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YACT: coolant / cooling question

M

MeanMeosh

Diamond Member
my car was running a little hot because i'd used a mix heavy on the engine cooland when i filled 'er up some time ago... and since its the summer and texas and all... hot isnt good. so, i emptied out half the coolant and filled it in with water. is this bad in any way for the car? i figger, being texas and summer and all... i really won't need the anti-freeze properties...
 
Isn't that what you are supposed to do in the summer? I try to keep an equal mix of coolant and water in my car during the summer.


: ) Amanda
 
If I were you, I flush the system and add the proper mixute (usually 50/50) of coolant. You have no idea what you have in there now after doing what you did.
 
If you put water in your radiator, make sure it is only distilled water as tap water contains minerals that may react.
Discussion about waterwatter

Link to waterwetter

From what i've been able to gather, many people recomend running a 70% water to 30% coolant ratio for the anti-corrosion/lube qualities contained in coolant for a summer blend.

Nice article about coolant systems

Running 100% coolant is a recipe for overheating as regular coolant makes a poort heattransfer liquid. (see the articles above) and can cause you to overheat. Some people do run 100% water with an additive to make the water wetter (its basically some type of surfuctant like soap) and some other additive for water pump lubrication and rust protection.

 
What year, make, and model?

This is essential information that always seems to get omitted, as if all cars are built the same, and that age is not important in determining what types of problems you might have.

Sorry if that sounds like a rant, but it I guess it is.
 
its a 95 mazda mx-6 with 160k miles on it. the problem was that it was running quite hot (the fan has a slow and fast speed it goes to automatically as necessary; it would often go into the fast speed, temperature would go crazy.) i've taken the car in and the mechanics say there's nothing wrong with it. (and this problem never frikkin replicates itself in the shop!) however, when i decided to do this, it runs much cooler than before, with the fan either not coming on or in the slow speed.

 
Usually, when it overheats and there's "nothing wrong with it," it's because the radiator isn't transferring heat effectively anymore, due to a build up of sediment. Some of the passages might even be completely clogged. It's getting up to 8 years old, and if the coolant hasn't been changed every 2 years with a 50/50 blend, that's about all you can expect out of most radiators in my experience.

BTW 50/50 is the proper ratio for all driving conditions, from Canada down to Arizona. It's called "anti-freeze," but that doesn't tell you the whole story. It not only lowers the freezing point of the coolant, but it raises the boiling point. It also contains lubricants and anti-corrosion agents, among other things. These additives lose effectiveness over time, and so the coolant should be changed every 2 years.
 
To repeat some of what has been said, you should run a 50/50 mix of coolant year round at minimum. Believe it or not, the 50/50 mix has better cooling properties than using a single fluid. Your problem might be solved by having the cooling system flushed and refilled with a 50/50 mix. But it could also be a sticking thermostat.
 
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