You can use distilled water for minor top ups but too much of it will dilute the coolant. Water on it's own will corrode the engine and radiator quickly and I think coolant may have a higher boiling point also, someone correct me on that last one if I'm wrong.
What are the implications of not using coolant and just using plain water? I've seen it happen with many cars...
radiator core will rott away
waterpump will fail
cylinder head water jackets on the head surface will corode away ( $$$$$)
head gasket could fail
water pipe from the back of the block from waterpump to thermostate housing will rust out.
all this will happen over time but some will happen sooner than others. even with crappy coolant the aove will occure over time.
Well my DC2 had the same issues so I headed down to Southiside Honda and picked up a Thermostat then and having done this on my previous Civic in the past I figured I'd just do it myself.
Typical Honda really, easy job just tricky to get to.
Not to mention the drain plug for the radiator that was a real biatch, so much so that I wasn't sure if I had managed top get it back on tight enough.
As it turned out when I took it for her maiden voyage after the work the damn thing wasn't on tight enough so I jacked her up on the side of the road and got in there and have it all sorted now and she is running soooo much better it is amazing!
If the thermostat is playing on you,
the bottom radiator hose will be more heated (hotter) compared to the top hose because the thermostat is blocking the water from coming up.
Another way to test it is, to take out the thermostat and put it in a cup of boiling hot water observe:
If the rubber expands the thermostat is fine.
If the rubber doesnt expand the thermostat needs to be replaced.
But since the thermostat is out anyway, I'd suggest to replace it to save you the trouble when it acts up later down the track.
does anyone use cardboard to cover the bottom half of the radiator?
I've never really had a problem with the car running cold.... hmmmm might be because its 40 outside?
could someone just confirm that it is not necessary to drain the radiator when replacing the thermo stat
You are going to lose alot of water when you remove the pipe that leads to your thermostat so you might aswell use this as an opportunity to drain your radiator and fill it up with fresh water/coolant. However it is not necessary to flush the radiator when changing thermostat, however I recommend you do.
Either way expect a fair amount of water to run out so do it near a drain or something.
It doesn't matter where you are, but what direction your facing
how much is it? almost going broke, need a job...
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Originally Posted by xenonkuraz
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