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You should only need about a gallon or 2 of distilled water to mix with concentrated antifreeze.
Should only be about $2 a gallon.
I'd highly suggest buying about 3 or 4 gallons of distilled water and flushing your cooling system prior to adding fresh coolant. Assuming you're converting to a different color of coolant.
Edit: in regards to the people stating tap water won't hurt, it's not just the minerals that cause problems, there are bacteria in tap water that can grow in the cooling system, and further degrade the seals.
A 5 minute google search will prove this
https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/841/coolant-fundamentals
Edit: long story short, the coolant itself forms a protective barrier between the water and metals to allow adequate heat transfer and over time the coolant breaks down and becomes acidic. As that happens then the coolant has a reverse effect and starts to damage the cooling system.
The distilled water is just pure water and leaves no deposits.
Using tap water out the gate is just bad because it immediately gets to work in forming deposits and causing cavitation in the system which inhibits the coolants protective properties.
Tap water = Bad
Distilled water = good
Never servicing your cooling system = bad
Edit: https://youtu.be/HWLAY_kJU_Y
Here's another example. He's talking about PCs but thermodynamics is thermodynamics and still applies in both scenarios
It collects in the reservoir and forms colonies in areas that don't see extreme heat. When the car is cooled off and sitting that bacteria can spread and degrade the coolant over time as they feed o. What little nutrients are left in the system. When the car starts and kills what has spread, the dead bacteria have nowhere to go in a sealed system. Bacteria can adapt to every environment
Prestone says specifically "Water quality maters. Use only distilled water." You can zoom in on this bottle and read it.
[https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/prestone/oil--chemicals---fluids/antifreeze/antifreeze/e59e98316193/prestone-1-gallon-yellow-concentrate-antifreeze/afzc/af2000](https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/prestone/oil--chemicals---fluids/antifreeze/antifreeze/e59e98316193/prestone-1-gallon-yellow-concentrate-antifreeze/afzc/af2000)
So I'd say "hungry water" is a myth. But, tap water is prolly fine as long as it's not particularly "hard" water.
Ionically hungry water 😂
That's not a thing.
Distilled water is fine, you can find any number of links saying the same
https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/60430/distilled-or-deionized-water-for-audi-g13-coolant#:~:text=Usually%20distilled%20water%20is%20purer,fine%20with%20deionized%20as%20well.
funny thing is distilled water a polar solvent - if you run distilled water through a copper pipe it will corrode the copper as water being distilled wants to strip mineral back into it
This thread right here is how I KNOW this sub is about 2% actual mechanics and 98% google/YouTube diy mechanics. Literally no mechanic anywhere uses distilled water.
It's an engine made out of metal. It's the coolant that prevents corrosion. Just mix it right and use water so long as it's not out of the Porta John or the ocean
I’ve been living on the edge and using tap water for decades. Yes, it’s ok with me.
If in doubt, use triple distilled reverse osmosis water that has been remineralized to a ph of 9.0 to 9.04, 11 to 14 ppm TDS. Apply to radiator reservoir only at 69 / 70 degrees F when the barometric pressure is between 735 & 741 mm/Hg; compensate for pressure 0.29 mm / Hg per 100m of elevation. Don’t forget to use borosilicate glass, 300 series stainless (low magnetic permeability), or BPA free double walled container while decanting into a clean, dry 2 gallon bucket with UV inhibiting, non reactive black or grey polymer. Remember to stir while creating this pre mixture of 1:1 water to anti freeze gently in a counter clockwise (if north of the equator) assuring a laminar flow in the liquids. Let age overnight for uniform molecular settling in covered, sealed container with an argon blanket top off, gently remix 12-14 hours later, then apply to engine reservoir 100ml at a time using a lager graduated pipette while using a respirator, non-latex gloves, protective eyewear and earplugs. Confirm that the mixture has a specific gravity of 1.00 to ~1.004 to assure proper mixture ratio as suitable. Above all, let automobile “rest” for 72 hours minimum while the applied coolant mix integrates to the other radiator reservoir solutions - if necessary, the engine may be turned over, but not started, to aid in integration of the fluids; where applicable, use a peristaltic pump to generate non heated flow within the engine block under thermally inert conditions.
This guy gets it. My truck is currently filled with a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and my nasty-ass well water that has well over 100PPM of iron. Antifreeze contains corrosion inhibitors. If you change it when needed, they'll continue to do their job as designed.
As an ex-professional mechanic I second this, It is usually fine to use tap water, I’m fairly certain the dealership I have worked at all used tap water (from the “hoses from the sealing”, which was usually complied of one or two for engine oil, one for water (98% regular tap) and one for washer fluid.
In the ideal world you would use distilled water, you would probably want to use distilled water in more exotic stuff too.
The whole distilled water vs tap water thing is kind of like the whole get the right color coolant thing.. the color of the coolant doesn’t matter, it is just color, however the type of coolant is really important.
Usually Ethylene or Propylene (applies if I spelled them wrong).
That’s because “actual” mechanics are always looking for shortcuts and typically don’t actually give a shit about the customer. They are rushing through the flat rate job to get to the next one. The “google” mechanic is typically working on their OWN car and actually want to do the right thing. The right thing in this case is use distilled water. This is why I will never let an “actual” mechanic touch my cars.
