Can I add mineral water when the engine temperature is too high?
2 Answers
When the engine temperature is too high, it is recommended to add coolant. Adding mineral water is only for emergency situations. Below are the relevant instructions: Park and cool down: Park the car in a safe place, do not turn off the engine, turn off the air conditioning system, and then open all windows. Get out of the car and place the warning triangle strictly according to regulations, approximately 150 meters behind the car. This alerts oncoming vehicles and completely avoids rear-end collisions after parking. Handling method: Check the coolant level in the radiator. Overheating is often caused by the coolant level being below the normal mark. If the coolant is insufficient, you can add mineral water in an emergency, but you must go to a repair shop afterward to completely replace it with coolant.
I was driving to the mountains for a trip when suddenly the temperature gauge shot up and the warning light came on, which really freaked me out. Some people online often suggest adding mineral water as an emergency money-saving fix, but you really shouldn’t do that. Mineral water contains a lot of minerals, which can cause scaling and clog the radiator pipes or corrode components when added to the cooling system, making heat dissipation even worse. In severe cases, it can even lead to engine failure. That time, I resisted the urge to add mineral water, pulled over, turned off the engine, and waited for it to cool down. Then I checked the coolant reservoir and topped it up with some distilled water I had in the car, which helped the situation. Later, at the repair shop, I found out it was a small hose leak. After getting it fixed, I reminded myself to regularly change the coolant—it prevents both freezing and boiling. When the engine overheats, the safest thing to do is to stop immediately and find a repair shop. Don’t just add anything randomly, or you might complicate the problem and jeopardize your trip’s safety.
