Ford Ka. Coolant

[curlyperm11]

Hi, bit of a panic question (as its late and i can't really solve problem right now!)
Daughters KA yesterday suddenly started blowing cold air instead of warm/hot
Spoke to car mechanic he said possibly low on coolant.... Check and if necessary too with water til can get coolant.
Sooo I just had a look and coolant rank is bond dry!!! Haven't got any handy so put half a kettle of water in. (Fans still blowing cold) but she's got a 7 mile journey to work in morning.... Until we can get coolant and fill as necessary...
My Q is..... Will it be ok to drive the 7 miles to work til it's sorted? T I A

[curlyperm11]

Sorry typos. *top with water
*coolant TANK
*BONE dry

[Buenchico]

Coolant doesn't just disappear. There must be a leak somewhere. If it's a slow leak then a 7-mile journey will present no problems at all. If it's a fast one then she could run out of coolant after just a mile or two.

So, without knowing how big the leak is, we can't provide you with an accurate answer. (Try looking under the car, with the engine running, to see if you can see where the water's coming from and, more importantly, how fast it's being lost).

[tonyav]

Yes should be ok, curleyperm, fill it up to max level with water. And get your daughter to check the level again before her journey home from work ( in case it needs topping up ). May possibly have a leak that needs investigating.
Drain the water from the system at the earliest opportunity and refill it with the correct coolant.
( I wouldn't recommend filling the system with water without antifreeze if we were experiencing freezing weather though ).

[curlyperm11]

Thanks guys. It's an 03. Reg. So prob never had the coolant checked in AGES. Our fault too!
But as long as know (or at least be a bit confident that it will get her the 7 mile journey to work - til we can pour in appropriate liquid. I'm fairly happy
It'll be done on her lunch break
Then once it's full we can monitor it

[bhg481]

And make sure she has some water in the boot and knows how to top it up.

[curlyperm11]

Just got up. Filled it with coolant..... Ran engine for 10 mins. Nothing! Still blowing cold. :(
Back to square one I guess?

[bhg481]

Did you check the coolant level again after you'd run the engine? It often needs "burping" to get the air out when the coolant has been allowed to get too low. Squeeze the top radiator hose (the thick one) as you run the engine.

[curlyperm11]

Oooops!! Just had a text off daughter. Lovely warm car now!!! HURRAH!!
Must've needed a bit of a run!
Thanks for all your advice. : ). X

[bhg481]

That's good news but she still needs to check the coolant level before she sets off home from work and get some antifreeze in ASAP.

[curlyperm11]

? I thought coolant WAS antifreeze?

[Mamyalynne]

Coolant and Antifreeze are the same.


https://www.ameriprise.com/auto-home-insurance/learning-center/insurance-tips-for-drivers/bumper-to-bumper-car-care-tips/is-coolant-the-same-as-antifreeze.asp

[bhg481]

If we're being pedantic just about any liquid will act as coolant. You can use water, if you wish, but it may freeze if the air temperature is too low. It used to be common practice to use water in the summer and then add antifreeze in the winter; antifreeze was not stable and had to be changed every 2 years or so. Things then moved on and antifreeze became available which didn't need replacing, so they called it "coolant".
The point really is that you can use just water if you wish, but only if there is no chance of it freezing. In a situation like your daughter's carrying some water in the boot is a good way to ensure that you can reach your destination, bearing in mind that it is not a permanent solution and should be replaced with proper coolant as soon as possible.

[TWR]

It seem that the car's coolant level has dropped caused an Air Lock within the System ( Cold Air) as said, check for leaks, put some paper on the ground with stones holding the paper down, let engine run for a few mins then check the paper if it's dry System ok, I think over time the car has not been fully checked so letting the coolant down, " Have you checked the engine Oil?" you will not get 2 chances if that's down on Oil.