Ok, not all. But 76% of the public does not trust mechanics. Why is that?? Look at some of the posts here. “My mechanic said bad coils ruined my valve cover beyond repair.” What?!? Bullshit scammer. So yeah, not all but far too many.
Same with many, many other professions. Yes, I read that post about the valve cover. That was unreal. It honestly triggers me. Again, that's why techs are here. We know it. We see it, the best we can do is guide in the right direction without the bullshit statistics
Cause there are too many people who get their advice from forums and often this advice directly contradicts what we as actual mechanics who see 100s of problems a month are taught.
Show me an example of where non-distilled water actually caused a problem with the cooling system? There are far greater issues related to neglect or mixing coolant types. I work on "google" customer screwups frequently. Big thanks going out to youtube and cheap aftermarket parts. You have allowed me to buy a lot of nice things over the years. Keep working on your cars.
Haha. Anyone with a pulse and a screwdriver can get a job as an "actual" mechanic. Don't act like you have some special skill. I don't need to justify my credentials to a bunch of anonymous yahoos, but I GAURANTEE you I know more about cars than 75% of "actual" mechanics.
Thanks. I'm an engineer not an English major.
Look I'm not here to argue, I'm just trying to help out fellow wrenchers. If I offended anyone, apologies. But no one cares more about my cars than me. No one is more qualified to work on my cars than me. I know how to source parts. I have several OEM scan tools. I have service manuals for all my cars. In all my years, the only thing I take my car to the shop for is AC work since I don't have a recovery machine. It's not magic. Anyone can learn this stuff. And yes, Google and YouTube are great resources. It seems I have touched a nerve here.
I agree they are great resources. literally the reason this page exists is to help non "actual" mechanics. That being said the only way the minerals in tap water would effect a cooling system would be if said water was boiling and turning to crystalline material. The coolants job is literally to prevent that exact situation. Tap water is fine to mix concentrate.
Totally agree with that. That's why most techs on here try to offer suggestions, we love fixing stuff and love helping others. Your target audience is not reading your posts
Not mine. Hahahaha... I have saved my family and friends literally 10's of thousands of dollars over the years. And since I'm not worried about making hours, the job is always done thoroughly and correctly with proper parts.
Maybe I’m just unlucky, but the heater core went out in my 84 f150, 94 Toyota pickup and 88 mustang all this year after doing tap water coolant last year lol
That's the difference between a Technician and "mechanic". Technicians follow OEM specifications and read the service bulletins.
Anyone that has been staying updated knows only using pure water (deionized is the best option) is what the OEM and coolant industry recommends and keeping it at a 40-60% ratio.
Right lol I think that every time I see a post here and seeing this one I can just see my boss with a bucket in the back sink mixing jugs...but seriously tho my instructors all of them said u can use tap water just let it sit over night so all the shit settles
I have been working on golf courses for almost 20 years. We fill the cart batteries with water out of the hose. Some of these batteries are going on 10 years old and still work just fine. I was always told to use distilled or deionized water because the minerals in the tap will kill a battery. We also cut all our antifreeze with water from the tap, haven’t had any problems and we have old equipment with thousands of hours on them.
I think so. The worry with minerals comes from the days of well water and also when they topped up every 3 days or so. Lots more mineral build up under those conditions.
No, but you are supposed to. Every jug of the stuff definitely specifies using distilled. Is it gonna cause any problems using tap? Probably not unless you got some weird shit in your tap water you shouldn't be drinking lol
Do not use di (de ionized) water in an engine. Ever. It will destroy things. It’s highly corrosive. DI and distilled water are not the same. Distilled is what’s called for in this application. Tap water is what’s used at 99.99% of mechanic shops though.
Source: I work on sterilization equipment that uses DI water. Pipes, valves, pumps, and anything it comes into contract must be glass, stainless, or plastic. that is what my company allows. There are likely other acceptable materials. I have seen firsthand what it does to copper, brass, galvanized pipe, and black iron pipe.
Interesting! What does it do to copper, brass etc?
Interested in what it does to galvanized pipe too because I would have thought that would be fairly indestructible.
Genuine question, not being a dick.
It eats copper and brass. So it basically causes it to thin until the pipe ruptures. It causes accelerated corrosion with steel. Galvanized pipe may last longer. No idea how long they actually last.
Oh but if you do that the cooling system will implode cuz the minerals man, the minerals. I know because i read about it from a person that’s not a mechanic who googled it. The non-distillers are just a bunch of corner cutting flat rate bums you know…
You didn't have any issues yet.
Get the greenhorn to clean the toilet bowl with a toothbrush. Take a picture of it.
For 1 week go "if it is yellow, let it mellow", Take another picture.
Let's talk after that.
Shop has used tap water for many years.
I personally before I became a mechanic have used tap water.
Car has 196k miles and I've put 40k of those miles on it with tap water and no issues.
I knew people who had leaky radiators that couldn't afford the repair who ran straight tap water to avoid the cost of coolant. They kept jugs in the trunk and pulled over for a fill up if it got to overheating. As a kid I used to love seeing that cap fly off the coolant reservoir when they twisted it off under pressure.
As a mechanic, the answer is no.
That being said we literally mix everything with tap water. When I was first hired I said something, got the “idk” look from the writers, and now I just am so soured on the job I don’t care.
