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Tap water in engine coolant tank?

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Old 09-18-2011 | 02:20 PM
  #26  
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Go ahead and throw tap water in your coolant system on the regular. Report back on the status of your internals and water pump after a few years. Minerals need to be mined like in StarCraft.
Old 09-18-2011 | 02:58 PM
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MO

Originally Posted by monchie
There is a 50/50 premix, so tap water should be fine. It depends how low is the coolant level when they add the tap water.
Wow monchie ...

Originally Posted by ken-x8
Does this forum have that capability?
Yes it does, sir.

Monchie is one of the last people I'd want to killfile, but there are a couple of others.

Ken
Is one of the person's name start with "NYCGP" ...?

Originally Posted by Are-Ex-Eight
100% DISTILLED water is what people SHOULD use when they use concentrated instead of premixed.
Fixed.

Your fine but as others said make sure it's not all water. The hydrometers you buy will even tell you on a temperature scale how low your fluid is good for before it will freeze.
you CAN use 100% distilled water IF you added additives like Water wetter/ICE to lube seals and anti-corrosion, freezing is NOT a concern, AND you change it VERY often.

but to ensure "trouble free" operation, 30% is what I would use, minimum

Originally Posted by Are-Ex-Eight
Your radiator is filled with more impurities than any city tap water would be. Just saying....
That's the reason why you DON'T want any extra impurities. it's not like your engine will die right away, but I would change it out ASAP.

The glycol will change the boiling point (not by much) but more importantly it has superior heat transfer properties and lowers the freezing point. Most engine coolants run around 212 deg F anyway. I don't know if rotarys run hotter or not....
EG coolant is more about protecting the engine , and it's safer than the old skool stuff they use. Water's superior heat-carring ability is almost 2nd to none. EG is not going to raise the boiling point too much but if you run it at 50/50's boiling point for an extended period of time, your engine won't last anyway.

Distilled better than tap - yes. Any reason to worry about tap - no. Most important is you have a 50:50 or close mix and your level is good.

Stop freaking the OP out lol.
most of those "quick lube places" even some bigger name garages usually just fill it with water and send u off.

not trying to freak him out but, a properly maintained car will last longer (duh), it's funny that sometimes I visit my friend's garage, some cars pull in with overheating engines and busted radiator. I just asked him like when was the last time you flush your "engine water/coolant", the guy was like "huh? u need to change it? I thought it last forever?" and he has just 90K miles. His bill was like 5K, including complete engine rebuild.

Originally Posted by SayNoToPistons
Go ahead and throw tap water in your coolant system on the regular. Report back on the status of your internals and water pump after a few years. Minerals need to be mined like in StarCraft.
I hate it when that computer lady Tell me "Not enough minerals" when I'm trying to rush. lol

Last edited by nycgps; 09-18-2011 at 03:02 PM.
Old 09-18-2011 | 03:13 PM
  #28  
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I guess I've never kept a car over 36k miles before so I never worry too much about the 100k plus miles problems lol.

And no I never lease.
Old 09-18-2011 | 03:15 PM
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Originally Posted by nycgps
Is one of the person's name start with "NYCGP" ...?
Not by a long shot. You're well up among my favorites, along with Monchie.

Originally Posted by SayNoToPistons
Go ahead and throw tap water in your coolant system on the regular. Report back on the status of your internals and water pump after a few years.
Never mind my water pump. You ought to see my kidneys.

Ken
Old 09-18-2011 | 03:52 PM
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Originally Posted by ken-x8
Not by a long shot. You're well up among my favorites, along with Monchie.



Never mind my water pump. You ought to see my kidneys.

Ken
Lmao time to flush them out!
Old 09-18-2011 | 04:19 PM
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Just to confuse the issue further, deionized water is much more corrosive than tap water, and it can't be pumped through copper or steel pipes. However, once you mix it with coolant, it isn't DI anymore.
The issue with hard water is mineral deposits.
Old 09-18-2011 | 05:29 PM
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If the internals are stainless steel the concern is stress corrosion cracking. Since you can't remove heat or pressure it's basically going to fail at a weak or botched weld regardless of the water type.
Old 09-18-2011 | 07:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Are-Ex-Eight
Lmao time to flush them out!
Flush which...my favorite members or my kidneys?

