My Recent Purchase

[TJ 450]

We're talking straight tap water here, without antifreeze.

Using tap water with a suitable coolant should be OK, but I prefer to use distilled, or deionised water.

It also depends on what concentration of minerals are possibly in the tap water... you don't want all that garbage in the system.

I reckon the 190 is an excellent little car with lots of proven potential indeed.

Tim

[flutes]

...using Perth tap water is something else altogether... I keep a couple of bottles of distilled water in the boot just in case.

[gf]

so hows it handle compared with the116?(Different size car of course
) is the multilink suspension all its claimed to be?

[TJ 450]

To be fair GF, I've only driven the car a few hundred metres. Major Tom drive the car quite a distance and had it up to 100km/h on the freeway... his report was very positive.

When I get an engine back in it, I'll be giving it a thorough evaluation.

FWIW, the front suspension is just an evolution of the 116 front suspension, rather than borrowing anything from 123/126. It also uses a shock absorbing strut and upper rubber mount rather than an upper control arm.

Anyhow, I can say pretty much for certain that a V8 116 would be a more exciting drive. Speaking of which, I'm going on a nice long drive in the 6.9 on the weekend... I'm looking forward to it.

Tim   

[koan]

I have been told by MB that when using the genuine coolant tap water is fine. Although i wouldnt put it in there anyway.

I wouldn't use distilled or de-ionized water. I was told years ago it leeches Magnesium and other minerals out of the alloy components.

koan

[TJ 450]

That throws a spanner in the works, although I don't know about the validity of that claim.

As far as I'm aware, distilled water in particular has consistently been recommended for cooling systems. You don't want the heavy impurities found in hard tap water... Perth's in particular.

Tim

[flutes]

Interesting Koan - might have to revise my emergency kit.  Do you know where you heard that?

[Big_Richard]

I have been told by MB that when using the genuine coolant tap water is fine. Although i wouldnt put it in there anyway.

I wouldn't use distilled or de-ionized water. I was told years ago it leeches Magnesium and other minerals out of the alloy components.

koan

I drink distilled water,

I'm not dead, yet 

And my teeth are award winning thank you very much - i don't need that fluoride shit the govco thinks is good for me 

[TJ 450]

Well, distilled water is simply water with most impurities removed through the process, so I don't see how it could be more reactive than unpurified water.

Tim

[koan]

I drink distilled water,

I'm not dead, yet 

To the best of my knowledge human consumption distilled and de-ionzed water is not harmful

koan   

[KenM]

I drink distilled water,

I'm not dead, yet 

To the best of my knowledge human consumption distilled and de-ionzed water is not harmful

koan   

Well I'm confused, I heard it worked on the same principle as your car, that is that de-mineralised/de-ionised/distilled water leaches the minerals etc out of the system ( car or human) leaving you with a deficiency that in the case of humans can be fatal due to loss of minerals etc required for the flow of nerve pulses and such like, perhaps the medical fraternity has an opinion?

[TJ 450]

Maybe we just need to use Evian in our cars.

BTW, I'm with you on that question, KenM. If the water leaches mineral through a chemical reaction in a car's cooling system, it stands to reason that it would do the same in the conditions of the Human body's system.

Tim

[KenM]

Personally I drink nothing but German pilsener morning noon and night, come to think of it perhaps the 450 is designed this way also....

[Big_Richard]

when at home, i cook with it and i drink it, and also use it for car cooling systems 

Its food grade distilled water for water coolers, i chose distilled rather than mineral because my cooler also has a boiler in it for instant boiling water for coffee etc. If you use anything other than distilled it requires decalcification on a regular basis and i'm far too lazy for that. Its been zero maintenence since i purchased one outright 2 years ago.

when youve had food prepared with distilled water you can actually taste the food and not disolved copper, heavy metals and chlorine like with tap water. The flavor and texture are totally different. My brother has a very expensive RO system, which is better than tap water but still crap in comparison to distilled, it still has a dirty taste to it, to me. 

[TJ 450]

That makes a lot of sense, MT.

Now, how often do people decalcify their car's cooling system? You would have to do it quite regularly if you used Perth tap water in particular.

A few weeks use of Perth's tap water in a steam iron will see lime deposits crumbling off onto the clothes.

I might have to ask a chemist about the alleged leaching of minerals... this has me interested.

Tim