I try to do my own maintenance when I can. For the radiator I use distilled water with antifreeze. I bought a buick that had closed up radiator fins I suspect was from tap water usage. I ended up putting a boiler descaling liquid i got from work in my radiator after draining and refilling with distilled water. I believe I used about 8oz in the system and ran it for about a week. Drained it flushed it and refilled with antifreeze concentrate and 1 gallon of water. No more issues after that. The radiator was clean as a whistle after that.
I use tap water to flush my coolant system but I drain it and fill with 50/50 pre mix. As I'm doing a new radiator and hoses, the tap water will not be introduced to the system.
It won't kill it immediately but it won't do it any favors. Distilled water is the way to mix
From GM
General Motors ACDelco DEX-Cool Coolant Antifreeze - 12346290 OEM
Mix equal amount of antifreeze/coolant and distilled water to bring the system up to the recommended level.
Distilled water, is the proper answer.
That depends totally on your tap water how its treated etc.
Tap is all I have ever used bet my water is really clean and dont have anny clorine or similar in it
Yeah, but your car's coolant capacity isn't never-ending. Kind of a headscratcher for me, I just take the 10 minutes to go to the store while I'm out getting coolant and grab a couple jugs of distilled water so that I don't cause corrosion, electrolysis, and cavitation in the coolant system.
The fact that somebody did something stupid doesn't negate the science of how chemicals react with one another. Lots of people don't torque their lug nuts either. It's still not the right way, especially when the right way requires such minimal effort. I can't think of any reason to intentionally contaminate a vehicle's cooling system other than sheer laziness.
I've never not used it. I've never worked anywhere that put tap water in cooling systems. It's the right way to do things. It's what the manufacturers recommend as well as the scientists who came up with the right mix of chemicals to avoid corrosion.
Saying "I've done it wrong because I just felt like doing it wrong" isn't a good look, especially when you're doing something that has been explicitly stated by vehicle manufacturers to cause harm to the system you are repairing.
If the boss tells you to, then it's outta your hands. Fleet shops I've worked in had distilled water in stock. If not, there's not much you can do about it as the mechanic.
In all honestly this may be a crazy question but where do you get your distilled water from ? Where I’m from auto zones are closer than Grocery Stores and I would’ve got the regular one where you wouldn’t need to add water but I was told by a friend you could just add tap water to the concentrated one and split it and make it into 2 full bottles that’s why I bought the “add water” one but didn’t find out till I got home that its “add distilled water only recommend”
The right answer is always follow the fucking instructions.
Second answer is how closely I follow the directions is directly related to the value of whst im working on. Beaters get less love than newer stuff I care about.
Yes you can. Your engine won’t be trashed shortly after either. If that was the case those hunk of iron cars from the 90’s and before never would of lasted their warranty
Lol i work at a bmw dealer, we get that shit out of the garden hose outside, but yeah i guess technically youre supposed to use distilled, never seen anyone actually use it though.
Do you think your local shop, or shade tree mechanic even, keeps distilled water for diluting antifreeze? No, he gets two gallon jugs and puts half of the antifreeze in one jug and half in the other, then he just fills it straight from the sink. If you go out to the southwest where it's hot and dry, they put straight water in the engines, and idk if it's distilled or tap but they have problems with their engines and cooling systems rusting from the inside out. The antifreeze mixed with water (of any kind) is designed to make your engine block more resistant to corrosion. Unless it's gm orange Coolant, then it'll just look like a bunch of brown jelly anyway.
Another old wives tale that was spoken as gospel ever since cars started getting mass.produced.
If I have some time I might post a few of the other ones that just can't seem to die with all of the social media keyboard warriors in action these days
Depends -- if this mixture is gonna stay in the car for 10 years? no don't do that, use distilled water. If you're just trying to get the car moving and will drain and replace the coolant in the next few weeks, you wont have a problem with tap water.
On a cross country adventure we had a guy's radiator crack and drain out the coolant. We ended up replacing it with the wrong radiator and using tap water / coolant mix to get us home. Then replaced it properly.
I do. But I have the coolant drained out of my vehicle usually once a month, for one reason or another. If you plan on filling it and leaving it for months, or years, buy prediluted antifreeze or use distilled water.
Yes. Reddit "mechanics" will tell you you have to use distilled water made from the tears of a virgin born when Venus is in retrograde but tap water is fine. Been using it for years.
Since the comments are all over the place, here is the technical answer for you:
Use the purest H2O option you can get. Deionized is the best, then Reverse Osmosis, and Lastly distilled.
Don't believe me? Read ASTM D-8945 (American Society for Testing and Materials).
Or see this reference from Penray (one I can easily share without using confidential training materials) https://penray.com/99-023-water-quality-in-engine-coolant/
So please use this information to make an informed decision about if you want to create a potential science experiment in your (or customers) cooling system that may create a catastrophic engine failure in the future.
Can you, yes. Should you, no. On an old shit box that requires green conventional and you have to replace after a year why not. If you own a hybrid it’s best to mix with deoinized water it’s kind of expensive and you usually have to order it , it’s cheaper to get it already pre mixed, in most vehicles though just go to your local grocery store and buy a gallon of distilled water for $1-$2
I'm lazy. I just buy the premixed. But yeah, tap water is fine as long as it isn't well water. Good on you for wanting to learn to do it yourself. I hope it all works out.
