Technical Help with engine coolant

[cherrykerry]

Hi all

I am due to drive to Chester (230 miles away) later today. I checked the engine coolant in my panda this morning and it is under the minimum level. I checked the manual and it told me to only use paraflu but as its a Sunday its impossible to get hold of any . I spoke to a chap at Halfords this morning and he sold me a bottle of their own brand antifreeze/coolant and said he had used it in his own fiat before . Can I really use this? and if so do I need to drain the remaining liquid out first before putting in fresh stuff? I am not that up on cars so a bit clueless I am afraid

 

[PNL]

Not compatable ..do not mix..

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Ideally you should do a compleate drain and flush before adding different stuff. Mixing types can cause reactions and in worst case senario turn your coolant into jelly!

I personally would top up with just normal water at the mo. Will just dilute your current coolant, but atleast it won't affect the current coolant in there.

Jon.

 

[PNL]

Ideally you should do a compleate drain and flush before adding different stuff. Mixing types can cause reactions and in worst case senario turn your coolant into jelly!

I personally would top up with just normal water at the mo. Will just dilute your current coolant, but atleast it won't affect the current coolant in there.

Jon.

:yeahthat:

 

[cherrykerry]

Ideally you should do a compleate drain and flush before adding different stuff. Mixing types can cause reactions and in worst case senario turn your coolant into jelly!

I personally would top up with just normal water at the mo. Will just dilute your current coolant, but atleast it won't affect the current coolant in there.

Jon.

Thanks very much for that, I suspected that would be the case. Is tap water ok or do I have to boil and cool it first?

 

[DraigFlag87]

Same happened on my MJ so i topped it up with distilled water. It was fine so i'd recommend doing the same if you have any deionized water or distilled water, if not then just water i guess?! If it's a new car though i'd get it looked at, so many discussions on here about coolant loss either by a faulty water pump, or simply a missing hose clip like mine had.

 

[cherrykerry]

Same happened on my MJ so i topped it up with distilled water. It was fine so i'd recommend doing the same if you have any deionized water or distilled water, if not then just water i guess?! If it's a new car though i'd get it looked at, so many discussions on here about coolant loss either by a faulty water pump, or simply a missing hose clip like mine had.

Its a 55 plate. I have only had it just over a year but I do do a lot of short trips daily so wondered if that was why it had gone down. I dont have deionized water so I guess it would be ok to boil some tap water and let it cool for now? I can try and track down some paraflu at the end of the week when I get home so its only for now.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Yep, normal tap water will do. Shouldn't matter as it's only a little by the sounds of it to bring it back upto level, but try and match the water topping it up to the temp of the cooling system. So if the car has been standing and is cold, use it stright from the tap, and if hot (make sure its not to hot or you could get pressure release and burn yourself!) use hot to top it up.

The effects of adding cold water to a cooling system at running temp can be devistating, especially if the car is overheating. Can muck up the engine insides with the sudden temp change.

Jon.

 

[ivantate]

I was in Halfords the other day and they do some of the pink coolant with their own brand. It had OAT on the label which I am sure is the new stuff, if the guy at halfords sold you this it should be OK to mix?

The problems occur if you mix the blue/green old kind of antifreeze (glycol?) and the new kind (OAT).


I have a few cars that like to sit below the minimum mark even when topped up regularly, the important thing is the level isnt decreasing quickly due to a fault. Providing there isnt a problem and its unlikely as you have found the level low after a year of driving its a good idea to check all the fluids visually every 1 or 2 weeks.

It is part of the driving test now but I guess very few actually do it after passing the test.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Why not use Halfords own??? Or for that mater, Tesco's or you local petrol station or motor factors? So long as its pink and marked OAT it's fine. For all you know it could event be made in the same factory as the stuff Fiat sell -- they don't make it themselves. The manual also says only use Tutela screenwash... but who does (and if so, why!) So long as the products used meet the appropriate specs required, you can use any make of screenwash, oil, petrol, car polish, air freshener etc... don't get sucked in by 'marketing' (Trust me -- I work in marketing!)

Tap water will be fine. For a large quantity, you could even use rain water, which is 'soft' by definition.

Pete

 

[doctorchris]

Pete, I've just come across your comment on rainwater.
Have you not heard of "acid rain", I don't mean the Prince recording.
In a perfect world I would always top up or replace coolant with a mixture made up with distilled water.
However, as cooling systems these days do not have a drain plug in the lowest part of the block, flushing the system with tap water always leaves some tap water in the system.
Therefore using tap water for the whole refill doesn't make a lot of difference.
Not so sure that all those OATS in the system will do it any good.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Chris, Acid rain is practically none existant in the UK now

 

[joe1962]

Hi just make sure your car is actually losing the coolant my MJ has settled at a level just below min & I think that it is just the natural levell it does not change but I do quite long fast runs 130 miles plus so its well up to temp & press all the way. So carry some replacement fluid by all means & check when you get there once it is cold.

 

[BenP]

Have you not heard of "acid rain", I don't mean the Prince recording.

Wasn't that Purple Rain?

 

[doctorchris]

Wasn't that Purple Rain?

Sorry, Ben ,the acid was making everything look purple to me, or was it the other way round.
Brain-damaged, from Sunderland.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

'Brain Damage' wasn't Prince - it was Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon)

 

[doctorchris]

Sorry, I was thinking of Brain Salad Surgery by ELP!