michaelg589

iTrader: (1)

So. I was driving home from the car wash yesterday, had the windows down for the first time in a long time. Beautiful day (about 65 degrees). I come to a stop light and smell something. Something burning. I look at the front of my car and see white smoke starting to seep out of my hood. My first thought, Fu**! I'm overheating. I look at my temp gauge and it reads 195. So I' didnt over heat. I put my hazards on, get out of the car, and pop the hood. I am then hit right in the face with a nice big cloud of white smoke. I figured a coolant hose broke. There was a nice big puddle of coolant all over the street and all over my motor and underside of my hood. I look and I look but cannot find anyhting right away. So, since the car hadnt over heated, I decided to get it out of the middle of the street and drive home (which was only about a half mile away). I get home and park it in the driveway, and it quickly makes another huge puddle of coolant all over the place.

I still cannot see where the coolant is coming from. So i decide to fill the radiator with water to get a better look at where it is leaking from. The water pump. I cannot tell if its the pump itself or the gasket. Its leaking from the bottom of it though. What does a water pump for our cars cost if it is that though? I'm going to have AAA tow it to a shop tomorrow and have it fixed. What am I looking at?

9000th01ss

iTrader: (10)

It's usually the water pump leaking out of the weep hole.
Usually around $130 for a pump if you buy it, and it's really not worth having a shop do it, it's pretty easy.

01SSRMS

iTrader: (7)

Yeah, pretty easy. From $130 to $190 on the pump. Not sure how mechanically inclined you are, but it's only taking the belt off and removing 8-10 10mm bolts and making sure the little seals go back in the right spot on reinstall.

Qcon

iTrader: (11)

I had a similar scare yesterday. Pulled up to a light and started to see white steam and the temp guage started to climb. I was close to home so I went back and popped the hood to find coolant all over the engine bay. Turns out the upper radiator hose detached and dumped just about all my coolant. What a mess.

Bandit28

iTrader: (28)

Best thing to do even if it was the gasket only. is replace the *pump and the gasket*

loyolacub68

iTrader: (16)

Don't bring this to a shop, they'll charge you up the *** for this. The repair is easy and there are a lot of guides around the site to help you out.

ae13291

iTrader: (8)

yea do it yourself man! but im sure there are other things to consider that will leak coolent! not only the pump! could also be bottom radiator hose, cracked radiator tanks, or a loose or missing drain plug?

michaelg589

iTrader: (1)

its definitely comin from the water pump area. either the pump itself or the gasket. i checked everything else and saw that it was pouring out of the water pump.

bjamick

iTrader: (31)

Like 6 10mm bolts holds the thing on .. I think you can atleast do that i'd hope.. But ya its about $100-$140 for a new one.

michaelg589

iTrader: (1)

Well after debating for a long time whether or not I was going to fix it myself.....

I had it towed to a shop today to be fixed. I just dont have the time to do it, and its just to damn cold around here still. That 65 degree day I mentioned earlier came and went pretty fast and I dont have a garage. Yea yea, I'm a wimp for not doin it myself. But i've never replaced a water pump before. I do'nt want to mess anything up. I honestly just dont want to be bothered with it.

landonew

no problem with that. I don't work on my own car either. I enjoy DRIVING fast cars, not working on them.

Formula413

iTrader: (1)

I like both.

JSmee99T/A

iTrader: (15)

thats expensive i just have replace one on my v6 dd and it was EASY but only cost 50 bucks for a new one? I hope my t/a's lasts a long time...

ae13291

iTrader: (8)

i do all the work on my car myself and i am 17! you always can learn something new everyday! btw did the tow truck guy **** up your front air dam or did he use wood blocks?

michaelg589

iTrader: (1)

scraped just a little on the way on. but coming off he used blocks. He was actually very careful with it. My front end is a little scratched up anyway.