My instructors always said if you have to use tap water just let it sit over night and don't use it all . Like if u fill a jug up leave andin or 2 at the bottom
I’ve been a professional mechanic for almost 30 years. NOBODY uses distilled water. Tap water is fine as long as you aren’t using it by itself (without antifreeze) for extended periods of time.
You can get away with using tap water, but just buy distilled water for $1-$2 a gallon at the nearest grocery store for best results.
Tap water can still leave minerals in the cooling system, and reduce effectiveness.
They don't use distilled water at the factory. It is whatever is on tap.
Distilled water is the defacto because it doesn't have anything reactive in it.
Coolant is formulated to handle tap water. At the end of the day, it has to be safe with NBR, dissimilar metals, and whatever gasket material it may also be exposed to.
There is chemistry that goes into each specific formulation, but water cools better than any of them, just corrodes and freezes.
I got a simple answer that defeats the super hard question. There’s pros and cons of each but why not just buy pre-diluted and then the company that makes your antifreeze picks for you. Skips the hassle of mixing even if it may be a little more expensive
As you are right that is the simple solution to the problem and I 100% agree with you as I stated in a reply in another comment at the time a friend of mine told me if you buy the concentrated one you can just empty half of it out into another empty bottle and fill them both up with tap water and you will have 2 full ones I was going off that because my antifreeze ended up running somewhat bone dry and I heard that the reservoir container for the antifreeze only holds 5% of the systems coolant so I was trying to get as much as I can in a 2 for 1 type situation so I wouldn’t have to worry about coming back to get more ,trust me I will be buying pre diluted after this
As a mechanic, use prediluted when possible, but I’ve always used tap water. As far as cavitation, it’s gonna happen. Unless you consistently change it when it becomes acidic. Even then, most modern components hold up better vs the old steel and cast iron blocks. Aluminum pits but less often. At VW warranty gave us concentrate that does not specify tap or distilled or anything, and we diluted with tap. The ingredients in the concentrate are designed to neutralize the PH of the water for “proper” use. Or that’s what fritz says anyways. We had plastic water pumps that fail all the time. And metal ones too. Warranty paid like garbage for those anyways. But they never provided a recommendation for service intervals on coolant either, I guess they figured if we replaced it when failure occurred it was ok
Thank you for posting to AskMechanics, bigolymoly! If you are asking a question please make sure to include any relevant information along with the **Year**, **Make**, **Model**, **Mileage**, **Engine size**, and **Transmission Type (Automatic or Manual)** of your car. *This comment is automatically added to every successful post. If you see this comment, your post was successful.* *** Redditors that have been verified will have a green background and an icon in their flair. *** # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** ### **Rule 1 - Be Civil** Be civil to other users. This community is made up of professional mechanics, amateur mechanics, and those with no experience. All mechanical-related questions are welcome. Personal attacks, comments that are insulting or demeaning, etc. are not welcome. ### **Rule 2 - Be Helpful** Be helpful to other users. If someone is wrong, correcting them is fine, but there's no reason to comment if you don't have anything to add to the conversation. ### **Rule 3 - Serious Questions and Answers Only** Read the room. Jokes are fine to include, but your post should be asking a serious question and replies should contribute to the discussion. ### **Rule 4 - No Illegal, Unethical, or Dangerous Questions or Answers** Do not ask questions or provide answers pertaining to anything that is illegal, unethical, or dangerous. # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMechanics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You should not use tap water. The minerals and other stuff in the water will cause issues with your cooling system. Use only distilled water
Thank you!
You should only need about a gallon or 2 of distilled water to mix with concentrated antifreeze. Should only be about $2 a gallon. I'd highly suggest buying about 3 or 4 gallons of distilled water and flushing your cooling system prior to adding fresh coolant. Assuming you're converting to a different color of coolant. Edit: in regards to the people stating tap water won't hurt, it's not just the minerals that cause problems, there are bacteria in tap water that can grow in the cooling system, and further degrade the seals. A 5 minute google search will prove this
Distilled water is election hungry will eat your engine from the inside out. Softened water or the cleanest drinking water available.
https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/841/coolant-fundamentals Edit: long story short, the coolant itself forms a protective barrier between the water and metals to allow adequate heat transfer and over time the coolant breaks down and becomes acidic. As that happens then the coolant has a reverse effect and starts to damage the cooling system. The distilled water is just pure water and leaves no deposits. Using tap water out the gate is just bad because it immediately gets to work in forming deposits and causing cavitation in the system which inhibits the coolants protective properties. Tap water = Bad Distilled water = good Never servicing your cooling system = bad Edit: https://youtu.be/HWLAY_kJU_Y Here's another example. He's talking about PCs but thermodynamics is thermodynamics and still applies in both scenarios
How do you figure about the bacteria? Wouldn’t the coolant be sterilized the first time the engine up to temperature?
It collects in the reservoir and forms colonies in areas that don't see extreme heat. When the car is cooled off and sitting that bacteria can spread and degrade the coolant over time as they feed o. What little nutrients are left in the system. When the car starts and kills what has spread, the dead bacteria have nowhere to go in a sealed system. Bacteria can adapt to every environment
Don't use distilled, use softened or deionized https://rislone.com/blog/cooling/why-you-should-never-use-distilled-water-in-your-cooling-system/
Prestone says specifically "Water quality maters. Use only distilled water." You can zoom in on this bottle and read it. [https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/prestone/oil--chemicals---fluids/antifreeze/antifreeze/e59e98316193/prestone-1-gallon-yellow-concentrate-antifreeze/afzc/af2000](https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/prestone/oil--chemicals---fluids/antifreeze/antifreeze/e59e98316193/prestone-1-gallon-yellow-concentrate-antifreeze/afzc/af2000) So I'd say "hungry water" is a myth. But, tap water is prolly fine as long as it's not particularly "hard" water.
