Dumb question from a mechanical buffoon

[Soul Reputation]

I have an older SUV. It was overheating. I drove it around for about 45 minutes like that with the gauge indicating the engine as being in a serious state of overheating. Smoke never came from the engine, not once. I finally checked the radiator. So I went to the gas station and replenished it with water. I was surprised to see that it accepted a lot of water, so it appears as if the radiator was just about completely dry. I then took it for a test drive (about 10 minutes worth of driving) and the temperature gauge was nestled back in the safe zone where it should be. My question is this: can I drive it around town with no anti-freeze in the radiator, or just 100% water?

>i live in an area where the temperature rarely exceeds 80 degrees and rarely drops below 50 degrees

>the car is not a commuter vehicle. I use it rather sparingly, I drive it maybe 5 or 6 times a month

>my car has air conditioning, but I never use it

 

[nakedfrog]

When you say it indicated it was in a state of overheating, just how high WAS the needle? Just because you didn't see any smoke doesn't mean there was no damage...
Anti-freeze/coolant is so cheap, I would go ahead and put some in.

 

[jaha2000]

Anti freeze also has some inhibitors in it to prevent rusting. Rust on the inside of the motor is not a good thing.
Also, that coolant is going somewhere. Did you check the engine oil to make sure its not a watery mess?
Steam coming out of the tailpipe?
Puddle under the car?

 

[Soul Reputation]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
When you say it indicated it was in a state of overheating, just how high WAS the needle? Just because you didn't see any smoke doesn't mean there was no damage...

It was all the way over to the right, which is as high as it can get. The needle couldn't go any further to the right, it had run out of room. So in terms of how high the needle was or how hot the engine was, I suppose that all means that it was high, high, high. :Q

 

[Soul Reputation]

Originally posted by: jaha2000 Also, that coolant is going somewhere. Did you check the engine oil to make sure its not a watery mess? Steam coming out of the tailpipe?
Puddle under the car?

No, I have not yet performed any of those checks. When I check the engine oil, what should I look for on the dipstick? Water? If I see water on the dipstick, what does that mean?

 

[jtvang125]

Since the truck is going to be sitting for long periods of time it's best to get some coolant in there to prevent rust and other buildups.

 

[OdiN]

Driving around for 45 minutes with it like that was not a smart thing to do.

 

[DivideBYZero]

What does a bottle of Anti-Freeze cost?

What does a replacement vehicle cost?

Your call.

 

[mooseracing]

Originally posted by: jaha2000
Anti freeze also has some inhibitors in it to prevent rusting. ?

It doesn't do a very good job at it though since most water has so much minerals in it. Also antifreeze is corrosive and messes witht he boiling temp of water. OP you should get a tester and measure the amount of antifreeze to water in your system so you have the correct amount. Or pay a shop to test it.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: mooseracing

Originally posted by: jaha2000
Anti freeze also has some inhibitors in it to prevent rusting. ?

It doesn't do a very good job at it though since most water has so much minerals in it. Also antifreeze is corrosive and messes witht he boiling temp of water. OP you should get a tester and measure the amount of antifreeze to water in your system so you have the correct amount. Or pay a shop to test it.

You are supposed to fill with distilled water. No minerals in that. If you're using tap water, then of course the anti-freeze is going to have trouble.

ZV

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: mooseracing

Originally posted by: jaha2000
Anti freeze also has some inhibitors in it to prevent rusting. ?

It doesn't do a very good job at it though since most water has so much minerals in it. Also antifreeze is corrosive and messes witht he boiling temp of water. OP you should get a tester and measure the amount of antifreeze to water in your system so you have the correct amount. Or pay a shop to test it.

The trick is you're supposed to use distilled water when refilling coolant... not tap water. Antifreeze is not corrosive, it includes corrosion inhibitors. And yes, it messes with the boiling temp of the water... if mixed properly it raises the boiling temp and increases cooling efficiency by breaking the surface tension of water so bubbles don't form on internal surfaces.

The ONLY reason not to use antifreeze is if you're running a race engine that constantly gets torn down and rebuilt and you don't want to have to deal with gallons of hazardous waste every time you do that.

 

[LTC8K6]

You can buy a 50/50 premix of whatever type of coolant your vehicle needs and put that in.

Your biggest worry right now would be where all the coolant went.

The question I'd like to ask is whether or not there is a "Low Coolant" light on your dashboard and if it was lit up before this happened.

 

[jaha2000]

Originally posted by: Soul Reputation

Originally posted by: jaha2000 Also, that coolant is going somewhere. Did you check the engine oil to make sure its not a watery mess? Steam coming out of the tailpipe?
Puddle under the car?

No, I have not yet performed any of those checks. When I check the engine oil, what should I look for on the dipstick? Water? If I see water on the dipstick, what does that mean?

If there is water on the dipstick it could be a number of things...... all of witch are big bucks to replace.
It will either make your oil way overfilled or it could turn it a milky color. Basically if it does not look like the engine oil in your other vehicles it should be a cause of concern.

