Coolant or Water for radiator?

[givach]

1. do you use water or coolant?
2. how often do you top up?
3. any recommended coolant to use? buy from?

thanks

 

[q w e r t ii]

1. i am using honda's premixed coolant, which was recommended by whitesnail.
however, if you use water, only use distilled water.

2. there is no hard and fast rule. check the coolant level periodically, it should be between the H and L mark.

3. u can try redline water wetter. autobacs should have it.

 

[072635x]

coolant is better? not like as if u have to change it often

 

[lattesurf]

Reason for using coolant is cos the boiling point is higher than water 100deg. So water works just as well, but u may need to top up often as more of it gets evaporated through steam.
Coolant doesn't cost much and depending on ur car, some models don't need regular top up unless there's a leak.

 

[escksu]

You cannot use plain water for radiator. You need coolant.

You can use either premix or concentrate + distilled water.

 

[trex101]

Reason for using coolant is cos the boiling point is higher than water 100deg. So water works just as well, but u may need to top up often as more of it gets evaporated through steam.
Coolant doesn't cost much and depending on ur car, some models don't need regular top up unless there's a leak.

Another reason is because coolant itself doesn't cool(more of anti-freeze) and in fact the heat transfer rate drop with the increase in % of coolant.

In tropic where we don't have winter, the best "coolant" would be to use 100% distilled water with Redline Water Wetter. This itself will improve 50% better heat transfer rate against 50% coolant/water.

See video: water wetter - YouTube

 

[pew]

i go to few ws, all top up water

 

[escksu]

i go to few ws, all top up water

Cause you already have coolant in the radiator. So they just top up water.

 

[yixiang1]

Think many workshops will just use tap water..... At least my workshop did that lah... I damn dulan... I bought the distilled drinking in bottles from NTUC liao..

 

[smartboy4]

my car and bike use coolant.
company vans n lorries all just top up water

 

[big_gulp]

Last time SAF vehicles, they always ask us to use water from water cooler.

 

[theReas]

i find that using water only will overheat easily, as least to what had happened to my forklift back in army days.

then the mech had to come all the way with the coolant to properly mix correct amount inside, then from then onwards bo tai ji liao.

imagine i had to directly spray water at the overheated radiator.

fugging smelly, yet very efficiently bring down the temperature so that i can continue to fork again

 

[trex101]

i find that using water only will overheat easily, as least to what had happened to my forklift back in army days.

then the mech had to come all the way with the coolant to properly mix correct amount inside, then from then onwards bo tai ji liao.

imagine i had to directly spray water at the overheated radiator.

fugging smelly, yet very efficiently bring down the temperature so that i can continue to fork again

Not true, in fact water itself has double the heat transfer rate compare to pure coolant but because water doesn't have anti-corrosion additives and water pump lubricant, it is only usable if mix with those product like Redline water wetter.

so if you mixed 50/50 water and coolant, your heat transfer rate will drop by 50%. that is why ppl go track or racing will use 100% distilled water + RL WW, this will provide the most cooling your radiator can expel without increasing the size of your radiator.

 

[buyer86]

Not true, in fact water itself has double the heat transfer rate compare to pure coolant but because water doesn't have anti-corrosion additives and water pump lubricant, it is only usable if mix with those product like Redline water wetter.

so if you mixed 50/50 water and coolant, your heat transfer rate will drop by 50%. that is why ppl go track or racing will use 100% distilled water + RL WW, this will provide the most cooling your radiator can expel without increasing the size of your radiator.

QFT, singapore do not need anti freeze, however 100%distill water cannot take the operating temp in vehicle, so need to add small % of coolant.

for me, coolant to water ratio is 3:7 , and i am planning to lower it to 1:9

 

[CCCustom]

QFT ...

You do realise that you are responding to a >1yr old thread

 

[buyer86]

You do realise that you are responding to a >1yr old thread

haha i didnt know. just happen to google it and found this thread.

 

[cscs3]

Reason for using coolant is cos the boiling point is higher than water 100deg. So water works just as well, but u may need to top up often as more of it gets evaporated through steam.
Coolant doesn't cost much and depending on ur car, some models don't need regular top up unless there's a leak.

Not this. Coolant is 50% mix with water any way. The most important is anti rust.

 

[wakawakaeheh]

u need coolant + water... the anti freeze is a must if u want to protect ur radiator

 

[buyer86]

u need coolant + water... the anti freeze is a must if u want to protect ur radiator

theres no freeze in singapore iirc
cscs3 is correct. coolant for the protection properties.

 

[wakawakaeheh]

u sure??????