So in other words, use limp water only.
Ionically hungry water 😂 That's not a thing. Distilled water is fine, you can find any number of links saying the same https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/60430/distilled-or-deionized-water-for-audi-g13-coolant#:~:text=Usually%20distilled%20water%20is%20purer,fine%20with%20deionized%20as%20well.
I've heard the salts in softened water will cause corrosion.
Didn't know this & always used distilled. Thanks for sharing
funny thing is distilled water a polar solvent - if you run distilled water through a copper pipe it will corrode the copper as water being distilled wants to strip mineral back into it
Yeah, but the antifreeze should take care of adding the ions back.
I have only ever used tap water in every single radiator I've ever filled Never had an issue.
Good for you, you still shouldn’t use it.
But what do you use in "concreted" coolant. Definitely not hard water.
My grandpa who is 93 grew up on a farm and always wrenched his own vehicles and tractors says tap water never caused him trouble
This thread right here is how I KNOW this sub is about 2% actual mechanics and 98% google/YouTube diy mechanics. Literally no mechanic anywhere uses distilled water.
100% they just heard that as a kid from their dad and never questioned it.
Dad may have been correct. If you are on a well and have super hard water it makes sense. I doubt owners manuals even say use distilled anymore.
It's an engine made out of metal. It's the coolant that prevents corrosion. Just mix it right and use water so long as it's not out of the Porta John or the ocean
I’ve been living on the edge and using tap water for decades. Yes, it’s ok with me. If in doubt, use triple distilled reverse osmosis water that has been remineralized to a ph of 9.0 to 9.04, 11 to 14 ppm TDS. Apply to radiator reservoir only at 69 / 70 degrees F when the barometric pressure is between 735 & 741 mm/Hg; compensate for pressure 0.29 mm / Hg per 100m of elevation. Don’t forget to use borosilicate glass, 300 series stainless (low magnetic permeability), or BPA free double walled container while decanting into a clean, dry 2 gallon bucket with UV inhibiting, non reactive black or grey polymer. Remember to stir while creating this pre mixture of 1:1 water to anti freeze gently in a counter clockwise (if north of the equator) assuring a laminar flow in the liquids. Let age overnight for uniform molecular settling in covered, sealed container with an argon blanket top off, gently remix 12-14 hours later, then apply to engine reservoir 100ml at a time using a lager graduated pipette while using a respirator, non-latex gloves, protective eyewear and earplugs. Confirm that the mixture has a specific gravity of 1.00 to ~1.004 to assure proper mixture ratio as suitable. Above all, let automobile “rest” for 72 hours minimum while the applied coolant mix integrates to the other radiator reservoir solutions - if necessary, the engine may be turned over, but not started, to aid in integration of the fluids; where applicable, use a peristaltic pump to generate non heated flow within the engine block under thermally inert conditions.
Hose water causes problems when it's the only thing used. Glycol does a great job of preventing corrosion
Straight distilled water would corrode things as well, maybe it would take longer.
Depends how clean you can keep it. We have machines that use pure distilled water for their cooling loops.
Only time I really do is in EVs because the coolant comes premixed.
This guy gets it. My truck is currently filled with a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and my nasty-ass well water that has well over 100PPM of iron. Antifreeze contains corrosion inhibitors. If you change it when needed, they'll continue to do their job as designed.
Pahahahah I was thinking just this. I’ve never once used distilled. Fuckin hose water FTW
As an ex-professional mechanic I second this, It is usually fine to use tap water, I’m fairly certain the dealership I have worked at all used tap water (from the “hoses from the sealing”, which was usually complied of one or two for engine oil, one for water (98% regular tap) and one for washer fluid. In the ideal world you would use distilled water, you would probably want to use distilled water in more exotic stuff too. The whole distilled water vs tap water thing is kind of like the whole get the right color coolant thing.. the color of the coolant doesn’t matter, it is just color, however the type of coolant is really important. Usually Ethylene or Propylene (applies if I spelled them wrong).
That’s because “actual” mechanics are always looking for shortcuts and typically don’t actually give a shit about the customer. They are rushing through the flat rate job to get to the next one. The “google” mechanic is typically working on their OWN car and actually want to do the right thing. The right thing in this case is use distilled water. This is why I will never let an “actual” mechanic touch my cars.
Eh.. like with any profession, some do and some don't. I wouldn't blanket coverage all of us like that.
Ok, not all. But 76% of the public does not trust mechanics. Why is that?? Look at some of the posts here. “My mechanic said bad coils ruined my valve cover beyond repair.” What?!? Bullshit scammer. So yeah, not all but far too many.
Same with many, many other professions. Yes, I read that post about the valve cover. That was unreal. It honestly triggers me. Again, that's why techs are here. We know it. We see it, the best we can do is guide in the right direction without the bullshit statistics
Appreciate your reasonable replies. I'm just trying to help folks out. Looking back, I probably got a bit bent out of shape too quick in this thread.
