gamezone07 Posted February 16, 2017 Author Share Posted February 16, 2017 Will i be ok adding anti-freeze to the max of the gauge, for now, it is in the middle at present. Never fill the coolant to the max on the header tank you need to allow for expansion as the coolant get's hot, if you think you are capable take the bottom hose of the radiator so the radiator drains, do this on the level on the road as the water will be very dirty, mix water and anti-freeze in a watering can 50/50 put the bottom hose back on fill the radiator from the top, if you can, if not remove cap from header tank and fill from there on sealed systems, run the car so the water pump fills the engine and radiator when the lever stabilisers in the header tank or the water bubbles from the top of the radiator it's full, but check after a run to top it up. I'm sure some one will have other advice. I think i will need someone to do this, have been ringing mechs from here but no reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obelix Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 What car are we talking about here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamezone07 Posted February 16, 2017 Author Share Posted February 16, 2017 peugeot 307, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ando_1 Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 You also need to have the correct grade of antifreeze you cannot mix different ones . Cars today have specific grades which lubricate the water system and the rubber seals and also work as a summer coolant . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy266 Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 You do not need distilled water.... plain old tapwater is fine. And basically, do not get worried about coolants, antifreezes etc, Just head off to your local garage, and ask them to check the state what is in your radiator, and they will us a hydrometer sort of thing that gives an instant read-out of the lowest temperature your engine is safe to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obelix Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 Which may have been true for a thirty year old car... Some antifreezes are not compatible with each other nor with the seals in the car. Put the wrong coolant in and you can get gel forming, leaks all over the place and a worn pump bearings.... In a hard water area you do need deinonised water. It's dirt cheap - £2 for five litres which is all you will ever need to fill it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamezone07 Posted February 16, 2017 Author Share Posted February 16, 2017 (edited) Blimey, it seems a contested issue. Does your car run ok with tap water long term, Smithy? Edited February 16, 2017 by gamezone07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willman Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 http://www.micksgarage.com/blog/everything-you-ever-needed-to-know-about-anti-freeze-and-coolant/ Its about as dangerous as a banana skin on the floor at the other side of a room to where you're standing. There is every possibility that some header loss will occur due to expansion - thats why lots of cars have an outlet to allow. I use tap water in a 3 year old car and a 7 year old car - the only one that needs specialist coolant is an '03 MGTF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obelix Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 (edited) Blimey, it seems a contested issue. Does your car run ok with tap water long term, Smithy? http://www.cgj.com/2013/05/20/what-are-the-different-types-of-antifreeze-and-can-i-mix-them/ http://www.cgj.com/2013/05/08/do-i-need-antifreeze-in-warm-weather/ You may want to read on the problems. For what it's worth as a qualified chemist with more than just a passing interest in this sort of thing I analysed a lot of the issues found when IAT coolant was being mixed into the then new OAT/HOAT stuff. The problems encountered in terms of gel and colloidal formations from incompatible coolants are very real. You may get lucky, you might not but the end result can be a scrap engine. For the moment the small amount of tap water is not a problem. Find out where the leak is (no it's shouldn't overflow the header tank - it's NOT designed to do that they are a sealed system - they've been sealed for decades because coolant is expensive). find leak. Fix leak. Then flush the system and refill with the correct coolant and water mix. Then you can leave it for at least six years with it being a modern cooling system. Edited February 16, 2017 by Obelix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy266 Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 Yep, all with tapwater and blue antifreeze. No problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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