engine coolant

[gary]

hi,i need a bit of advice.i have a bravo 1.2 which i am learning in(test in three weeks)i checked my fluid levels today and all was fine but im not sure where the engine coolant is.according to the manual it is next to the windscreen wash but its not !there is a cap at the front right and i assume its that.if it is do i put just distilled water in or do you mix it with something?

 

[axle]

looking at the car from the front it is on the right of radiator. a plastic container (expansion tank)connected to the radiator. If you are not sure about any anti-freeze being in the car it's best to drain some coolant off and put a litre of anti -freeze in and top it up to the correct level. A guide is on here explaining about filling and bleeding etc.

 

[gary]

apologies for being a complete amature but is that 1 litre of anti-freeze then top it up with distilled?

 

[axle]

ordinary water, distilled water is for the battery Just loosen the bottom hose on the expansion tank and drain it off. then put a litre of anti-freeze in. top up with water between max and min

 

[Buzz]

actually, i always fill my radiators with de-ionized water. In my mind it'll help slow down any internal rusting.

Buzz
The champion of the Bravo 1.4 & now ex owner of a Bravo 1.8

 

[axle]

Well, all comes down to a matter of taste. The ant-freeze itself is an anti-corrosive.Myself I use water fom the water butt.I.E. rainwater. in the old days when there was no anti-freeze. in winter you had to drain at night ,refill next morning. or a small paraffin lamp under the car. Happy days!!!

 

[Kate]

How far back are we talking here?

Most people tend to use normal water as far as i know

 

[axle]

I am going back a while now. I passed my driving test in 1952.The car I am talking about was a 1948 ford prefect.Remember that car well. No heating in it although i did have a heating kit put in it. made by a companey called Delaney-Galley. As I say "happy (but cold)days"

 

[Kate]

You've been driving for 55 years! Sorry, I didnt think you were that old

 

[axle]

Well kate it comes to us all. by the way I've been driving a lot longer than 55 years. I was driving the tractor on the farm at 8 years old. Doing my bit for the war effort