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Coolant


RoughRider

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Correct me if I am wrong, but if coolant has a higher boiling point (Water boils at 212 degrees. A 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze boils at 223 degrees.) this means the overall heat of the water would be lesser when using coolant right ? which also means that the radiator fan will need to work less harder to keep the liquid at the correct tempreture, in turn saving energy/fuel for the car. ( It could be a very small benefit, but still something right ? )

Then you have the issue of visibility of a leak due to the florescent coloring... and the anti rust properties of coolant. So in a way you could say coolant is better than water, and its not like you replace it every month..

machan the water in the radiator does not boil at 212 degrees. The 212 degree boiling point is at 1 ATM.

The boiling point is higher in the radiator as it is pressurised when the lid is on. You might have a problem if your B4 boils at 212. I wouldn't be surprised though, considering all the problems it has.

Edited by jdnet
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in Sri Lanka you don't actually needs coolant. because weather will not get hot or cold enough to modify your boiling and freezing points. in these situations water will cool the car better than coolant. Benefits of coolant in Sri Lanka Would be rust prevention and Lubrication. Coolant is not that expensive if you consider the benefits. Radiator, water pump, hoses going to last much longer and there wont be any rust at all. Coolant these days are very advance and they will last a long time.

my 1979 Toyota pick up has the original radiator and i changed the original water pump last year (not because it went bad i changed it because its old)

My 1991 Camry water pump failed after 21 years

my 1998 Avalon has the original coolant and hoses, yes i NEED to change it but still looks like the day i bought it. (manufacture recommends to change at 100k miles)

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This goes to the ALFA, right? not with the BMW?

Alfa runs on water. BMW runs on coolant as per the specs, but it ran on water for a while till I sorted out nagging leak it developed. (Hose from block to TB that runs under some other plumbing, hence never could trace it till one day I said fukall and removed all and saw the tell tale green slime)

But almost all other rides I had ran on mainly water, apart from those sudden burts of consumerism that made me buy a a bottle of whatever coolant and pour it. The P11 I had ran on water mostly. Ahhh... The P11... why Why Why????? ;)

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I was thinking. Maybe the idiot used saltwater in his radiator. Would explain how an engine block would get rusted so badly.

Actually, water in certain areas in Sri lanka contain more salt/minerals than others. Coastal ground water for instance, is far more salty. So if a vehicle was running with the brackish water in the colling system, you will find yourselves in a bit of rusy situation.

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Actually, water in certain areas in Sri lanka contain more salt/minerals than others. Coastal ground water for instance, is far more salty. So if a vehicle was running with the brackish water in the colling system, you will find yourselves in a bit of rusy situation.

You mean like a tube well near the Galle Road at Kolpity?

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Might be Peri, you will need to check the salinity. My relatives places in Embilipitya the ground water is so hard that calcium forms on the bathroom floors if they are not mopped regularly.

What they refer to Sinhalese as Kiwul wathura. That stuff is bad for engines.

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This calcium formation is bad for water jackets and radiator core. The core gets clogged with this hard to remove calcium and water jackets became rusty and tend to leak. Adding little bit of coolant is always good than filling the entire system with coolant.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Interesting topic. I have some concerns though.

The previous owner of my car had replaced the original plastic radiator with a copper tank + aluminum core radiator. (due to a crack in the original) I’m using tap water as well. I see a lot of rust forming up, sometimes making the water brownish and I think it's because the car sits at home during most of the week days. I did a couple of radiator flushes at home so far but it just keeps coming back. :(

Would the situation have been different if the radiator was the original plastic one? Can this be a possible drawback of using tap water instead of coolant?

Thanks!

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  • 2 months later...

Using tap water for the last 20 years or so. Never had an issue attributed to it. For older cars it really does not make a difference.

Is it ok to add coolant to the water and use in older car .

but not in 50/50 mixture . more water and add some coolant (i mean just add not even a 1l) ?

OR beter to use only water without coolant if you can use it in a correct mixture ?

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  • 2 years later...

I wish I could get this radiator additive "Gunk C1012 Radiator Anti-Rust & Water Pump Lube" or something similar in Sri Lanka. Ideal to mix with distilled water. I better put a search. :)

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