Coolant and Water

Dear xes,
As a girly girl, I am completely hopeless when it comes to cars. The current beau would be the one to fuss over my car and nag me if anything requires changing. But being unattached for the moment, I have no one to turn to – so I’m asking you for help, IF you know about cars.
Long time ago, some guy at the gas station told me the coolant was not enough and added some water. Recently, some guy at another gas station informed me that water cannot be added to the coolant. o_O So all this while, I’ve been tricked? Imagine the times I added water to the coolant to keep it at its required level…..
I feel so embarrassed to be asking this, but I just want to see how macho you are in answering my question. ;P
xxx
bum.
p.s. Another thing, how do I avoid having the engine’s black oil being added or changed so frequently i.e. every month? I don’t remember my car needing it so often, but lately, the guy at the gas station keeps making me buy coolant and black oil from him almost every month. I think I should change gas stations!

20 thoughts on “Coolant and Water”

  1. hahaha. you can use both coolant and/or water for the radiator. not adviceable if the radiator is rusty…cause coolant eats rust. black oil changes after every 5000km… =)

  2. ddkwh said it.
    Correct me if I am wrong… but I think you only need to change your black oil when you service your car (which is normally every 5000 km).
    Unless there is a leakage dripping all your oil away. Then of course, you need to constantly top up 🙂

  3. constantly top up…and probably would be good to fix the leakage too.=)
    I had the same situation once at Projet, Hartamas. Coolant’s ain’t cheap…esspecially for MPV’s. But i don’t seem to remember constantly adding and buying coolant’s though. Becareful, sometimes…and i must say SOMETIMES…these petrol stations are just plain ripping us off our money. Do consult your mechanic..or a mechanic about your situation.

  4. zOmg i <3 i’vN too!
    xes: -________-
    ddkwh & Low: hmmm every 5000km eh, thanks!
    knickx: Projet, Hartamas? it happened to me there once, too! i bet it’s for them to pocket the money lah!

  5. coolant? lolz
    i only add coolant every 3 mths 😛
    and for black oil?
    i only change every 10,000km cause I’m using fully synthetic oil… fully synthetic oil can tahan 10,000km but more expensive. It’s more convienient for ppl who wake up during sunset like me 😀

  6. actually..u shud always follow back the manufaturer’s recommended oil change interval. the fully-syn 10,000km ; semi-syn 7,000km is just a misconception. fully-syn gives ur engine better protection to wear and tear as opposed to semisyn or mineral, it doesnt guarantee u the oil will last longer.
    its a good practise to check ur engine oil level and radiator water/coolant level every fortnight.

  7. i forgot to mention that so happened they check the level of black oil for me, it’s below that line. so then i feel obliged to add it, no choice, right?
    ryuu: but he’s hopeless! can’t answer my question also hehehhe
    mengz: *goes to check on it now* ;P

  8. I’ve never changed or topped up the black oil myself. . . Only battery water, coolant (whenever I see the level is nearing low), pump tyre pressure and petrol 😛

  9. but those powder-based radiator coolant but I dont know where they sell it. A pack is as big as a 10kg rice bag.
    The powder + water = coolant. My friend who use to work in a big lorry workshop got a bag. Man, i tell you… very good coolant.

  10. HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAH…this is by far the funniest post by you uptodate.
    coolant = waste of money, just put water in radiator.
    black oil = change every 5k km for mineral based oil(cheaper ones),7-10k for semi-syntetic/fully syntethic oil.
    and yes they are conning you to buy those unnecessary stuffs, and if im not mistaken they earn commision by selling you those and finally its about time you get a bf lah for god’s sake.

  11. Ride bicycle, less parts to remember and you’ll only need to refuel yourself and know how to pump/change tires. Others…hmm maybe know how to lubricate the chains? Not WD40 thou. Heh offtopic.

  12. bimbobum: so which petrol station do u go to? and what car do u drive? are u planning to go anytime soon? u should top up ur engine oil…its running low…i think this saturday morning will be a good time 😀

  13. aijor…
    you don’t simply add coolant to your radiator and you don’t simply top up oil in your engine.
    When you mix water and coolant in your radiator, think what happens. It works if you are desperately short of coolant and when the right one is not readily accesible. However, when you can, you should add the right ones. It shouldn’t disappear as you claim. Water does. To know what is the right type of coolant to mix, check your car manual. It should clearly state it somewhere inside. And please make sure your engine ain’t hot when u add it. Otherwise you might need plastic surgery from all the scalding.
    As for your engine oil.You must know what type you’re using. If you use mineral oil, you cannot add syn or semi syn in it. Otherwise, your car engine will not be smooth and can cause damage to your engine. You should remedy it by checking the bottom of the engine block to ensure the nut when the oil drainage is located is tight and not leaking.

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