If your coolant runs dry, it can be tempting to replace it with tap water. This can be a good short-term solution, but you should get new coolant as soon as it is convenient. After all, coolant is specially designed to be better for your car than normal water. First of all, it takes more heat to boil away engine coolant. Secondly, during the winter, water is more likely to freeze and rupture your radiator. Further, unless you’re using pure water, you’re likely leaving behind deposits of minerals like calcium and magnesium that are clogging up your system.
Should you find that your coolant is leaking out of your engine, bring your car down to our Seattle auto body shop. It is only by maintaining a healthy supply of coolant in your car can you avoid the severe damage that goes along with an overheating engine.