Tooping up water in car?

DanTheMan · 11 May 2006 at 13:05

Hi all, my mum has just come home from work and is saying that she needs to top up the water in her car as it hasn't been done for ages.

She has a 1999 V reg 1.25 fiesta, just wondering, will the water need topping up and if so how often would you say? Or is it a case of checking to see if there's enough in and if not topping it up?

tedaC · 11 May 2006 at 13:08

DanTheMan said:
Or is it a case of checking to see if there's enough in and if not topping it up?

Yup basically - fill a kettle ( with cold water )

- pop open the bonet and water container, then just fill it up to water reaches near the top. Close the lid - your done

GlasgowTitan · 11 May 2006 at 13:24

Water where in the car? You know it needs topping up when you press the button to clean the windows and nowt comes out, and your wiper just smudges the dirt all over the windscreen.

Phantom · 11 May 2006 at 13:39

radiator or winscreen wiper reservoir?

radiator should have some sort of overflow where you can check the water level . windscreen reservoir using the test above

Glaucus · 11 May 2006 at 13:47

bloody hell, how can you not now this, sorry but if she doesn't now where the water goes she shouldn't be driving. Its basic maintance to ensure you have a safe car to drive in.

By the sounds of it you should check

water for *** windscrene wipers and the radiator

and oil level for the brakes probably wouldn't go amiss.

All found under the bonnet. Also check tyre pressure and wear.

ShakenNstirred · 11 May 2006 at 16:51

don't just use tap water in the rad its not good for it
use distilled or ready mixed
tap water is full of crap that turns to lime scale and can over time block and corrode the waterway

siztenboots · 11 May 2006 at 16:55

Might as well check tyre pressures, ( including spare ), and tread.

If you can, a quick look at the pad material left, and any bulbs out.

HEADRAT · 11 May 2006 at 17:15

For the love of all thats holy don't put it in the wrong place, a kettle of water in the rocker cover makes jack a sad boy.

HEADRAT

burns · 11 May 2006 at 17:22

ShakenNstirred said:
don't just use tap water in the rad its not good for it
use distilled or ready mixed
tap water is full of crap that turns to lime scale and can over time block and corrode the waterway

ROFL, it's best to get it blessed by the local priest as well.

ShakenNstirred · 11 May 2006 at 20:00

burns said:
ROFL, it's best to get it blessed by the local priest as well.

don't know that you rofl-ing for mate
i have an engine here thats got a corroded/warn away block(right were the head gasket should seal, you can see were the water coming out of one of the water pipes opposite the corrosion has over time warn the alloy away till its to thin to seal) the guy that had the car before me always used tap water.
it a bit like were a river slowly widens the bends as i flows by

Sp00n · 11 May 2006 at 20:09

ShakenNstirred said:
don't just use tap water in the rad its not good for it
use distilled or ready mixed
tap water is full of crap that turns to lime scale and can over time block and corrode the waterway

I foudn this out the hard way, normal water and no anti-freeze meant that my pipes got clogged up aswell as my rad.

Mickey_D · 11 May 2006 at 20:11

Sorry, Shaken. But there's caring for your car and there's going WAY overboard.

The minute you pour water into the cooling system, it's contaminated beyond anything that will come out of a kitchen faucet.

In a given engine there's up to 7 different kinds of metal. Each one will contribute to electrolysis. Each one will oxidize in the antifreeze (a mild acid btw) and produce different contaminants.

Using distilled or filtered water in your cooling system is like washing your car in the rain. Or even better, washing a rally car in the middle of a race. It's pointless and a waste.

[TW]Fox · 11 May 2006 at 22:25

tedaC said:
Yup basically - fill a kettle ( with cold water ) - pop open the bonet and water container, then just fill it up to water reaches near the top. Close the lid - your done

Don't be so absolutely daft.

For a start, this car probably doesn't have 'water' - its a Ford Zetec engine and most of these are fitted with Fords 4life longlife Coolant, not tap water.

Secondly, as others have explained, tap water into a cooling system = bad.

Have a look at the cars handbook and the reservoir - if its pink/orangey you have Fords longlife coolant - it shouldn't ever need changing for the life of the car, and it shouldn't need topping up unless there is a fault.

Certainly don't go filling it with water from a kettle!

Phantom · 11 May 2006 at 22:48

Mickey_D said:
Sorry, Shaken. But there's caring for your car and there's going WAY overboard.

The minute you pour water into the cooling system, it's contaminated beyond anything that will come out of a kitchen faucet.

In a given engine there's up to 7 different kinds of metal. Each one will contribute to electrolysis. Each one will oxidize in the antifreeze (a mild acid btw) and produce different contaminants.

Using distilled or filtered water in your cooling system is like washing your car in the rain. Or even better, washing a rally car in the middle of a race. It's pointless and a waste.

what do you suggest we do, spit in it to top it up instead?

moss · 11 May 2006 at 22:55

tedaC said:
Yup basically - fill a kettle ( with cold water ) - pop open the bonet and water container, then just fill it up to water reaches near the top. Close the lid - your done

If its the cooling system, and the cars been running DONT pour cold into it, you can cause some serious damage.

MuvverRussia · 11 May 2006 at 22:59

always used tap water when changing coolant on cars (this is old school stuff though, not modern ones with sealed longlife coolant). However also the water at home (cardiff) is pretty soft so its not too big a deal.

thebrasso · 11 May 2006 at 23:01

I've only had to put a small amount in my Civic in nearly a year but I bought some ready mixed coolant from Halfords. I'd heard tap water wasn't too good for it.

Firestar_3x · 11 May 2006 at 23:01

Only if you just put tap water in.

Clarkey · 11 May 2006 at 23:02

oh yeah, you will easily crack the block by pouring cold water into a hot running engine.

Fulcrum · 11 May 2006 at 23:13

Mix it with antifreeze before putting it in if you want to be sensible otherwise your diluting the mix and antifreeze helps to stop rust as I understand it.

However I always use plain water because Iam never that organised and whatever water added is better then too little. I havent flushed the engine in years, opps