We have a 2001 mazda tribute that has been leaking coolant and overheating. we thought it was just the radiator, so we replaced it, but it is still doing it. It leaks pretty rapidly, and overheats pretty fast too (in 1 to 2 miles of city traffic) Does this sound more like a hose or the water pump? how difficult will it be to replace the water pump?
With the engine running at idle take a look at your coolant resevoir and follow the lines. If it is a hose leak you should be able to see it no problem. When is the last time the radiator was flushed? You could have a blockage in there somewhere too. Depending on how handy you are will determine how difficult the water pump is to replace if that is the problem. Some help can be found online by looking for a Mazda forum. Good luck
2001 is not very old! If you can't see coolant leaking from some point when the engine is warm (and you WILL see it, and be able to track where it is coming from, if from a hose, a pipe, the radiator, or the pump, or a welch plug or some particular place in the engine bay), you could have a cracked head or block, or a blown head gasket. Another simpler possibility is the thermostat has gone bad. If the leak is from a head gasket or a crack inside the engine, a pressure test can be placed on the whole system to establish this. There could also be signs of coolant in the oil.
I was not aware that Neon came in a 2.4 liter in 95, I would have guessed it was the 2.0 L and it is natorious for head gasket problems which is your symptom of finding sludge in the rad etc...blown headgasket.
Firstly follow the water to find the leak. The two problems may not be related. Assuming the radiator you bought was new, here are you possible problems/solutions. Radiator cap is a possibility. This will be apparent if you chase the leak. If you waterpump is begining to fail, you will generally have water coming from a small hole at the base of the snout where the drive pulley is (on most cars). The only way a hose can affect the ability of the cooling system to function is if the lower hose collapses when running. Check to see that this is not happening. If it is, replace the hose and make sure that the new hose has the wire coil inside to prevent this from happening. You may also have a thermostat problem. If the thermostat does not open, you will definately overheat. You cannot always check it with this method, but a good indicator is to feel the upper radiator hose before and after starting the engine (when warmed up). Before starting the engine, the hose should be fairly flexible and easy to squeeze. After starting, and being warmed up, it should get fairly stiff due to the flow going through the hose. Don't forget that the hose will be over 200 degrees, so be careful.