Ken
Old 09-18-2011 | 07:48 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Are-Ex-Eight
If the internals are stainless steel the concern is stress corrosion cracking. Since you can't remove heat or pressure it's basically going to fail at a weak or botched weld regardless of the water type.
All alloys are prone to corrosion. Don't tell me otherwise because I know I didn't pay $12,000 for 11 credits worth of engineering chemistry, material science, and material strength FOR NOTHING.

Last edited by SayNoToPistons; 09-18-2011 at 07:50 PM.
Old 09-18-2011 | 10:10 PM
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^^ yes and no. Corrosion as we typically see it is the oxidation of iron. Remove an element of the corrosion triangle and it doesn't happen.

For alloys such as stainless steel it doesn't see typical corrosion as I pointed out it's prone to stress corrosion cracking caused by free chlorides within the water. Chlorides alone won't do it. Again think of it like a fire triangle in which you have heat chlorides and weakspots or high pressures. Remove one and you won't see corrosion in stainless steels.

181 credits of Engineering suggests to me so. I am no expert in radiators though so I don't know what material we are dealing with in our cars but I would not stress over tap water.
Old 09-19-2011 | 12:23 AM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by ken-x8
Not by a long shot. You're well up among my favorites, along with Monchie.

Ken

Whoa...what a relief, lol
Old 09-19-2011 | 01:22 AM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by oltmann
Just to confuse the issue further, deionized water is much more corrosive than tap water, and it can't be pumped through copper or steel pipes. However, once you mix it with coolant, it isn't DI anymore.
The issue with hard water is mineral deposits.
not much chance anyone is going to pick up deionized water by mistake

so to all you lab rats out there... if your car overheats while driving to work dont grab a box of deionized water to top it off
Old 09-19-2011 | 01:32 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by Are-Ex-Eight
^^ yes and no. Corrosion as we typically see it is the oxidation of iron. Remove an element of the corrosion triangle and it doesn't happen.

For alloys such as stainless steel it doesn't see typical corrosion as I pointed out it's prone to stress corrosion cracking caused by free chlorides within the water. Chlorides alone won't do it. Again think of it like a fire triangle in which you have heat chlorides and weakspots or high pressures. Remove one and you won't see corrosion in stainless steels.

181 credits of Engineering suggests to me so. I am no expert in radiators though so I don't know what material we are dealing with in our cars but I would not stress over tap water.
As far as I remember it's all just Iron and Aluminum

I don't study Engineering so I dunno but what I do know is the less impurities the better. Tap water is called hard water and it's bad for engines for a reason.
Old 09-19-2011 | 02:02 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by nycgps
As far as I remember it's all just Iron and Aluminum

I don't study Engineering so I dunno but what I do know is the less impurities the better. Tap water is called hard water and it's bad for engines for a reason.
It's called hard water only if it's got a lot of minerals. Varies from place to place. NYC has very good water (product of pillaging the Catskills for it) that I wouldn't hesitate to use in a radiator, or even a battery. I've been in places in the western plains and deserts where the water was so full of minerals and alkalai that washing was difficult because soap wouldn't lather. Wouldn't put that in anything. Especially not me, if I could help it.

Ken
Old 09-19-2011 | 04:32 PM
  #40  
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The water pump is made of aluminum.
Old 05-19-2014 | 12:40 PM
  #41  
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You Gus are killing, can't stop laughing, you did not solve the problem but anyway the white bottle is written coolant only so maybe we must stick to the manufacturer's recommendations.
Old 05-19-2014 | 02:00 PM
  #42  
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^Trying to get your post count up? LOL
Old 05-19-2014 | 03:02 PM
  #43  
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Aluminum is ver susceptible to pitting corrosion in chloride environments.
Old 05-20-2014 | 07:58 AM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by TBOSE2GP
You Gus are killing, can't stop laughing, you did not solve the problem...
Yeah, we used to be pretty entertaining in the old days. But at least we haven't lost the skill of not solving problems.

Ken
Old 05-21-2014 | 03:17 AM
  #45  
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I'm new in this RX world, bought the car in March 2014 and it's been a learning curve all the way, i used to be a Volvo only driver.
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