Do Cars Need to Be Filled with Water?

[DelLiam]

Ordinary household cars cannot use water. The engine of a car is water-cooled, but it requires a specialized coolant, and water cannot be used as the engine's coolant. Using water as a coolant can lead to scale buildup in the engine's water passages. Additionally, water has a relatively low boiling point and a high freezing point, making it unsuitable as a coolant. In a water-cooled engine, the coolant continuously circulates within the engine during operation to dissipate heat, thereby removing excess heat from the engine. The coolant follows two circulation paths within the engine: one is the major cycle, and the other is the minor cycle. When the engine starts, the coolant undergoes the minor cycle, during which it does not pass through the radiator, aiding in the engine's warm-up. After the engine runs for a while, the coolant switches to the major cycle, passing through the radiator to dissipate heat, thus maintaining the engine within a reasonable operating temperature range. The coolant needs to be replaced regularly. If not replaced for a long time, the coolant's boiling point may decrease and its freezing point may increase, which can affect the engine's normal operation.