De-Ionised Water?

[elCommando]

Hi all,

I bought the Toyota Super Long Life and my mechanic did the coolant change for me. Anyways, after the coolant change he told me that after approx. 20miles the coolant level will go drop and I will have to top it up with water. I asked him if I should just top it up with the premixed Toyota coolant but he said NO and he specifically said that I should top it up with water.

I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge about what water I should use to top up. I have the Carplan De-ionised water like this:

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/bulbs-wiper-blades-batteries/car-battery-chargers/halfords-battery-top-up-water-5l

^ this is suppose to be for batteries but can I put in with the engine coolant? Any help will be appreciated.

[oldcodger]

Yes, that is exactly what you need, for Rads or Batteries.

Basically its as pure a water as you can get, all the Hardness etc taken out.

If you use tap water you risk that hardness and other impurities affecting things, partic the fine waterways of the heater matrix.

As always, Halfords want top dollar, go to any large supermarket, Asda, Sains ,,, who have Car Plans 2.5 ltr bottles for just £1, bought one just last week !

[Heidfirst]

If it needs the long life coolant I would top it up with the Toyota premix.

[elCommando]

Yes, that is exactly what you need, for Rads or Batteries.

Basically its as pure a water as you can get, all the Hardness etc taken out.

If you use tap water you risk that hardness and other impurities affecting things, partic the fine waterways of the heater matrix.

As always, Halfords want top dollar, go to any large supermarket, Asda, Sains ,,, who have Car Plans 2.5 ltr bottles for just £1, bought one just last week !

If it needs the long life coolant I would top it up with the Toyota premix.

Thanks for the replies guys

So basically, I can put the Carplan water for batteries into my engine coolant?

Thanks

[Rattus]

Hi Jamil.

The label on the bottle (in the Halfords link you included) states it's for use in batteries and cooling systems so will be fine. Bear in mind that it will dilute the concentration of the coolant in the cooling system a little, but the amount you'll top up will be minimal.

Cheers

[Cyker]

If the coolant you put in was the pre-mixed PINK stuff, it is safe (and recommended!) to top up the coolant with that, not distilled/de-ionised water.

If it was the concentrate/red stuff, then using distilled+de-ionised water is okay.

I bought far too much of the stuff when I was getting both our water pumps changed as it turns out and have 6 litres of pink coolant sitting in my shed!

[mcorban]

De-ionised water is fine, but boiled cooled water would be okay as well.

We have three de-ionising water plants here in work, and you should see what it does to metal and plastic in the long tem.

De-ionised water is pretty unstable, and will rob minerals from anything around it.

Just some food for thought. BTW i wouldn't drink it !

[Cyker]

If you use boiled water, you have to be careful to filter out any bits of limescale that are floating around in it as that is exactly the sort of thing that distilled/de-ionised water removes.

The whole point of it is that it is as pure water as reasonably possible so there aren't any ions or minerals dissolved in it that will eventually precipitate under heating and form a scale inside the cooling system like normal water does to your kettle.

Incidentally, it's that lack of dissolved impurities that allows impurities to dissolve in it more readily, so it's not so much robbing minerals from things around it, it's just they dissolve so much more easily it acts like an acid!

(Also why you shouldn't put distilled/de-ionised water into the cooling system without the coolant mix!)

[elCommando]

Hi,

Thanks for the reponse guys! Appreciate it.

:D