Have you ever filled your vehicle’s coolant reservoir with water instead of antifreeze? You are not alone.
Many people think adding distilled water instead of coolant is fine, especially considering your area never gets below 32-degrees Fahrenheit. After all, why do you need a liquid to inhibit freezing? Again, is it safe to use water in the cooling system instead of a coolant?
Yes, water is cheaper and might help mitigate overheating, but it is not all that coolant is for; it is required to operate a cooling system properly. Let’s take a balanced look.
Can You Use Water Instead of Coolant?
In emergency situations only where you don’t have a coolant and have access to only water, you can use water instead of coolant. After sealing up the leak, it is advisable to fill your system with the correct coolant mix. You should never drive long-term with only water.
It is definitely not advisable to drive long-term with only water, even if you are in a warm climate. If you plug it up and drive with only water, it can cause internal rust, overheating, and many other issues with your engine.
Coolant vs. Water Differences
#1. Boiling Point.
Few people consider the differences in boiling point between water and coolant. Yet, it’s obvious that the temperature of your car is going to be hotter than the boiling point of water (212°F).
When you use 50/50 ethylene glycol antifreeze, the boiling point of the water has already changed to 223°. This is getting closer to the engine temperature. When you add waterless coolant antifreeze, the boiling point is changed to 375° or greater.
Without antifreeze, the vehicle’s engine will most likely overheat. Usually, the liquid inside the engine will boil up and evaporate, causing you to stop the vehicle to allow the motor to cool down. In addition, you could damage your engine by allowing it to overheat without addressing the problem immediately.
#2. Freezing Point.
For those in cooler climates, the reverse is true, and without antifreeze in your cooling system, it will freeze when the temperatures get cooler.
Freezing in the radiator creates some issues. If the temperature gets cold enough, you can pry open the radiator, and your cooling system is finished.
#3. Corrosion Protection.
Eventually the minerals in the water are going to create deposits in the radiator which might cause the radiator to not function properly.
Water can also be corrosive to metal, so rust is going to form faster. Both these conditions are a disadvantage to your car engine, which is why your coolant has additives to keep rust-looking filth excessive on your engine.
When you use antifreeze, make sure you only ever use distilled or de-ionized water when mixing frozen antifreeze with minerals in normal water for the wrong application. If done correctly, the metal will be protected from the inevitable damage that will keep the metal components functioning long-term.
What is Coolant/Antifreeze?
The terms ‘coolant’ and ‘antifreeze’ are often used to mean the same thing, even though they are not exactly the same. Antifreeze is made from ethylene glycol or propylene glycol to keep the coolant in liquid form so it has maximum protection.
Antifreeze is diluted with distilled water at a 50/50 percent ratio, and is therefore steam a coolant. Antifreeze comes in several colors, either green, pink, yellow, red, blue or orange. The colors are used to help identify antifreeze from different manufacturers or brands in the vehicle.
How Does Coolant Work?
As you drive your vehicle, the engine creates a lot of heat and needs to be continuously cooled to work right. If the engine weren’t cooled down, it would lead to complete motor failure.
The cooling system directs coolant flow into the passages of the engine block, as well as the cylinder heads. While the coolant passes through the engine, it absorbs the heat.
Heated fluid moves from the engine to the radiator. As it goes through the radiator’s thin tubes, it gets cooled off because of the air coming through the front of the vehicle. There’s also a fan blowing on the radiator to cool it off.
Cooled fluid moves back out of the radiator to the engine once again. This circulation of coolant is what runs the cooling system.
Why is Coolant Important?
If heat generated by internal combustion engines builds up, it can create many problems that can be costly to fix. Not only can the head gasket blow, but the cylinder head can also warp and then there is a serious engine problem.
By adding water to the motor, the water will evaporate and boil away and then the vehicle will be without liquid.
In the cold, however, there is an increased risk that the water will freeze which can cause cracks in the radiator, crack the engine block, or the heater core will fail.
Each auto manufacturer has different configuration to the cooling system and thus requires a different type of coolant to give complete protection. You want to be careful not to use an antifreeze not recommended, or you could hurt more than help.
Right Way to Add Coolant
Before starting, you want to check your coolant levels. Do not open your radiator cap if your engine is hot. Since pressure has built up inside, the liquid will spray when the cap is lifted.
After the engine has cooled, you can open the coolant reservoir cap and look inside, or read the level indicated on the side of the tank.
If more coolant is needed, mix the antifreeze as instructed with distilled water. If you have purchased premixed coolant, you do not need to do this step.
Pour the coolant into the overflow tank but do not fill it all the way- it expands when it gets hot. If your vehicle does not have an overflow tank, pour it directly into the radiator but stop at the “full” marking.
Put the cap back on before starting your engine. You can also look for any leaks in the radiator and hoses at this time. Using the right fluid in your cooling system gives your engine the benefit of operating as it should.