How do I put water in my car?

[Confusedpixo]

Not brave enough for Piston Heads!

I have a Nissan Pixo. I'm trying to figure out how to check the water. I bought the premixed water and engine coolant but then noticed it has a seperate reservoir for coolant (the bit with the green lid). I can see it has enough coolant, but how do I know if it needs water? There is no reservoir that I can see and no temperature guage on the dashboard. I'm guessing water goes into the bit with the orange and white sticker but is it just normal tap water? I'm not normally such a car idiot but this is the first time I've seen this system.

Is the white tank not the reservoir like in this nissan video?

That's the reservoir for the coolant. I want to top up the water.

When the engine is cold remove the radiator cap (orange&white) . If it is full and the level in the expansion tank(green lid) is more than half full, you don't need to add anything to anywhere. Your manual should tell you what you should use, and where to put it. Unless the engine has overheated, or you've had a leak you shouldn't need to top up.

Every other car I've had, you use a mix of water and coolant and can clearly see the minimum and maximum levels. This one has a reservoir for coolant that says 'engine coolant only' then a radiator cap but no min/max levels for the water?

Water for what?

@Onesmallstepforaman

When the engine is cold remove the radiator cap (orange&white) . If it is full and the level in the expansion tank(green lid) is more than half full, you don't need to add anything to anywhere. Your manual should tell you what you should use, and where to put it. Unless the engine has overheated, or you've had a leak you shouldn't need to top up.

When I remove the orange and white cap, how do I know if its full? Should the water be right up to the top? At the moment it's reen from the coolant.

@InvisibleToEveryone

Water for what?

For the radiator.

If you've got pre mixed, you dont need to add more water?

*Green, not reen

@InvisibleToEveryone

If you've got pre mixed, you dont need to add more water?

I don't have premixed, that's what I'm saying. It has its own reservoir for coolant, then a radiator cap.

It says coolant. This is where you put water and antifreeze aka coolant! If you have pre-mixed this is where you put it. If you have just antifreeze check how much water to mix.
It goes in the plastic reservoir with green top. The indicator for level is between two grooved / raised / moulded lines which you can clearly see in your photo. Bottom line is minimum amount of coolant. Top line is maximum.

Why would you just add water? Do you have an owners handbook? Is there more information in there?

Check the coolant stored in the plastic bottle connected to the radiator. Only in an emergency should you add only water to the coolant system. Most modern engines have aluminum cylinder heads, which require the protective anticorrosive properties of antifreeze. A 50/50 mix of liquid or coolant is usually sufficient

Some place will sell it as coolant (normally water mixed with antifreeze) some places just antifreeze. Again just check bottle instructions.

@quodvox

It says coolant. This is where you put water and antifreeze aka coolant! If you have pre-mixed this is where you put it. If you have just antifreeze check how much water to mix. It goes in the plastic reservoir with green top. The indicator for level is between two grooved / raised / moulded lines which you can clearly see in your photo. Bottom line is minimum amount of coolant. Top line is maximum.

Ahhh, thank you! I get it now

It's because the reservoir says 'engine coolant only' I thought maybe I had to add the concentrated stuff in there, then water in the radiator cap. Then the car somehow mixed them together by itself!

The coolant reservoir IS the reservoir for water. A car should have coolant but will run on plain water in ambient temperatures.

PS-not advocating you should run on water alone as it’s a dangerous game...but it can be and is often done

No handbook, unfortunately. Do Haynes manuals still exist? The cars of the 80s were far less complicated!

Any use? www.onlymanuals.com/nissan/pixo

Yes Haynes manuals still exist. You might also be able to find the actual car manual online, which should include coolant filling instructions.

[quote Yoloyohol]Any use? www.onlymanuals.com/nissan/pixo[/quote]
That's brilliant! Thank you 🙂

did you tried proworkshopmanuals.com/product-category/car-manuals/nissan/ ? They are best