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      01-16-2012, 05:36 PM   #1
335okc
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OEM coolant + distilled water?

Last night i had a *duh* moment.
i just realized i haven't checked the coolant level in a while. it's been through some auto-x's lol.
so i checked it, and it's almost dry in the tank. i'm surprised i don't get low coolant warning.

here comes the question.
is it ok for me to just top it off with distilled water?
i put in 1/3 gallon of distilled water (i had it just laying around to mix with meth).
i heard the best coolant is distilled water + water wetter anyway right?
but can i mix OEM coolant (premixed in radiator) with more distilled water?
is it gonna upset some balance?
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      01-17-2012, 03:57 AM   #2
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You shouldn't really use distilled water as it may oxidize with the metal parts in the radiator. Rather use the OEM coolant mix.

I would also check out the coolant level sensor if it was almost dry and you didn't get any warning. I had a coolant leak and got a warning with only around 700ml missing.

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      01-17-2012, 07:11 AM   #3
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My dealer sells coolant only unmixed, and told me to mix with distilled...Unless were going to go into the whole distilled/de-ionized argument again.
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      01-17-2012, 07:57 AM   #4
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Not to debate the whole distilled water thing, but we use it exclusively in all our street, track, and race cars. You can mix as little as 25% BMW coolant and maintain freeze protection down to something like 10F. So if you live in a more temperate climate, there is no need for 50/50. The more water you have in the mix, the more efficient the cooling system is.
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      01-17-2012, 07:57 AM   #5
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I say you're fine. Only be a concern in very cold climates.
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      01-17-2012, 05:39 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpina_B3_Lux View Post
You shouldn't really use distilled water as it may oxidize with the metal parts in the radiator. Rather use the OEM coolant mix.

I would also check out the coolant level sensor if it was almost dry and you didn't get any warning. I had a coolant leak and got a warning with only around 700ml missing.

Alpina_B3_Lux
hm, how do i check the sensor? does it actually kick in right when the bobber goes below *min* level ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesM3M5 View Post
Not to debate the whole distilled water thing, but we use it exclusively in all our street, track, and race cars. You can mix as little as 25% BMW coolant and maintain freeze protection down to something like 10F. So if you live in a more temperate climate, there is no need for 50/50. The more water you have in the mix, the more efficient the cooling system is.
and i agree to not debate about distilled vs. de-ionized. this is what i was looking for. i think i have one of those prehistoric tool that tells how low your coolant can go before freezing. i might need to find it and use it to test.
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      01-17-2012, 06:00 PM   #7
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I was told the same thing about the coolant that distilled water is what your suppose to mix it with. Im in Texas so my service advisor said exactly what the OP said. a 25% OEM coolant and rest distilled water is ok since we dont have temperatures below freezing that often. And for "enthusiast driving" its a better cooling method using the higher concentrated distilled water instead of the 50/50 mix.
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      01-18-2012, 02:30 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 335okc View Post
hm, how do i check the sensor? does it actually kick in right when the bobber goes below *min* level ?
Yes, I think so. When my dash light went off, the bobber was so low it wasn't even visible anymore; I had to fill in about 0.7l of water to get it to the max position again.

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      01-18-2012, 09:32 AM   #9
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Regular old tap water and coolant never did me wrong in any vehicle I've ever owned. My .02.
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      01-18-2012, 09:43 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 335xi Kevo View Post
Regular old tap water and coolant never did me wrong in any vehicle I've ever owned. My .02.
I wouldn't use tap water unless in an emergency and then it should be flushed afterward. It has a definite possibility of leading to corrosion and scaling.
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      01-18-2012, 10:20 AM   #11
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Some people's tap water is harder than others. I've seen some scum-filled coolant systems where the owner put tap water in. The deposits were soft until they had a chance to dry, but they were very thick and looked like cauliflower.
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      01-18-2012, 11:31 AM   #12
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With the deposits I've seen in my tap water, I'd just spend the $2 on a gallon of distilled.
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      11-05-2022, 11:59 AM   #13
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so in my e90 328i I had a bad coolant leak and car overheated and turned off bc there was no coolant left. I put in about a gallon of distilled because I didn’t want to waste coolant if the leak was still there. I fixed leak but I still put coolant. I probably have like 30% antifreeze and 70% distilled water I live in San Diego and this winter I was going to be driving up to Big Bear and temps there at night can get to the teens. Is it okay to run my car with the 30/70 mix it is at right now ? I don’t want to have to flush my coolant and buy new to ensure a 50/50 mix because I just had to flush and refill coolant two times in past month. Please let me know if the 30/70 is good I don’t want to get stuck in Big Bear
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      11-05-2022, 01:20 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2blackbimma View Post
so in my e90 328i I had a bad coolant leak and car overheated and turned off bc there was no coolant left. I put in about a gallon of distilled because I didn’t want to waste coolant if the leak was still there. I fixed leak but I still put coolant. I probably have like 30% antifreeze and 70% distilled water I live in San Diego and this winter I was going to be driving up to Big Bear and temps there at night can get to the teens. Is it okay to run my car with the 30/70 mix it is at right now ? I don’t want to have to flush my coolant and buy new to ensure a 50/50 mix because I just had to flush and refill coolant two times in past month. Please let me know if the 30/70 is good I don’t want to get stuck in Big Bear
Probably fine. In SD for sure. Up in BB or anywhere freezing at night, there's a lot of residual heat in the system that has to cool down/freeze first.

You could get a turkey baster and suck out the coolant from the reservoir and re-fill with undiluted coolant from a dealer. That would get it pretty close to 50/50. You could also pick up some Super Tech and top off for cheap. That's only 50/50, so you would still a bit diluted. But probably 40/60 if not more at that point.
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