can you put water in the car radiator?

Answer 1

Actually water will allow the car to run cooler as ordinary water is better at disipating heat than etheleyne glycol. Infact race cars use distilled tap water and no antifreeze.

Now the reason you should not run more than 70% water in your cooling system (a prestone bottle shows how the antifreeze mix will affect how well your cooling system performs) Aluminium will corrode and steel will rust, most of the engines currently on the road are bi-metal engines meaning there are two or more metals (ie iron block aluminium head) which will accelerate the corrosion / oxidation process. The properties of anti freeze allow the cooling system to be protected from rust and corrosion, and in climates where it freezes anti freeze performs just as its name indicates it prevents the coolant from freezing. and cracking the block or bursting the radiator due to hydraulic jacking (remember water expands when it freezes)

Answer 2

Yes, you can put water in your radiator.
But it will affect the cooling performance of your radiator.
Anti-freeze works both as a anti-freeze and as a coolant. The ideal mixture is 50/50 water and anti-freeze.
Your only concern would be if you are in a lot of stop and go traffic, and run your air conditioner. That would increase the temperature of your car. But as a precaution, I would not do this for a long time, to protect your radiator the anti-frz. contains additives to protect your radiator.
Other than that, sure run water.
Just be sure to replace the anti-freeze before cold weather, or you will run the chance of a frozen/cracked engine block.

Answer 3

You should put a 50/50 mix of water and anti freeze. It will keep your engine from freezing in the winter and help raise the boiling point in the summer. You can run straight water if necessary,,,,,just change back to a mixture as soon as possibile-- before winter

Answer 4

What your biggest problem will be isn't really the radiatior, many freeze plugs are made of metals that will rust out with prolonged contact to water, so you will lose them, and when you do, you will lose all of your coolant since they are typicaly the lowest point in the cooling system, this happened to my wife and she didn't notice, and i ended up with a cracked block and had to replace the engine in her explorer.

Answer 5

In an emergency it will work. But pure water will corrode most radiators. Water will boil quicker than the proper mixture of anti-freeze and water.

Answer 6

you can run straight water, but you may overheat quicker, so only in an absolute emergency would i do it. depending on where you live, you should have at least 50% antifreeze and 50% water, but in colder climates 70% antifreeze (no more) is best. Straight water will rust the radiator and antifreeze has rust inhibitors.

Answer 7

yes you can. and i have heard that water will transfer the heat quicker too. thus result in more efficiant cooling. the only problems is cold weather and corrosion. you got an anode, cathode and the water is your electrolyte.
and as far as overheating. it shouldnt if the cooling system is in good shape. your cooling system is pressureized thus raising the boiling point of your coolant. that is what keeps you from overheating. not just the antifreeze

Answer 8

sure in a pinch you can but you need to run a 50/50 mix of water and anti-freeze at all times to help keep the car running cool in the summer and keep the engine from freezing in the winter.

Answer 9

yes but its not wise, rust will eat away at you internal parts and radiator.

Answer 10

sure why not.. we did for the humvees in the military when we needed to and that's what they use for cars in demolition derbys.. but your car will probably over heat faster