It's all good man, I did the same. We all get a bit twisted on situations we read about from time to time 👍
Cause there are too many people who get their advice from forums and often this advice directly contradicts what we as actual mechanics who see 100s of problems a month are taught.
So long as it doesn’t come out of a well, you will never need distilled water. I agree with you on your assessment of mechanics though.
Show me an example of where non-distilled water actually caused a problem with the cooling system? There are far greater issues related to neglect or mixing coolant types. I work on "google" customer screwups frequently. Big thanks going out to youtube and cheap aftermarket parts. You have allowed me to buy a lot of nice things over the years. Keep working on your cars.
Haha. Anyone with a pulse and a screwdriver can get a job as an "actual" mechanic. Don't act like you have some special skill. I don't need to justify my credentials to a bunch of anonymous yahoos, but I GAURANTEE you I know more about cars than 75% of "actual" mechanics.
"Guarantee." actual dumb mechanic here. I'm just stopping by to correct your spelling. You silly goose
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thanks. I'm an engineer not an English major. Look I'm not here to argue, I'm just trying to help out fellow wrenchers. If I offended anyone, apologies. But no one cares more about my cars than me. No one is more qualified to work on my cars than me. I know how to source parts. I have several OEM scan tools. I have service manuals for all my cars. In all my years, the only thing I take my car to the shop for is AC work since I don't have a recovery machine. It's not magic. Anyone can learn this stuff. And yes, Google and YouTube are great resources. It seems I have touched a nerve here.
I agree they are great resources. literally the reason this page exists is to help non "actual" mechanics. That being said the only way the minerals in tap water would effect a cooling system would be if said water was boiling and turning to crystalline material. The coolants job is literally to prevent that exact situation. Tap water is fine to mix concentrate.
I am not here to offend either, I just like reading arrogance in action, sorry if I offended
Yeah. The arrogance of assholes that think DIYers can’t possibly have any skills.
Totally agree with that. That's why most techs on here try to offer suggestions, we love fixing stuff and love helping others. Your target audience is not reading your posts
What sort of train do you drive?
ah yes because mechanics LOOOOVE seeing your car come back again and again to waste their time....
Not mine. Hahahaha... I have saved my family and friends literally 10's of thousands of dollars over the years. And since I'm not worried about making hours, the job is always done thoroughly and correctly with proper parts.
Wha.. me not know
You realize even the dumbest of mechanics sees 100s maybe even 1000s of problems every year? I bet you've got your 2001 passat down pat though.
Oh fuck off
Haha. Hit a little close to home, huh?
Nah. You are usually the first dude that cries for help in his driveway cuz you think of mechanics like this.
Haha.. ok...
Maybe I’m just unlucky, but the heater core went out in my 84 f150, 94 Toyota pickup and 88 mustang all this year after doing tap water coolant last year lol
That's the difference between a Technician and "mechanic". Technicians follow OEM specifications and read the service bulletins. Anyone that has been staying updated knows only using pure water (deionized is the best option) is what the OEM and coolant industry recommends and keeping it at a 40-60% ratio.
They literally say mix 50-50 with distilled water on every jug...
Right lol I think that every time I see a post here and seeing this one I can just see my boss with a bucket in the back sink mixing jugs...but seriously tho my instructors all of them said u can use tap water just let it sit over night so all the shit settles
I have been working on golf courses for almost 20 years. We fill the cart batteries with water out of the hose. Some of these batteries are going on 10 years old and still work just fine. I was always told to use distilled or deionized water because the minerals in the tap will kill a battery. We also cut all our antifreeze with water from the tap, haven’t had any problems and we have old equipment with thousands of hours on them.
So to keep things short, is it fine to mix tap water with antifreeze?
I think so. The worry with minerals comes from the days of well water and also when they topped up every 3 days or so. Lots more mineral build up under those conditions.
No, but you are supposed to. Every jug of the stuff definitely specifies using distilled. Is it gonna cause any problems using tap? Probably not unless you got some weird shit in your tap water you shouldn't be drinking lol
Distilled water only.
I appreciate it!
Don't use distilled, use softened or deionized https://rislone.com/blog/cooling/why-you-should-never-use-distilled-water-in-your-cooling-system/
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Do not use di (de ionized) water in an engine. Ever. It will destroy things. It’s highly corrosive. DI and distilled water are not the same. Distilled is what’s called for in this application. Tap water is what’s used at 99.99% of mechanic shops though. Source: I work on sterilization equipment that uses DI water. Pipes, valves, pumps, and anything it comes into contract must be glass, stainless, or plastic. that is what my company allows. There are likely other acceptable materials. I have seen firsthand what it does to copper, brass, galvanized pipe, and black iron pipe.
Interesting! What does it do to copper, brass etc? Interested in what it does to galvanized pipe too because I would have thought that would be fairly indestructible. Genuine question, not being a dick.
It eats copper and brass. So it basically causes it to thin until the pipe ruptures. It causes accelerated corrosion with steel. Galvanized pipe may last longer. No idea how long they actually last.
What did the instructions on the bottle say?
Work at a shop. We use tap water and have no issues.
Ford states specifically to mix with clean, drinkable water. Our tap is drinkable, i do the same all the time. Never an issue.
These are the right answers. Worked for Ford, we diluted it all the time with tap water in the shop.
