I recently took my 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix in for an oil change, and was told that my water pump has burst. I knew something happened the previous night because all of a sudden my car was overheating and when I opened the hood there was water everywhere, Anyways I am currently a single mom, working temp jobs while I look for something permanent. I can not afford the 350.00 to get it fixed. If I continue to drive the car am I looking at serious damage, He showed me how to fill the water tank (or whatever) so that the car will not be empty, But he says I need to get it fixed soon
This Site Might Help You. RE: How serious is a broken water pump on a car? I recently took my 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix in for an oil change, and was told that my water pump has burst. I knew something happened the previous night because all of a sudden my car was overheating and when I opened the hood there was water everywhere, Anyways I am currently a single mom, working...
A water-pump has a weep-hole on the bottom of the input shaft that purposely leaks coolant when the sealed bearings have been damaged. You must get it repaired ASAP because when you run out of coolant you'll over-heat @ permanently ruin the engine. Call as many local private mechanics and repair shops for a less expensive price to have a new re-manufactured water-pump installed. *In the mean time call NAPA, Carquest, Advance Auto or Auto Zone and ask for a *closed system 4 pound radiator pressure cap and install it when the engine is stone cold. The reason for doing this is the cooling system will build 4 pounds of pressure instead of 16 pounds. It should leak less and slower with the 4 pound cap. You must refill the radiator when it's cold everyday and keep the plastic coolant recovery bottle 3/4 filled when it's cold eash day also. Most likely someone has not used Dex-Cool antifreeze exclusively in the cooling system. Mixing brands with different formulations of antifreeze will cause a black/brown muddy mess in the cooling system, wipe out a water-pump early.
I will try to put this simply. It is very serious. Water cools your engine and without the pump to circulate it, your engine will overheat and very quickly damage itself. Even if you add water constantly, it is not being circulated, your engine will overheat and the new water you will put in will probably instantly boil and rush up into your face. My advice. Don't drive it until you can get it fixed. Sorry, I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but I am concerned for your safety and I don't want you to wreck your engine and you will if you keep driving it. The damage you can do is like this. The engine overheats and seizes up. This means that the engine parts, pistons and rings have expanded beyond design limits. They break inside and wreak havoc. The crankshaft and big end bearings can seize also. If all this happens, you are looking at a reconditioned engine. Fix your pump. It's cheaper
