Is de-ionised water safe for car radiators?

dirtydog

dirtydog

dirtydog

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I have looked on google and there is conflicting advice. A few sites say that you should not use it, others say it is exactly what you should use - so I am confused :p You can get it in the supermarket in the car care section, but it doesn't actually mention using it in a car, it just says irons and stuff.
 
It's for topping up batterys not for Rads mate. Use tap water for rads.
 
I thought it was exactly what you SHOULD use for radiators, mixed with the correct amount of antifreeze. It's pure water.

Never put TAP water in a modern cooling system!!!
 
I've never known it to.

:p @ Fox
I am not modern, maybe i should start to put a warning on the bottom of my posts about my dated info :D
 
To get you out of a fix and you have a condenser tumble drier the water you get from drying your clothes can be used for both the rad and battery.
 
Its just water with some calcium ions etc removed to avoid scaling up. Should definately use that, especially down south where the water is harder. Unless of course your car has special coolant like Toyota red or something like that in which case you need to top up with the correct stuff. :)
 
Yeah we do get hard water here so scale is an issue :) My car is nothing exotic, just a Cavalier, but it has a slow coolant leak so needs topping up every week or two. Up to now I have been using either pure antifreeze or a pre-mixed 50/50 antifreeze mixture.

Obviously I don't want to use tap water and get head gasket failure or something because the waterways are clogged up.
 
dirtydog said:
but it has a slow coolant leak so needs topping up every week or two.

Obviously I don't want to use tap water and get head gasket failure or something because the waterways are clogged up.
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doesnt matter what water you use, if its leaking slowly and you cant find a leak, then the head gasket may be on its way out already. Id suggest getting it changed now!
 
Nah the head gasket is fine. I had it pressure tested soon after I got the car (the engine I have is infamous for having a porous head so I wanted to know if mine was similarly afflicted. It isn't). I know exactly where the leak is, but it's in an impossible to reach place.
 
dirtydog said:
Nah the head gasket is fine. I had it pressure tested soon after I got the car. I know exactly where the leak is, but it's in an impossible to reach place.
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lol, fair enough :D
 
I went through a stange of using de-ionised water for the Rad, even Washers as i'm in quite a hardwater area, still do it occasionally, when i can be bothered :D
 
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