 

[jaha2000]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: mooseracing

Originally posted by: jaha2000
Anti freeze also has some inhibitors in it to prevent rusting. ?

It doesn't do a very good job at it though since most water has so much minerals in it. Also antifreeze is corrosive and messes witht he boiling temp of water. OP you should get a tester and measure the amount of antifreeze to water in your system so you have the correct amount. Or pay a shop to test it.

The trick is you're supposed to use distilled water when refilling coolant... not tap water. Antifreeze is not corrosive, it includes corrosion inhibitors. And yes, it messes with the boiling temp of the water... if mixed properly it raises the boiling temp and increases cooling efficiency by breaking the surface tension of water so bubbles don't form on internal surfaces.

The ONLY reason not to use antifreeze is if you're running a race engine that constantly gets torn down and rebuilt and you don't want to have to deal with gallons of hazardous waste every time you do that.

Good reply.
I run distilled water/water wetter in my race bike due to the hazardous waste that can come out do to crashing. Most tracks wont let you use glycol, if that crap gets on the track it might as well be ice out there.
Higher boiling point= very good thing..

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: Soul Reputation

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
When you say it indicated it was in a state of overheating, just how high WAS the needle? Just because you didn't see any smoke doesn't mean there was no damage...

It was all the way over to the right, which is as high as it can get. The needle couldn't go any further to the right, it had run out of room. So in terms of how high the needle was or how hot the engine was, I suppose that all means that it was high, high, high. :Q

For future reference, as soon as you notice that needle moving past the mid-point, it's time to pull over and shut the engine off. You may have lucked out and not thrashed anything, but I wouldn't count on it.
When you check the oil, look for anything that doesn't look like normal oil.

 

[mooseracing]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: mooseracing

Originally posted by: jaha2000
Anti freeze also has some inhibitors in it to prevent rusting. ?

It doesn't do a very good job at it though since most water has so much minerals in it. Also antifreeze is corrosive and messes witht he boiling temp of water. OP you should get a tester and measure the amount of antifreeze to water in your system so you have the correct amount. Or pay a shop to test it.

You are supposed to fill with distilled water. No minerals in that. If you're using tap water, then of course the anti-freeze is going to have trouble.

ZV

Yes I know this, but how many people really do this. Even that little extra cup people put in from their tap when it is low can cause issues.

I don't know of anyone that has used 100% distilled in the life of their vehicle unless they haven't added anything.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: mooseracing

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: mooseracing

Originally posted by: jaha2000
Anti freeze also has some inhibitors in it to prevent rusting. ?

It doesn't do a very good job at it though since most water has so much minerals in it. Also antifreeze is corrosive and messes witht he boiling temp of water. OP you should get a tester and measure the amount of antifreeze to water in your system so you have the correct amount. Or pay a shop to test it.

You are supposed to fill with distilled water. No minerals in that. If you're using tap water, then of course the anti-freeze is going to have trouble.

ZV

Yes I know this, but how many people really do this. Even that little extra cup people put in from their tap when it is low can cause issues.

I don't know of anyone that has used 100% distilled in the life of their vehicle unless they haven't added anything.

If I throw sand in the engine and it eventually siezes, does that mean the oil isn't doing a good job?

 

[Bignate603]

I really hope for your sake you didn't do anything too terrible to the engine. If your engine EVER gets up near that redline for heat you need to stop. Period. Especially with modern engines that have aluminum parts. Cast iron heads were more tolerant to overheating but weighed as much as a cement block so they aren't used anymore. The aluminum overheats and warps, making it impossible to repair.

 

[SoulAssassin]

FWIW, if it happens again putting on the heater will help cool the engine. Pulling over is definitely the smartest thing to do.

 

[mrblotto]

I'm thinking his vehicle gave out and he's stuck alongside the road unable to reply...............

 

[Elstupido]

You really need to be careful putting cold water into a red hot engine. Good way to crack a cast iron block. Not sure what it does to aluminum, but, it couldn't be good.

Ask how I know this

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin
FWIW, if it happens again putting on the heater will help cool the engine. Pulling over is definitely the smartest thing to do.

This only helps if your radiator is plugged or partially plugged. If you don't have any fluid in the cooling system turning on the heater will do nothing.

 

[Spicedaddy]

I drove it around for about 45 minutes like that with the gauge indicating the engine as being in a serious state of overheating. Smoke never came from the engine, not once.

You're lucky, the smoke would have meant a cracked block, seized piston, etc... Overheating is the worst thing you can do to an engine.

And as others have said, antifreeze also helps prevent rust and algea from forming inside your hoses/engine. It's so cheap anyways, why take the risk?

 

[HannibalX]

Radiator coolant is cheap. The jugs you buy from Wally World, Autozone, etc. are premixed 50/50 (water/anti-freeze).

I would drain the system myself and refill with new coolant. I would also ad a bottle of Red Line Water Wetter. There should be a sticker under your hood that tells you how many quarts of coolant the cooling system holds.

Good luck.