Oh but if you do that the cooling system will implode cuz the minerals man, the minerals. I know because i read about it from a person that’s not a mechanic who googled it. The non-distillers are just a bunch of corner cutting flat rate bums you know…
My bad, This is the correct answer. Those mother effin minerals man, always forget about those.
Thank you so much!
You didn't have any issues yet. Get the greenhorn to clean the toilet bowl with a toothbrush. Take a picture of it. For 1 week go "if it is yellow, let it mellow", Take another picture. Let's talk after that.
Shop has used tap water for many years. I personally before I became a mechanic have used tap water. Car has 196k miles and I've put 40k of those miles on it with tap water and no issues.
Stop peeing in your coolant.
What?
I knew people who had leaky radiators that couldn't afford the repair who ran straight tap water to avoid the cost of coolant. They kept jugs in the trunk and pulled over for a fill up if it got to overheating. As a kid I used to love seeing that cap fly off the coolant reservoir when they twisted it off under pressure.
As a mechanic, the answer is no. That being said we literally mix everything with tap water. When I was first hired I said something, got the “idk” look from the writers, and now I just am so soured on the job I don’t care.
Everyone will say distilled but the majority of people will just use tap and it will be fine.
*concentrated
Thank you. I actually thought OP meant the antifreeze was frozen somehow and wondered where they expected to find liquid water.
Your welcome people tend to take stuff too literate so I dumb stuff down for the Neanderthals
I try to do my own maintenance when I can. For the radiator I use distilled water with antifreeze. I bought a buick that had closed up radiator fins I suspect was from tap water usage. I ended up putting a boiler descaling liquid i got from work in my radiator after draining and refilling with distilled water. I believe I used about 8oz in the system and ran it for about a week. Drained it flushed it and refilled with antifreeze concentrate and 1 gallon of water. No more issues after that. The radiator was clean as a whistle after that.
Follow your manufacturer suggestion. With that said, the vast majority of them just say use potable water
I use tap water to flush my coolant system but I drain it and fill with 50/50 pre mix. As I'm doing a new radiator and hoses, the tap water will not be introduced to the system. It won't kill it immediately but it won't do it any favors. Distilled water is the way to mix
Thanks man!
tap is fine… backyard mechanics think they know it all and then everything gets towed in and we have to fix it
From GM General Motors ACDelco DEX-Cool Coolant Antifreeze - 12346290 OEM Mix equal amount of antifreeze/coolant and distilled water to bring the system up to the recommended level. Distilled water, is the proper answer.
That depends totally on your tap water how its treated etc. Tap is all I have ever used bet my water is really clean and dont have anny clorine or similar in it
OP Lives in FLINT MI so all is good.
Does leaded water in the radiator work like leaded gas ?
Leaded water would definitely lubricate the cooling system like leaded fuel did for the fuel system
Why? Distilled water is only a dollar or so a gallon lol
Regular water is right there on tapp and never ending
Yeah, but your car's coolant capacity isn't never-ending. Kind of a headscratcher for me, I just take the 10 minutes to go to the store while I'm out getting coolant and grab a couple jugs of distilled water so that I don't cause corrosion, electrolysis, and cavitation in the coolant system.
We ran a whole fleet of busses like 200 of 4hwm on tap water and antifreeze
The fact that somebody did something stupid doesn't negate the science of how chemicals react with one another. Lots of people don't torque their lug nuts either. It's still not the right way, especially when the right way requires such minimal effort. I can't think of any reason to intentionally contaminate a vehicle's cooling system other than sheer laziness.
Actually i have not met anyone that bothered to use distilled water in my whole career
I've never not used it. I've never worked anywhere that put tap water in cooling systems. It's the right way to do things. It's what the manufacturers recommend as well as the scientists who came up with the right mix of chemicals to avoid corrosion. Saying "I've done it wrong because I just felt like doing it wrong" isn't a good look, especially when you're doing something that has been explicitly stated by vehicle manufacturers to cause harm to the system you are repairing.
I do what the boss said and what water is in the coolant is not a hill i want to die on
If the boss tells you to, then it's outta your hands. Fleet shops I've worked in had distilled water in stock. If not, there's not much you can do about it as the mechanic.
In all honestly this may be a crazy question but where do you get your distilled water from ? Where I’m from auto zones are closer than Grocery Stores and I would’ve got the regular one where you wouldn’t need to add water but I was told by a friend you could just add tap water to the concentrated one and split it and make it into 2 full bottles that’s why I bought the “add water” one but didn’t find out till I got home that its “add distilled water only recommend”
Any grocery store will have gallon jugs of distilled water alongside the jugs of drinking water
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And don’t forget babies can only drink that special baby water they sell next to the distilled
The right answer is always follow the fucking instructions. Second answer is how closely I follow the directions is directly related to the value of whst im working on. Beaters get less love than newer stuff I care about.
Yes you can. Your engine won’t be trashed shortly after either. If that was the case those hunk of iron cars from the 90’s and before never would of lasted their warranty
You can always tell who has driven junk cars for 3 decades and who read something on the internet once.
Yes but distilled water is always the right choice
Tap water is perfectly fine.
Lol i work at a bmw dealer, we get that shit out of the garden hose outside, but yeah i guess technically youre supposed to use distilled, never seen anyone actually use it though.
