jim628

HI: I remember reading an article long time ago that it is recommended to mix anti freeze with distilled water instead of tap water. Is this necessary?

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neilan

i have heard that if you live in an area with very pure water such as well water or minimal water treatment (high mineral content) that it is best to use distilled water. But i always use straight antifreeze anyway why not just do that to keep things simple?

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deserttoy84

straight antifreeze causing overheating unless you live in canada or somthing wheres it always frozen. You dont HAVE to run distilled but it is perferable.

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Spanky

straight anti-freeze?? yikes!!

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jct61765

I use distilled, why take chances. For the couple of bucks its worth it.

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Beartracker

Over the past 30 years I have run straight antifreeze and never had a engine overheat or any heater problems and I do not live in Canada but in the mids west where it is 100 in the summer and 0 in the winter.
I do not run straight antifreeze in my 2.7 Tacoma only because when I last flushed it I ran short so I just added rain water.
The problem with radiators is not caused by the water you use alone but also by how often you flush the system. Every two years is a good idea for a healthy system including being good for the water pump and thermostat. Mike

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2001 Tacoma SR5 4x4 , step side, 2.7 , extended cab, Auto. Mobile 1 syn 5w30 , Valvoline 75-90 syn in front and rear diffs and transfer case. Factory 16" wheels ,31" Wild Country TXR 265/75/R16, Aluminum Betterbuilt bed tool box, CB , 55W Halogen light mounted on tool box for back up, Elbow air box mod, 2 500 Hella running lights, Nissan Clinometers/Altimiter custom mounted on dash with red back lights.Red dome and mapp light.

mt_goat

Yes, use distilled water. It will keep your cooling system in much better shape. Why would you want to introduce all those minerals to the system? The tap water will increase mineral deposits which over time can clog passages. Tap water can also cause electrolysis between dissimilar metals. Electrolysis does things like eat holes in radiators and freeze plugs and can even contribute to head gasket failure. Keep in mind the head and block are dissimilar metals. There is a reason the Toyota engineers say to use distilled water only in your owners manual.

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~Dale~

93 4X4 ext-cab, auto, SR5, 3.4 V6, supercharged, 2.1" pulley, URD fuel mods, Aquamist WI, IPT valve body mod, dual cases, 4" superlift front, Alcan springs rear, 33 BFG MT, ARB locked front & rear, 5.29 US Gears, RB 1" Body Lift, 1.5" ball joint spacers, manual hubs, TJM T-17, Warn m8000.

k_southman

Water transfers heat better then straight antifreeze so a 50/50 mix is best.

Even in Canada a 50/50 mix is typically used. This will provide protection to -40 (it gets close, but not that cold in the winter!)

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1991 4Runner V6 Sr5, 2" Susp. Lift, 33" BFG MT

Roadrunner

You can even buy coolant that's premixed with water 50/50.

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Ian

2001 4Runner SR5 4x4 - An Evolving Expedition and Search and Rescue Response Vehicle
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mt_goat

Distilled water is only about a $1/gal. You can even any you have leftover.

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~Dale~

93 4X4 ext-cab, auto, SR5, 3.4 V6, supercharged, 2.1" pulley, URD fuel mods, Aquamist WI, IPT valve body mod, dual cases, 4" superlift front, Alcan springs rear, 33 BFG MT, ARB locked front & rear, 5.29 US Gears, RB 1" Body Lift, 1.5" ball joint spacers, manual hubs, TJM T-17, Warn m8000.

rocktown

i'm a big fan of the prestone quick fill, already a 50/50 mix, just poor it in

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Joe

1997 4runner limited
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Yota Tony

Canada isn't that cold you crack pots.

Don't use stright anti freeze. 50/50 mix with distilled water is the best way to go.

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Anthony

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jrallan26

I use distilled water with a mixture of coolant. For added benefit I use a can of Redline "Water Wetter".

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mt_goat

Water Wetter...brilliant! Yeah I'm running a bottle too.

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~Dale~

93 4X4 ext-cab, auto, SR5, 3.4 V6, supercharged, 2.1" pulley, URD fuel mods, Aquamist WI, IPT valve body mod, dual cases, 4" superlift front, Alcan springs rear, 33 BFG MT, ARB locked front & rear, 5.29 US Gears, RB 1" Body Lift, 1.5" ball joint spacers, manual hubs, TJM T-17, Warn m8000.

