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Dumb questions about Pride radiator

Hi all,

I've inherited a Kia Pride, and I need to sort out anti-freeze for the winter. I know very little about cars. The reservoir that feeds the radiator is nearly empty, so I was going to mix some antifreeze with water and put it in there. But someone who knows about as much as me suggested that I needed to put the antifreeze in the radiator directly, and putting it in the reservoir wasn't good enough. Are they right?

Furthermore, the instructions on the bottle of antifreeze suggest it should be mixed with de-ionized water. This surprised me - I know that the battery has be topped up wth de-ionized water, but I thought tap water was fine for the radiator.

Thnaks!

Reply to
John Rowland
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I may be wrong but I believe the way this system is intended to work is that as the coolant heats and expands, excess goes into the bottle. As it cools, the fluid in the bottle is sucked back into the radiator. If the car has a problem, such as a leak or bad thermostat it is possible that so much coolant has leaked out that filling the bottle will not be the best way to go. When the engine is completely cold, remove the radiator cap. If it is full then you can top up the overflow reservoir directly. If the radiator is low, top up both but check to see why the radiator is that low.

Ron L

Reply to
lherault

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