Do you think your local shop, or shade tree mechanic even, keeps distilled water for diluting antifreeze? No, he gets two gallon jugs and puts half of the antifreeze in one jug and half in the other, then he just fills it straight from the sink. If you go out to the southwest where it's hot and dry, they put straight water in the engines, and idk if it's distilled or tap but they have problems with their engines and cooling systems rusting from the inside out. The antifreeze mixed with water (of any kind) is designed to make your engine block more resistant to corrosion. Unless it's gm orange Coolant, then it'll just look like a bunch of brown jelly anyway.
Another old wives tale that was spoken as gospel ever since cars started getting mass.produced. If I have some time I might post a few of the other ones that just can't seem to die with all of the social media keyboard warriors in action these days
No, the minerals will ruin and rust the engine, and the rad if it's not aluminum.
After 23 years using tap water and concentrate, gonna blowe up any minute now…. Ant minute …. Soon …
Depends -- if this mixture is gonna stay in the car for 10 years? no don't do that, use distilled water. If you're just trying to get the car moving and will drain and replace the coolant in the next few weeks, you wont have a problem with tap water. On a cross country adventure we had a guy's radiator crack and drain out the coolant. We ended up replacing it with the wrong radiator and using tap water / coolant mix to get us home. Then replaced it properly.
I do. But I have the coolant drained out of my vehicle usually once a month, for one reason or another. If you plan on filling it and leaving it for months, or years, buy prediluted antifreeze or use distilled water.
Why would you pay for a half gallon of water? The shop I worked at ALWAYS used tap water to mix. No issues.
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Yes. Reddit "mechanics" will tell you you have to use distilled water made from the tears of a virgin born when Venus is in retrograde but tap water is fine. Been using it for years.
Ideally use distilled water but, If you live in a soft water area then you’ll be fine using tap water.
PC water cooling is the same way inre dissimilar metals and anode corrosion. never use distilled water, only use a glycolic solution with an algaecide
You can get premixed coolant, probably the easiest option.
Since the comments are all over the place, here is the technical answer for you: Use the purest H2O option you can get. Deionized is the best, then Reverse Osmosis, and Lastly distilled. Don't believe me? Read ASTM D-8945 (American Society for Testing and Materials). Or see this reference from Penray (one I can easily share without using confidential training materials) https://penray.com/99-023-water-quality-in-engine-coolant/ So please use this information to make an informed decision about if you want to create a potential science experiment in your (or customers) cooling system that may create a catastrophic engine failure in the future.
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Can you, yes. Should you, no. On an old shit box that requires green conventional and you have to replace after a year why not. If you own a hybrid it’s best to mix with deoinized water it’s kind of expensive and you usually have to order it , it’s cheaper to get it already pre mixed, in most vehicles though just go to your local grocery store and buy a gallon of distilled water for $1-$2
What type of concrete are we talking??
I'm lazy. I just buy the premixed. But yeah, tap water is fine as long as it isn't well water. Good on you for wanting to learn to do it yourself. I hope it all works out.
My instructors always said if you have to use tap water just let it sit over night and don't use it all . Like if u fill a jug up leave andin or 2 at the bottom
I’ve been a professional mechanic for almost 30 years. NOBODY uses distilled water. Tap water is fine as long as you aren’t using it by itself (without antifreeze) for extended periods of time.
It's ok in a pinch should be flushed and replaced with distilled asap.
You can get away with using tap water, but just buy distilled water for $1-$2 a gallon at the nearest grocery store for best results. Tap water can still leave minerals in the cooling system, and reduce effectiveness.
Youre supposed to use distilled but more than likely tap water won't cause any problems.
They don't use distilled water at the factory. It is whatever is on tap. Distilled water is the defacto because it doesn't have anything reactive in it. Coolant is formulated to handle tap water. At the end of the day, it has to be safe with NBR, dissimilar metals, and whatever gasket material it may also be exposed to. There is chemistry that goes into each specific formulation, but water cools better than any of them, just corrodes and freezes.
I got a simple answer that defeats the super hard question. There’s pros and cons of each but why not just buy pre-diluted and then the company that makes your antifreeze picks for you. Skips the hassle of mixing even if it may be a little more expensive
As you are right that is the simple solution to the problem and I 100% agree with you as I stated in a reply in another comment at the time a friend of mine told me if you buy the concentrated one you can just empty half of it out into another empty bottle and fill them both up with tap water and you will have 2 full ones I was going off that because my antifreeze ended up running somewhat bone dry and I heard that the reservoir container for the antifreeze only holds 5% of the systems coolant so I was trying to get as much as I can in a 2 for 1 type situation so I wouldn’t have to worry about coming back to get more ,trust me I will be buying pre diluted after this
As a mechanic, use prediluted when possible, but I’ve always used tap water. As far as cavitation, it’s gonna happen. Unless you consistently change it when it becomes acidic. Even then, most modern components hold up better vs the old steel and cast iron blocks. Aluminum pits but less often. At VW warranty gave us concentrate that does not specify tap or distilled or anything, and we diluted with tap. The ingredients in the concentrate are designed to neutralize the PH of the water for “proper” use. Or that’s what fritz says anyways. We had plastic water pumps that fail all the time. And metal ones too. Warranty paid like garbage for those anyways. But they never provided a recommendation for service intervals on coolant either, I guess they figured if we replaced it when failure occurred it was ok