Water Pump Problems?
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Water Pump Problems?
I overheated on the way to work yesterday. The resevoir was blowing coolant due to being over pressured. I thought it was the thermostat so I replaced it. This morning, same problem. I did notice two things:
1) When I squeeze the upper radiator hose, bubbles will flow out of the resevoir and the coolant will drop.
2) If I keep the rpm's up above 1500, the coolant seems to flow ok.
Could this be the water pump going bad?
1) When I squeeze the upper radiator hose, bubbles will flow out of the resevoir and the coolant will drop.
2) If I keep the rpm's up above 1500, the coolant seems to flow ok.
Could this be the water pump going bad?
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I've been running with both front and rear heaters blowing when I'll feel the temperature of the heater drop rapidly. At this point, the temperature gauge is reading normal but if I continue to drive for a few minutes longer, the gauge will peg high.
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From: Billings, Montana
This will probably sound like some stupid questions to you but with some people you never know. Do you have a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator ? For those of you who don't live up north this is a trick we use when the temperature drops below 0 to help maintain normal operating temperature of the vehicle. And I'm sure you checked to make sure you didn't loose your belt right ?
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Nope, no cardboard. I wish I had thought of that when I lived in upstate NY! I'm thinking of pulling the radiator hoses off and running a garden hose through the radiator to see if there's a restriction in it. I had a garden hose running into the thermostat housing yesterday and got plenty of flow out the lower radiator hose so I'm pretty sure the problem isn't with the engine.
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The temperature drop you feel is when coolant is not flowing to the heater cores. Two reasons I can think of: slipping impeller on water pump or low coolant level.
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I agree that the temperature drop is due to low coolant. I'm using the heater as an "early warning system" because it seems much more sensitive than the temperature gauge. I do refill the reservoir after I stop to depressurize the coolant system. Could I have a massive air bubble that just hasn't worked itself out yet? The slipping impeller idea might explain why I get better coolant flow at higher RPMs than at idle. How can I test this?
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From: Billings, Montana
Originally Posted by sbclemens
I'm getting a constant pressure. I can't feel any pulsing.
Last edited by madsonp; Feb 5, 2008 at 07:31 PM.
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From: Billings, Montana
I hope I didn't insult your intelligence with the questions about the cardboard and belt but you'd be supprised how may people up here in Montana use the cardboard trick then forget to remove it when it warms up, and then wonder why their vehicle overheats.
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Nope. Not much intelligence to insult. I find the more I learn, the more ignorant I realize I am.
I definately have air in the system, so much so that you'd think the air was being sucked into the coolant system. But, no signs of an external leak. You're right about the cavitating of the pump. You can actually feel the hot air from the vents pulse when at idle, then steady as I increase the engine speed.
I definately have air in the system, so much so that you'd think the air was being sucked into the coolant system. But, no signs of an external leak. You're right about the cavitating of the pump. You can actually feel the hot air from the vents pulse when at idle, then steady as I increase the engine speed.
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From: Billings, Montana
I think that's the first thing I'd try before digging into the vehicle, you might do a search for previous posts on that subject, they may have some good tips on removing the air from the system. It seems to me I've seen it brought up before on this forum. And that goofer of mine is starting to bother me.
Last edited by madsonp; Feb 5, 2008 at 09:49 PM.
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I'll see what I can find on bleeding the air from the system. I've added so much fluid it with no interior or exterior signs of leaking that if it is leaking, the only place it could be going is out the exhaust pipe.