I wont have any coolant and the mechanic said he charges for coolant and its quite expensive..so i was just wondering if it was ok to just put water in the radiator for the time being..
2007-03-15 18:34:46 · 9 answers · asked by Malooshi 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Its summer here in Aus
2007-03-15 18:45:43 · update #1
Yes you can run the cooling system on plain water for a short time. BUT BE WARNED!!!!! The engine block, cylinder head, radiator and heater core are all different metals or alloys. This is a recipe for rapid corrosion. If you leave plain water in the system for more than a few days corrosion will begin. All good antifreeze mixture contain materials that reduce corrosion, lubricate water pumps and prevent boiling or freezing. You should use the antifreeze recommended by the manufacturer and not some brew from a supermarket unless it specifically states that it is suitable for your car.
The Holden company here had trouble recently because a supplier changed the alloy used one engine part without telling them This did not suit the coolant they had carefully matched to their engines. Result was a series of engine failures.
2007-03-15 20:59:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
for a short time yes, but be sure you know which type the new cars run gel antifreeze and you can damage the engine by not putting in the correct fluid after the job is done. also the antifreeze is the lubricant for the pump bearing. If it's not to hot of a day and you have a good cap it's safe but if it over heats after leaving the shop it will most likely void any warranty since the mechanic is beyond the control of what you do with it after it leaves the shop and you add water and do something to screw it up but even if he charged you say $20.00 for a gallon it's worth the money rather than losing an engine. If you get in a contest with the mechanic all he has to say is I advised the owner he did it himself after it left the Shep so I won't cover it under warranty, water boils at a much lower temp 212 degrees under 18 pounds of pressure stop and go traffic and ac could cause it to go beyond that and guess what you just bought yourself a new engine cause if it has a temp Gage and no water it will not show over heating and if it has and idiot light that's what the light means you were an idiot for driving out the shop without it and now it's time for a new engine. Trust me I been thur this one more than once.
2007-03-16 01:54:14 · answer #2 · answered by Right 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get a Haynes Repair Manual at the local Auto Zone or auto parts store in your area. It will troubleshoot and show you how to fix your vehicle. Also on the Auto Zone site has a section for vehicle maintenance
If you had bought the book you could have done it yourself. Putting in a new radiator is not that hard. Plus with the money you saved you could have bought yourself a nice cheap tool set to keep.
The bottom of the radiator has a knob to turn to drain out the water. Drain out all the water then turn the knob the other way to close it. I always put in the antifreeze in, not the 50/50 stuff. Then I fill the rest in with water. Works for me. But go to autozone.com and you might get lucky and they will have the repair guide for your vehicle.
2007-03-16 02:04:17 · answer #3 · answered by Big C 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your weather is not too cold you should be fine. Can you not buy your own and put it in when he finishes?? It would be a lot easier. My husband has always ran water in one and took it for a drive before putting coolant in so that if there was a leak it wouldn't lose the coolant.
2007-03-16 01:42:20 · answer #4 · answered by mom of 2 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You really shouldn't. I'm not sure where you live, but if you live where its cold, you shouldn't just yet. Actually you really shouldn't anyway since its a new radiator. It would be best to just try to pick some up before you get the car; its not that expensive if you go to a gas station. They have the pre-mixed kind so all you need to do is pour it in. Good luck!
2007-03-16 01:43:37 · answer #5 · answered by TRae 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes thats perfectly fine, just make sure you drain it and add radiator fluid right away or you will get a bunch of rust in the cooling system and it could freeze over.you can just stop by an auto part store on the way home and do it when you get there
2007-03-16 01:41:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
it will be fine but get some coolant in asap
2007-03-16 08:14:25 · answer #7 · answered by chrisso_w2003 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
2007-03-16 02:06:09 · answer #8 · answered by KYO X 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you are in a warm climate it is ok to use water. if you are in a cold climate your engine will freeze if you use only water.
2007-03-16 01:43:16 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