Beartracker

OK you guy's. What the hell is water wetter? Sounds like a big scam to me. Isn't water already wet????, lol. Mike

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2001 Tacoma SR5 4x4 , step side, 2.7 , extended cab, Auto. Mobile 1 syn 5w30 , Valvoline 75-90 syn in front and rear diffs and transfer case. Factory 16" wheels ,31" Wild Country TXR 265/75/R16, Aluminum Betterbuilt bed tool box, CB , 55W Halogen light mounted on tool box for back up, Elbow air box mod, 2 500 Hella running lights, Nissan Clinometers/Altimiter custom mounted on dash with red back lights.Red dome and mapp light.

mt_goat

http://e30m3performance.com/myths/mo...ter_wetter.htm

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~Dale~

93 4X4 ext-cab, auto, SR5, 3.4 V6, supercharged, 2.1" pulley, URD fuel mods, Aquamist WI, IPT valve body mod, dual cases, 4" superlift front, Alcan springs rear, 33 BFG MT, ARB locked front & rear, 5.29 US Gears, RB 1" Body Lift, 1.5" ball joint spacers, manual hubs, TJM T-17, Warn m8000.

dias_ryan

No way dude.. water wetter rocks.. haha
just kidding.

Do you guys Flush your own systems?
out of curiousity... How do you do that? Do you run the hose in at the top and let the bottom drain? and if so? where do you let it drain?? Ground?

I can't seem to think of an environmentally friendly way to do that?

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Bennito

check your local ordinances. Last place I lived said to flush your antifreeze down the toilet. In small doses the bugs at the sewage treatment plant LOVE it..

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jrallan26

I found out about water wetter through karting..

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Beartracker

Now I see!,Lol. I will be nice and make no comment. Like my Mother always said....If you don't have anything good to say then don't say anything at all.
Thanks for the link to the info Mt. Goat, Mike

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2001 Tacoma SR5 4x4 , step side, 2.7 , extended cab, Auto. Mobile 1 syn 5w30 , Valvoline 75-90 syn in front and rear diffs and transfer case. Factory 16" wheels ,31" Wild Country TXR 265/75/R16, Aluminum Betterbuilt bed tool box, CB , 55W Halogen light mounted on tool box for back up, Elbow air box mod, 2 500 Hella running lights, Nissan Clinometers/Altimiter custom mounted on dash with red back lights.Red dome and mapp light.

4Crawler

I use deionized water in mine most of the time, less expensive than distilled and works just as well. I also add Water Wetter along with the Toyota Red coolant, ~50:50 mix.

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Nismo Convert

You know if you have a dehumidifier in your house that water coming from it is demineralized right? I empty the dehumidifier once a week, and I have enough demineralized water for years, I'll sell you some for a few bucks a gallon is you like .

dlbrunner

Deionized is BAD!!! De Ionized water is very agressive. DeIonized or RO (reverse osmosis) water will corrode stainless steel over time, a lot of RO drinking water plants are going to fiberglass vessels because the stainless ones are not holding up. There are a lot of free radicals in RO water which are very reactive. Also the pH of RO water is lower (more acidic) than distilled or tap water.

With RO plants we see a lot of elevated lead and copper levels after the install. Also Iron, aluminum and nickel will leach into solution. In an engine where the solution is under high temperatures and pressure you will see accelerated corrosion.

Distilled is the best way to go.

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Duncan
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tom_mag

I've never heard that before but it sounds like you know what your talking about. I use water from the water softener or from the culligan tap.
In my Buick i use straight water and water wetter. In the Toyota, Toyota anti-freeze 50/50 or 60/40 water/antifreeze. Water cools better than anti-freeze.

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Tom
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Bennito

Lets work backwards.

Commercial antifreezes have various anti-scaling and anti-corrosion chemicals, in addition to ethylene glycol, to keep your cooling system in tip-top shape. Because of those chemicals, there is actually a broad range of water quality standards that your engine cooling system can tolerate. If you follow the directions and mix 50/50 antifreeze with distilled water from the store, you'll be in good shape.

Why a 50/50 mix? For most of contintal america a 50/50 mix will provide adequate freeze protection in winter. 50/50 is easy for the end user to mix. 70% antifreeze / 30% antifreeze will have the largest change in freezing point depression. While water has a higher specific heat than EG, I'm not willing to make comment on if water cools better (especially wtih antifreeze additives that might increase heat transfer coefficient).

Lastly - Deionized vs RO vs distilled. These are all methods of purifying water. none of them is a level of purity. While they separate/purify water based on different principles, at the level of purity we're talking about they can be considered siilar. Why? Because we're trying to get the big chunks out of our tap water for use in an engnine heavily treated with water treatment chemicals (the antifreeze). You may have also noticed that the distilled water you buy in the store is lacking on quality standards as well. indeed its not a well regulated industry. Furthermore, output water quality is a function of input water quality. That is, I've had chance to work with water purification systems in phoenix and colorado springs. Reverse osmosis product water (2 stage) from phoenix tapwater results in colorado tapwater.

Ultimately, this implies that people in various parts of the country may get away with using tap water in their coolant. But why risk it.

sorry for the gaps in knowledge/oversights. only had a few mins to write this.

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Ben - 97 sr5 - full of win.