dont run distelled water with aluminium radiotor you get a chemical reaction that ruins it
I did a little search and am not following you on the dont use distilled water info here. I cut and pasted from various areas.
Distilled Water - Safe for Engine?
Common misconception...."Be careful about using distilled [read de-ionised] water- it can eat through "corrosion resistant" metals like you would not believe."
This appears to have reached the status of Urban Legend.
From the Car Guys:
Dex-CoolTM should be mixed 50/50 with clean, distilled water. When changing your anti-freeze
never mix Dex-CoolTM with your current anti-freeze. It is also important that the coolant
overflow tank not be contaminated with pure water or other types of anti-freeze. According to
General Motors, the use of any additives claiming to improve your cooling system performance
are not only a waste of money but could be harmful Dex-CoolTM and to your cooling system
components.
From the ASA Shop tech tips.
If you use hard water in these systems, you are asking for mineral buildup problems. Softened
water, on the other hand, contains dissolved salts that act as an electrolyte, encouraging
galvanic action between the dissimilar metals. That's why distilled water is quickly becoming the
water of choice!
From an article by Gregory T. Fieldson B.S., PhD in Chemistry:
Should I use tap water or distilled water?
I recommend distilled water. If you have exceptionally soft water it would be acceptable, as
well. Basically, the engine metals are going to corrode to some extent no matter what water you
use, and hard water will encourage the resulting metal salts to precipitate.
From the Rover Tech Tips:
Other contaminants can come from the water that you use with your antifreeze. Most tap water
has a trace mineral content. Depending on the source of your water, you may or may not have
minerals that will become sediment and block your system. The safest way to refill your system
is to use distilled water. This should be a 50/50 mixture with coolant for the best heat transfer.
From the Red Line:
The anti-scaling ingredients in Red Line WaterWetter allow its use with ordinary tap water.
However, using with distilled or deionized water will accomplish some scale removal in the
cylinder head area.
Saturn GM Tech:
A 50/50 mixture of this product and distilled water is required.
From Aftermarket World tech:
Antifreeze is mixed with water (preferably clean distilled water since hard water can introduce
unwanted minerals into the system) , usually at a 50/50...
From the General Motors EMD (diesel locomotive) engine handbook:
Distilled water should be used in the cooling system to offset the accumulation of scale and
foreign matter, which contribute to overheating the engine.
From MotorTrend online:
In addition, the use of hard tap water in the system leaves mineral deposits that can build up
and restrict the flow of coolant; this is why it's recommended you only use distilled or soft
water in the system.
From Texaco's Product Bulletin on DexCool:
However, to maintain the integrity of a cooling system and to help assure long life, deionized or
distilled water is preferred over tap water.
What type of water should I use in my radiator? (EETsite)
Water quality is critical. Vehicle manufacturers recommend mixing de-ionized or distilled water with antifreeze. Do not use tap water, which may contain minerals that will corrode your cooling system and/or cause scale buildup. Do not use water softened with salts. The water used in Arctic Blend™ antifreeze is de-ionized, which is chemically equivalent to distilled water.
