my kettle.

 

[Fuzz]

It doesn't furr up like a kettle because nothing evaporates. It's a sealed system!

 

[Brookert]

It doesn't furr up like a kettle because nothing evaporates. It's a sealed system!

I suppose, but given the choice I would only top up with tap and do a full fill with distilled.

 

[Django x2]

Distilled water in a cooling system. I've never heard of literally such rubbish. I guess over the last 15 years of driving, having never suffered any form of cooling failure, I've been doing it wrong

 

[Fuzz]

and the billion and one services I've done and the engines I've built are all going to self destruct because I used The Satan of Severn Trent.

It must be true though because Wikipedia says it is..

 

[Brookert]

I wouldn't want my fish to suffer hampshires heavily treated water, let alone my engine

I think Volvic is the best to use, adds volcanicity to the engine..........

 

[Raymond Lin]

I wouldn't want my fish to suffer hampshires heavily treated water, let alone my engine

I think Volvic is the best to use, adds volcanicity to the engine..........

But it's French!

 

[Conanius]

Am I being thick here? I thought you just used coolant in coolant systems... ala this - http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-903-mot...ng-liquid-anti-corrosion-and-anti-freeze.aspx

I guess this already has water in (pre mixed) but I've always just used... coolant?

 

[K.C. Leblanc]

Am I being thick here? I thought you just used coolant in coolant systems... ala this - http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-903-mot...ng-liquid-anti-corrosion-and-anti-freeze.aspx

I guess this already has water in (pre mixed) but I've always just used... coolant?

It's just a mixture of water and anti-freeze. A bit like that pre mixed screen wash.

You also have to bare in mind that there are different formulas for anti freeze and some can't be mixed so if you're doing a small top up then water is probably best. If you're having to regularly top top then you've got a problem.

 

[lemonade]

Cheers for the info, it was some cheap Comma pre-mixed coolant. It only conforms to 1992 regulations so not sure if its even good for Alu engines, but fudge it just gonna use it.

 

[Matt82]

Pure tap water and the correct anti freeze

 

[G-Man]

Am I the only one that thinks its funny how some of you won't use tap water in your car engine but you'll happily drink the stuff?

 

[Jonny69]

Tap water and antifreeze is fine.

 

[Matt82]

Am I the only one that thinks its funny how some of you won't use tap water in your car engine but you'll happily drink the stuff?

Or they're just blaggers and don't even know how to open the bonnet and whose car knowledge is based solely on what they regurgitate from forums?