i think its the water pump

i think its the water pump

I put a new radiator and water starts coming out the bottom i checked all the hoses

My car has 1800000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :

Be sure the drain plug on the bottom of the radiator is closed and secure. There are a variety of potential leak points in the cooling system. If, using a mirror, you can see coolant leaking out of the water pump housing weep hole, then yes the water pump will need to be replaced. If the leak point is not clear though, please request an engine cooling system leak diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you. Engine coolant can leak externally through a hose, radiator, water pump, etc. or internally due to a leaking head gasket and sometimes a leaking intake manifold gasket depending on the engine design. During the leak diagnostic, unless the source is obvious, external leaks are typically found by simple pressure testing of the cooling system. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :

Coolant Leaking

One of the first signs of a potentially faulty water pump is a puddle of coolant on the ground where you`ve parked your car. The pump is made up of several different gaskets and seals that will eventually dry out, crack or break. When this happens, the coolant will leak from the pump.

With the engine off, open your hood and locate the water pump pulley. With gloves on, grab it and wiggle it back and forth. There should be no movement, if there is, this along with the noise is a good indication you may have a water pump problem.

If a water pumping is leaking it cannot efficiently move coolant around the engine. If that happens the engine will get hotter and will eventually overheat. At first the temperature gauge will hit the red, then you`ll start seeing steam from under the hood.

As these seals and gaskets age, they will become worn, cracked, and dried out. Once this occurs, the coolant can leak from the water pump. You may notice a green or occasionally red color pooling in the front of your car. This is the key indicator that you have a leaking water pump.

A green puddle of coolant under your car is usually the first sign of a radiator leak. In most cases, this leak is small enough that you can add coolant until a replacement radiator can be obtained. Modern radiators typically have aluminum cores (the finned part) and plastic side tanks.

One of the common signs of bad water pump functionality is overheating. The pump may not leak coolant, but the pump mechanism itself may have failed. Over time the fins of the pump can actually wear down to the point where they are no longer moving coolant.

Water pumps can leak from 2 different places; the shaft seal or the water pump gasket. If the water pump bearings are starting to wear out they will allow the shaft to wobble and coolant will leak out.

If you want to avoid expensive mechanic bills but don`t have the technical knowledge or experience needed to resolve a leaking water pump in any other way, K-Seal is the option for you – it can fix most leaks in the water pump casing and in the seals.

Dry running

A pump seal normally needs fluids to lubricate the materials around shaft. If there are no fluids available to lubricate, the seal runs dry which causes extra friction and heat. The seal will burn or melt and become damaged, which causes fluid leakage due to the pressure.

When water pumps go bad, it causes your engine to overheat—and that leads to all sorts of trouble. While water pumps are designed to last a vehicle`s lifetime, it`s entirely possible for them to fail before that mark.

Coolant Leaks

Oftentimes when the thermostat fails, it remains in its closed position. As the engine overheats, coolant will overflow out of the thermostat housing. This means that coolant leaking out of your engine could be a sign that your thermostat has gone bad.

Start your car`s engine and allow it to idle. Look through the radiator filler neck to see if the coolant flows. At this time, it should not be flowing as your car has not reached the operating temperature to cause the thermostat to open. If you find the coolant is flowing, it means the thermostat valve is open.

Yes, your water pump can leak even if your engine is off.

Hoses can be damaged, which can cause them to rupture. It`s definitely possible, but you shouldn`t start worrying about replacing any parts just yet.

A pump station failure could result in an expensive outage, contaminate the surrounding environment, and pose health risks to the community.

So when the water pump must be replaced, it is a good idea to go ahead and also replace the timing belt, timing belt tensioner and idler pulleys.

Whining or Groaning Noise

A whining or groaning noise usually means that either a drive belt is loose, or the water pump pulley is bad. It may surprise your customer that a pulley could fail, but it does occasionally happen. Pulleys have been known to fail due to rust, which can cause cracking between their bolt holes.

Yes it can. Yet the most obvious failure is a leaking seal, I have seen plenty that the bearing inside fail and make a grinding noise or a wobble, especially on a rear wheel drive vehicle. In a VERY few cases, the impeller blades rusted off and while there was no leaking, wobble or noise it was bad.

Look for signs of coolant leakage—a light-colored residue or stain—around the radiator cap, on hoses throughout the engine compartment (check the ends where they are clamped to other components) and on the radiator itself. If it looks like a hose is leaking near a clamp, try tightening the clamp with a screwdriver.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Can a jeep run and drive without a water pump??

ANSWER : Driving or running the engine without the water pump working to circulate the coolant through the motor will cause the motor to overheat and may damage the engine costing thousands of dollars versus using a tow truck to take the vehicle to the shop that will cost a lot less. I would not recommend running the engine more than a few minutes at a time or you will overheat it.

