The coolant is very important for the proper working of the car radiator. The coolant is also known as antifreeze. It puts in the car radiator. It plays a big role in preventing the engine from overheating. In some cases, it is recommended to use water in place of antifreeze. If your car doesn’t contain a pressurized coolant recovery system, you’ll need to add the liquid directly into the car radiator. To fill the car radiator with water, you must have to know how to put water in the car radiator.
How to Check and Add Water to a Car Radiator
A sufficient amount of water is very important for the proper working of the radiator. If you want to put water to the car radiator and your car engine is still warm, add the water slowly with the running engine.
In this way, instead of everything falling into the system at once when the engine is restarted, cold liquid mixes into the hot water stream circulating in the system.
Follow the below-given steps to add water to your car radiator:
1) Park Your Car
First of all, you need to park your car in a safe place and wait for a few minutes until the engine cools down. In winter, the engine cooling process may take 5 to 15 minutes, while in summer, it may take about 30 to 40 minutes.
Check the engine temperature by touching it. When you touch the engine touched, it shouldn’t be hot under any circumstances.
2) Find the Radiator
Secondly, locate your car radiator. The car radiator is most commonly installed just behind the grill while in front of the engine. The latest vehicles have marked radiator caps. These radiator caps are typically more oval than other round caps found in the engine compartment.
3) Remove the Radiator Cap
After finding the radiator, you need to remove the radiator cap. Before removing the radiator cap, make sure that the engine shouldn’t be hot.
The radiator has pressurized liquid, which takes a long time to cool. As the engine cools down, remove the cap. Use anything available in your car during the uncapping process, such as an old t-shirt, rags, or towels, for extra security.
4) Add the Water
After removing the radiator cap, it’s time to fill your car radiator with water. The engine compartment also has an overflow tank. This tank is made of plastic. You need to pour water into this tank.
This tank has a maximum (MAX) and minimum (MIN) mark. If you are holding a bottle of water and drop water in the tank, the water may be close to the minimum. If your car does not have an overflow tank, you can add water directly into the radiator.
5) Reinstall the Radiator Cap
After adding water up to a specific level, reinstall the overflow tank cap and the radiator cap. Start the car engine and go straight to the nearest shop to buy the coolant. Mix the coolant with the water in the radiator so that your engine and radiator can prevent from damage.
Read Also: Different Types of Car Engines
Advantages of Using Water instead of Coolant
In emergency conditions, you should add water to the car radiator instead of driving the vehicle without any liquid or even with a very low level. In such conditions, the addition of water prevents the radiator from dry running and prevents the engine from overheating.
If you drive your car without any liquid or with a low level of liquid, your car engine will overheat, causing significant damage to different parts of the car and may cause an expansive repair.
But adding water to your vehicle radiator is not a permanent solution. Once you reach the store or workshop, you need to change the water with the correct coolant. Keep in mind that the best coolant mixture is a 50/50 mix of distilled water and the right type of antifreeze, which is undeniable.
Disadvantages of Using Water Instead of Coolant
If your car radiator is full of water, you shouldn’t drive too long a distance. If you drive a car with a radiator full of water, your car engine may overheat, which can produce severe problems or may cause engine failure. If your engine overheats, stop the vehicle and wait for some time until your engine cools down.
Some latest vehicles take advantage of a shutdown system. This system prevents the engine from overheating. As the engine overheats, this technology automatically shut off the engine, and you can’t start it again until it cools up to a specific temperature.
Coolant Vs. Water
The main difference between using coolant or water in the radiator is given below:
1) Boiling Point
The vehicle’s operating temperature is more than the water boiling point. This means that without coolant, the vehicle’s engine will overheat, and the water will vaporize and boil. The coolant helps to maintain the normal temperature of the engine.
If your radiator doesn’t contain coolant, you should stop the vehicle after driving some distance, cool the engine and constantly add water to the radiator.
2) Freezing Point
If you live in a cold area, you will experience the opposite of what you read above. If the car’s radiator does not contain antifreeze, the liquid will freeze. As a result, the radiator will crack and damage.
3) Corrosion Problems
Water contains a variety of minerals that can build up in the radiator over time and will stop the radiator from operating properly. These minerals may also corrode the radiator.
FAQ Section
How to fill a Radiator with Water?
- Park your car: First of all, park your vehicle in a safe area.
- Find the Radiator: Secondly, find the radiator in your car. Most commonly, it is installed at the front of the car.
- Remove the Radiator Cap: After finding the radiator, remove the radiator car.
- Add the Water: Pour water into the radiator up to the desired level.
- Reinstall the Radiator Cap: As you add water according to the requirements, reinstall the radiator cap as before.
Can I use water instead of coolant?
One of the best ways to avoid engine overheating is to use coolant in the car radiator. The coolant has more boiling temperature than the water. Similarly, the car’s working temperature is more than the water boiler temperature. In emergency conditions, you should add water to the car radiator instead of driving the vehicle without any liquid or even with a very low level.
If you drive a car with a radiator full of water, you can’t drive for a long distance; otherwise, your engine will overheat. Therefore, you can drive a car for a short distance and replace the water with coolant as soon as possible.
Where should I put water when my car overheats?
When your car overheats, first of all, park your car in a safe place. Wait for a few minutes until your car engine cools down. As the engine cools down, remove the pressure cap and put water into the radiator. The radiator is installed in front of the vehicle. If the car overheats to the vapor limit, you can also add water to the recovery tank or coolant reservoir.
What liquid is used in car radiators to prevent overheating?
Antifreeze is one of the most efficient liquids used to avoid overheating problems. Antifreeze is also known as a coolant. In case of emergency, you can also use water instead of coolant or mix it with coolant by using a 50/50 ratio.
What type of water is best to use in the radiator?
If coolant is not available, the radiator must be filled with top-quality water. It is recommended that you should use distilled water in the car radiator. Tap water or bottled drinking water can also be used. Be aware that bore water or tap water has multiple minerals that may corrode the radiator and cooling system, which shortens the life of the radiator.
Why does my car radiator losing water?
There are multiple reasons due to that your radiator may lose water. The following are the most common radiator water leakage reasons.
- External coolant leak
- Internal coolant leak
- Blown head gasket
- Radiator car leak
Is it ok to put distilled water in radiator?
Yes, you can add distilled water to your car’s radiator. Using only tap water in your radiator can lead to the accumulation of mineral deposits that may harm both your engine and radiator over time. While distilled water is a safer alternative, it can still be susceptible to rust and corrosion caused by tap water. Consequently, this can ultimately result in significant damage to your engine and radiator.
What happens if I use water instead of coolant?
If you use water instead of coolant, high temperatures inside the engine would easily boil it and cause it to evaporate. This will cause your engine to overheat very quickly, leading to engine damage and poor performance.