Hello, i have a 1987 volkswagen cabriolet that i purchased earlier this year. So far its been a pain in the butt. Recently i noticed it overheats real quick, but it didnt use to. then i noticed the coolant/antifreeze was being used up like no other! I discovered, after being parked at work, that it was leaking.it leaks basically anything i put in there now!! it leaks from the water pump housing,.,.... at least thats what the internet said it was.. its leaking from the end of the hose that connects to the engine... (the hose that comes from the coolant reservoir.)What do i do? I dont feel any cracks? does this part crack? is it an o-ring or somehting? I am really absolutely NOTHING ABOUT CARS. Please help!!
HI It is an o-ring Loss the 4 bolts holding the pump and put some silicon glue on the o-ring and get it back.
Water pumps have a seal to hold the water from leaking out the spinning shaft, and the seal always wears out about every 100,000 miles. It is probably this seal that is bad, because it is probably the original pump, and you replace the whole pump. You have to take the front belt cover off and remove the timing belt, so it is not a trivial job. Cost about $300, and takes about 2 hours. But any friend who understands timing belts can do it easily. No special tools or tricks involved, other than making sure the cam timing is correct. Once you take the 3 bolts holding the water pump housing off, you can easily tell if any hoses or clamps should also be replaced. Do the thermostat while you have it off anyway. It is only $5.
You say it has been below freezing for a while. *IF* it has been very cold and *IF* your pipes are not below the frost lines in your area, then the pipe could be frozen. That would cause the pump to likely trip out as it would over-work while trying to push water through ice (not easily done!) The good news is if the pipe is frozen, it is most likely frozen near the point where the water goes into or out of the ground. If you have access to 110 power in both of those areas, (or can get it there by some safe means) try this. Take a heating pad (like you use for sore backs/ knees) and wrap it around the pipe right at the point where it transitions into the ground. Tie it in place with string or yarn and turn it on at it's highest setting. After about an hour try turning on the pump. Still trip? Give it another hour. Still trip? Do the other end. Believe me this works surprisingly well, and once you get the water flowing, even just a little bit, the rest will melt quickly. Good Luck. James