Read Full Q/A … : i think its the water pump

My water pump is leaking but I replaced timing belt and pump a year ago. Can I just replace the water pump this time?

ANSWER : Hello. You can just replace the water pump in this case. Although, the cost of just the timing belt is fairly negligible in comparison to the total labor of the job. My estimator says the water pump is a 6.5 hour job. Multiply that by whatever the shop rate is and you have the total labor without parts. You end up saving about $100 or less on parts if you only replace the pump.

The deciding factor will be the condition of the timing belt. If it has problems, you won’t be saving yourself any money by reusing it. In addition, there are seals and pulleys that may need to be replaced as well.

Assuming all the related parts were replaced the first time around, there isn’t a reason you can’t reuse them. I would say you should weigh the savings of reusing them against the actual condition of the parts. This is best determined after a complete disassembly. Keep in mind, time estimates will vary a bit depending on many factors. Either way, the labor is the largest cost.

If you would like to have the water pump replaced, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to perform this service at your convenience.

Read Full Q/A … : i think its the water pump

the timing belt was replaced at 102K miles but they didnt do the water pump. now has 125k miles and how much is it for water pump

ANSWER : If the water pump is not leaking, I would recommend replacing it when it begins to fail. If the water pump is part of the timing belt job and was not done, this will likely cost the same amount as the timing belt cost as the timing belt will require removal again in order to replace the water pump. Due to the high cost of this repair, I would recommend holding off on the water pump unless it shows signs of failure such as leaks or noise.

Read Full Q/A … : i think its the water pump

I had my timing belt and water pump replaced 45000 miles ago. Now I am told I need to replace water pump. Is this normal?

ANSWER : Hello there, 45,000 miles is a short lifespan for a water pump on your 2000 Honda Odyssey. There are a few reasons the water pump will need to be replaced, such as a pump bearing failure, water pump seal leak, or rust/contamination damaging the pump. Faults such as rust or particles in the cooling system are formed in the cooling system over time and the parts break down, or regular coolant flushes are not performed. These particles can cause the pump to fail prematurely. It would be a good idea to ask why the water pump needs to be replaced or take note of any symptoms you are experiencing with the car before moving forward with this. If you would like to have an expert give you a second opinion on this, a certified technician from YourMechanic can come to your location to inspect the car and replace the water pump if necessary.

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I have a 00 deville I just changed the water pump housing and water pump the thermostat and radiator the upper and lower radiator 2000 Cadillac De Ville

ANSWER : Hi there – I suspect your radiator is clogged or otherwise corroded so that it is not shedding heat as efficiently as it should. Idling with the heater on was getting rid of heat without loading the radiator. When you’re driving, the engine is generating more heat than both the heater and radiator can get rid of. Checking the difference between hot coolant going to the radiator (top hose), and going back into the engine (bottom hose) may show that there is very little temperature difference. This means the radiator is not doing it’s job, and need to be professionally cleaned or replaced. Good diagnostic effort on your part to avoid the obvious "it’s another Northstar head gasket" diagnosis! For confirmation, I would recommend an overheating inspection by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

Read Full Q/A … : i think its the water pump

Does the water pump need to be replaced if the water pump belt is showing signs of wear? Or just the belt?

ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. There is no reason to replace the water pump every time the belt is changed, unless the pump itself is damaged or not working properly. The belt may show signs of wear which is fairly common between 80k-100k miles. I would not recommend putting the belt service off as this can cause major damage if the belt were to snap. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your home to inspect your belts to determine when and if they would need to be replaced, while at the same time inspecting your water pump and cooling system to be sure there are no issues with it.

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My water pump just dumped all its fluid. Is it safe to drive my truck if I fill it back up with water without a new pump?

ANSWER : Anytime there is no or low coolant in a vehicle, it can be very harmful to the engine. Low coolant can cause a seized engine or a blown head gasket.

It is recommended that you have the vehicle towed to a location to have the cooling system repaired. If you can, refill the engine with coolant, and if the fluid does not run out as quickly as you put it in, then you may be able to drive a short distance to a safe location, but it is not recommended.

If you need assistance, get a mobile mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, to inspect and determine the source of the leak, and replace the water pump, if needed.

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My car still overheats, I replaced water pump and thermostat, and now after water pump install it knocks bad

ANSWER : Hi there:

Trying to diagnose an overheating issue remotely is incredibly difficult. However, there are three things you can do to attempt to solve this issue. First, remove the water pump, verify it’s the right replacement part and reinstall with new gaskets. Second, flush the radiator coolant fully, as the issue could be caused by an obstruction inside the heater core or other coolant lines. Third, make sure to check all electrical connections to the radiator sensors and components. If you check and complete all three of those tasks, and you still have overheating problems, contact a professional mobile mechanic to complete a car is overheating inspection.

Read Full Q/A … : i think its the water pump