Do you need to top up your car with water?

cherry76

Husband owns a Ford Fiesta 2003. Today he decided that the car needs topping and went to top it with tap water. Have told him to leave the car alone as not having any issues with it. Now I am  concerned if he has done it wrongly and what are the consequences!

The_Fat_Controller

If it needs topping up then do it !

Not having issues now is just delaying the inevitable if the coolant is low.

Best to use the recommended coolant, diluted as necessary but tap water is fine in an emergency.

mgfvvc

If it's below the minimum then yes, top it up. It's best to top it up with the proper coolant, but plain water is fine as long as you don't dilute the coolant too much.

Having sorted the symptom, you need to deal with the underlying problem. If you are losing coolant from the system that is a concern. Often it simply needs a new coolant reservoir, sometimes just the cap. It can also be an indication of a head gasket starting to fail or a perishing hose or various other things that, in the fullness of time, could cause a catastrophic failure.

[Deleted User]

Everyone above has assumed your husband topped up the coolant but there are at least 6 fluids you can top up in your car, I just hope he picked the 2 that are ok with tap water. 

Ebe_Scrooge

IF you mean the coolant, then mgfvvc has about hit the nail on the head.  Strictly speaking you should use the correct mixture of water/antifreeze, but in practice plain water will do if you're only adding a small amount.

But, a car shouldn't lose any coolant - you need to find the leak and get it fixed.  A stitch in time and all that

There are a couple of simple things you can check yourself.  Have a look at the hoses - any obvious cracks or splits?  Also check where the hoses are clamped onto the various bits of the engine/radiator.  You'll often see a white-ish powdery stain if there is a leak.  It may be just a jubilee clip that needs tightening or replacing.  If a hose is perished, it's not too difficult to replace yourself - although, depending on where it is, access can be a bit fiddly.

Check for obvious cracks on the reservoir, check that the cap is sealing properly.

Remove the oil filler cap and have a look at the inside of it.  If you can see what looks like mayonnaise, this is often a sign that the head gasket is on the way out.  This can be DIY-ed if you're reasonably experienced, but it's a fairly lengthy job.  Probably best left to a mechanic if you don't know what you're doing.

daveyjp

On an almost 20 year old vehicle top up of coolant shouldn't be a surprise.  What needs to be considered is why.  Leaking coolant pipework, radiator cap seal worn, water pump leak, signs of the beginnings of a head gasket failure?

My first car was a 15 year old Fiesta mk1 and I always carried two litres of water as it had a tendancy to overheat.

user1977

[Deleted User] said:

Everyone above has assumed your husband topped up the coolant but there are at least 6 fluids you can top up in your car, I just hope he picked the 2 that are ok with tap water. 

Indeed, I would probably use petrol, but I suppose this is a money-saving site...

born_again

Perhaps OP might be better asking husband exactly what he topped up.🤷‍♂️ as per @[Deleted User]

Known more than enough people run around with empty washer fluid bottles.. 

Bigwheels1111

One easy thing to do is park the car on a large cardboard box, a flat one.
Then in the morning you might see where it drips from.
As above poss head gasket or if diesel oil cooler leak. Same look in oil filler cap.
Water pump on its way, If you can see it there will bit a trickle coming out from the bottom washing it clean,
Leaking hose.
Lots to look for but parking on something to see where the drips come from helps.
If no drips it’s a bigger issue.
Just one thing, if you put the heaters on hot air does it smell sweet in the car is the floor wet under the mats, as could be the heater matrix.