Distilled Water - for Changing Coolent ???.

Captain Crane · 2004-01-24T11:09:05+00:00

Hi to all, I have a 1986 Cadillac Deville and I was going to change theCoolent in it. After I flush out the Water/Coolent I was wondering ifDistilled Water is better to refill the Radiator with or just use plainold Tap Water. Is it worth the expense to buy Distilled Water ?.Please let me know. Thank You. Brian Bower Las Vegas , NV

Jan 24, 2004 29 Replies

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D. Silski 22 years ago

GM recommends the engine be flushed with ordinary water, and when new anti-freeze is being installed, the water/anti-freeze be mixed to obtain a -35°F to -45°F protection level. Being that you have very hard water in Las Vagas, I'd use the distilled water or at least some 'treated' water. Do not forget the sealant tabs in the new coolant, lest you be buying a new engine before too long. Following the cooling system mainenance schedule for this engine is _very_ important.....flush/change every two years and add sealant tabs each time.

Most all problems with this series engine stem from owners not following the cooling system maintenance schedule and/or not using the GM sealant. The tabs are less than $5 and there are no other sealants that are recognized for this series engine(4.1L or 4.5L)

I'd also use distilled water in the wet-cell battery and even in the windshield washer system! 'Hard' water isn't a good thing, for most everything!

Dave S(Texas)

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Isaiah Beard 22 years ago

Nope, bottled water tends to be "Spring" water, which comes with minerals and trace elements (thus giving each brand of water its distinctive taste that makes people want to buy that brand). It also tends to be teeming with bacteria and such, but those will most likely get killed off in any car's radiator once you hit normal operating temperature. :)

Water is only distilled when the label says it is.

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BigJohnson 22 years ago

Jack Daniel's doesn't list the distilled water content. ;)

mike hunt

Isaiah Beard wrote:

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psmith 22 years ago

Distilled Water can be purchased in "ANY Drug Store" it is there to be mixed with baby formula. The bottled water in grocery stores is not normaly distilled.

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munir 22 years ago

???? Not saying it's not done, but I know of no one who uses distilled water for baby formula, icky (well BF is icky already, LOL)

A lot of people use it in steam irons and it has a few other household uses, but distilled water has such a flat taste (distilling removes the minerals, etc that give water what taste it has)

Only the bottles they sell that are distilled water...

JD uses filtered water, not distilled.

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Newbie 22 years ago

Is 50/50 a must ratio for the coolant/water mix? What happen if I just pour coolant to the tank to top up the level? Why can't the manufacturer mix at the factory? Sorry I'm newbie when it comes to cars and I'm curious to know these questions.

Thanks for your help,

Simon

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Mike Levy 22 years ago

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BonÂ·neÂ·ville 22 years ago

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putt 22 years ago

Most vehicle manufacturers recommend antifreeze concentration levels of between 40% and 60% (with the optimum level of 50/50). Check your owners manual for proper levels. Part of the reason is because sensors are calibrated to these ranges of concentration. Topping off the coolant straight from the antifreeze container is ok.

Dave S(Texas)

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Newbie 22 years ago

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your message, yes, I was referring to just topping off the coolant level. When doing the mix, am I supposed to pour the water and coolant into a container, mix them well and pour into the coolant tank?

Hopefully I don't need to do this anymore as I just had the car fixed from the famous gasket leaking problem.

Thanks again,

Simon

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