• buttwater [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    5·
    3 days ago

    Water works in place of coolant in a pinch. If your car is losing coolant, you have a leak somewhere and putting $20 of coolant in it will only buy you as much time as it takes to leak out

    • T34_69 [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
      2·
      3 days ago

      Yeah you can keep filling it with filtered/distilled water to keep the car going, it’s better than running it with low or no coolant. Just need to avoid freezing outdoor temperatures and hard water.

        • T34_69 [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
          1·
          3 days ago

          Yeah, that’s okay. Your coolant mix is most likely already 50% diluted (50% coolant concentrate and 50% water), which is normal, so adding water only further dilutes it. Diluting the coolant allows it to freeze at a higher temperature, which is why you’ll have to try to avoid 0°C outdoor temperatures if your car’s cooling system is mostly water. Should be good to go for another couple months, though.

          If you’re nervous about the coolant mix, then you can typically get a little specific gravity tester like this one for $2 to $3 to test the concentration. I’ve got that one from Walmart, it works fine.

          Also, you probably already know this, but when you do get your hands on more coolant, you need to make sure it’s the same type, otherwise it’ll react with the existing coolant and they’ll coagulate, which can have disastrous consequences. I’m not an expert but I think you’re fine as long as you get the same color liquid.