how long does it take for the engine to get to normal operating temperature? I ask as since winter started it takes 20 minutes for the temp gauge to be in the middle?

 

Thanks for the advice!

lots of debate about this. basically you are safe with 50:50 even if the manual says more because modern antifreezes are more advanced than they were 10 years ago so they will protect from corrosion and freezing temps. You can get a measuring device from halfords for a couple of quid that measures the specific gravity (density) of your coolant to make sure that is enough protection.

 

there is only one fluid that is a better heat transfer medium than water and that is liquid mercury. Not very feasible. So any capacity in your cooling system that is something other than water is reducing the effectiveness. However, it is true adding some substances can aid cooling. Water wetter works like a surfactent (like washing up liquid and the mucas lining of your lungs) and reduces the the surface tension of the water to stops bubbles froming so easily. If bubbles form on the hot parts of your coolant system that you trying to remove heat from it acts like an insulating blanket and the heat transfer efficiency goes down.

 

Alcohols (like glycol) have a thermodynamical relationship with water by mixing in a way that reduces the overall volumes. This means you can have more particles taking away the heat but in a smaller volume (the fixed volume of the coolant system). However the reduction in volume isnt greatly significant and will be maximised only if the stoichmetrically correct not the more is better approach.

 

With this in mind i go for 50:50 with a bottle of Water Wetter thrown in.

 

The advantage over pure water is the fact that Glycol raises the boiling temp to about 160 c and doesn't vaporize until about 140 c. Where water boils at 100 c and begins to vaporize at about 90 c. The turbos on performance cars run at incredible temps, glowing bright red like a burning coal at full chat and they heat the entire engine up Via convection and by discharging extreme temps into the oil and in the 300's case into the turbo water jackets.

 

If you don't have enough coolant in the water it will vaporize as it passes through red hot turbo's after a good thrash. This then presurises the system which causes several problems. One is it will find any week point in the system including Rad, Heater matrix, headgaskets and any old hosing. Which inturn caused more heat related damage, from hot spots etc.

 

So yes water is a better coolant than glycol when opperating within the temp scales that prevent water from vaporizing as in a modest normally asperated family car, but not for high performance motors.

I'm going to hijack this threat slightly...

 

How do you all warm your cars up?

 

I always tended to favour letting it idle for a few minutes for the oil pressure to drop and to get some heat into the engine, however i've now been told it's the worse thing you can do for the engine wear-wise. Opinions?

just drive it gentley till warm

just drive it gentley till warm

 

thats the way, as it put load on it so warms up quicker than idling