Water or Coolant?

[Team123]

Hi guys
I just got my car serviced from authorised maruti workshop.
What worries me is that they filled the coolant resorvoir(white plastic box on left side) with water. Although its written on the box that it has to contain ONLY coolant, and despite my insisting that they should have used coolant, they filled it with water...... said coolant is in the metal
radiator. And this resorvoir is for water.

Can anyone clear this problemo for me pl.


Thanks

[Kinetik]

hi, they added water just to top it up, coolant usually is concentrate of Ethylene Glycol, when u put it in ur car u do a 50% mix of Coolant ( Ethylene Glycol) with 50% water,, so its no problem if u just top it up with a bit of water, just make sure that coolour of the coolant is still there and that ur engine operating temp is around 80 ~ 90 deg Cel

[Team123]

Hi kinetekh
Thanks for the reply. I still want to be sure. If I replace the water in plastic reservoir with coolant, will it do any harm ?
Today I felt the car bonnet was a bit warmer than the usual.

Should I add water in that coolant reservoir again ?? Well thats what the maruti guy said..... They advised to get the service regularly and keep the reservoir full with water, as coolant according to them is in the metal thing.

[aZa]

Metal thing = radiator ??

Switch off ur car ... and after a while open the radiator cap, make sure engine isn't hot if u see a greenish liquid inside upto the top, thats the coolant. the Coolant circulates and as kinetik said coolant and water is put in 50:50 ratio... if the green thing is there then its fine and also check the cooleant reservoir it will have the green colored liquid too not water

[Team123]

Hi aza, like I said earlier, the workshop guy filled the reservoir with water. Not coolant. Is that a usual practice ?

:dunno:

[Team123]

in other words, friends, what do you suggest should the reservoir contain
if your car mechanic has serviced your car,...... water or proper coolant?

If it is water, should I tell the car service station to fil it with coolant and not water ??

worried.:(

[DRC]

I too think water is OK to be topped up.

It is the water, which actually takes away the heat off the engine, and the coolant add a few benifits like, raising the boiling poit of the water, neutralizes the ionic nature of the water so as to avoid rusting, and enable fastter heat transfer.

All theory Now I have question myself, I have in my car a reddish brown thing as coolant. and the coolant I have seen available everywherer being green. Whats the difference?

[sujaylahiri]

You can have water in it as long as you can see the green colour prominently.
However it is advisable to use coolant always especially in hotter climates.

[Team123]

Originally Posted by sujaylahiri

You can have water in it as long as you can see the green colour prominently.
However it is advisable to use coolant always especially in hotter climates.

Do you think I stand a fair chance of winning if I take this to the maruti guys; get it checkd at 2 showrooms ?

[Team123]

Hi friend
Coolant comes in two variaties.
blue and green. I asked a fre friennds of mine who are crazy bout carz like you all are...lol
and he said blue one is few 100 bucks costlier than the green coolant.
I am going to get everything out and pump in blue coolant. :hiya:

[giri]

Here is good article about various types of coolants--and why they come in different colors:

http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/overh...e_Mag_53_g.pdf

[DRC]

anyone please tell me what is this red/brown stuff in my car's coolant tank

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by DRC

anyone please tell me what is this red/brown stuff in my car's coolant tank

Rust from the radiator due to the fact that there was no coolant mixed in ?

cya
R

ps - i actually have no idea, but to guess, maybe it is some kinda halfway-there "coolant". ie Prevents corosion but doesn not increase boiling point or vice versa etc.

[DRC]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Rust from the radiator due to the fact that there was no coolant mixed in ?

cya
R

ps - i actually have no idea, but to guess, maybe it is some kinda halfway-there "coolant". ie Prevents corosion but doesn not increase boiling point or vice versa etc.

too!!

Regarding the boiling point,, That's what I had read some where in a science book. It is one of the additives which will take the boiling point of the fluid above 100 C, and freezing point below 0 C. Logic is to keep the fluid in the liquid form, to enable efficient heat transfer,

After 100 C, if water becomes steam, gaseous form, it will not be effective, transferring heat out of engine.

Also, it is reaaly important to keep the radiator cap in place. Remember, some truckis and bus drivers used to drive without radiator caps filling water more frequently than diesel,

This also serves the same purpose. as the fluid heats up and expands it also builds up pressure. And this pressure helps in increasing the boiling poit also. This also helps in preventing overheating in Higher altitude areas.

[Fuelled]

DRC is right Rehan.

Ethylene Glycol(aka coolant) has a higer boiling point than water and hence it does not evaporate at higher tempearatures.. which makes it suitable in radiators for cooling purposes.

The whole system is pressurised else the water would simply boil.(thats why its never a good idea to open the radiator when its hot )

Its anti freeze properties have not much to do with cooling of engines as far as i know.. cos its main use is in jet engines or other similar low operating temperatures.

And the ans to the elusive question as to why water is added is that water has better heat transfer capabilities than EG. So a mixture rather than pure EG is better.

A look at EG's performance

Boiling Point Of Ethylene Glycol Solution
(% by volume) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Temperature(oF) 212 214 216 220 220 225 232
(engineeringtoolbox.com)

but as the % of EG rises its specific heat(the amount of heat reqd to raise its unit mass solution by 1 degree) decreases n hence its efficiency in cooling... So water is also added.


Hope ur doubts r cleared team1234