I was driving when my temp gauge shot up all the way so i pulled off the next exit and my car shut off and started smoking i noticed the water pump belt was in shreds and what seemed to be anti freeze fluid and water was everywhere. I'm curious what could have broke maybe a gasket or the waterpump it's self besides just the belt?
Water pump blew up, lost your radiator fluid and broke a belt. Don't drive it, get it towed to a repair shop.
The bearings within the pump, or the belt tensioner pulley bearings, or even the alternator could have gone bad. Any one of the components that draw from the serpentine belt may be the origin.Once the engine cools it may be determined which component caused the failure. If the water pump turns freely then it's not the source and can be ruled out. Same with the tensioner pulley.
It seems to be a water pump failure, unfortunately that kind of failure is unpredictable and can easily sneak up on you. What happens is the pump fails and then the belt gets literally gets burnt off, this issue can be a cascade failure because the excessive engine heat can cause a number of COSTLY internal engine problems because aluminum engine blocks these days can't handle prolonged excessive heat. Hopefully not in your case, but just to give you an idea of the issue and everything surrounding it. The cost to repair at a shop can run anywhere from 200$ to 600$ depending on where you take it, you can do it yourself if you are mechanically inclined but i suggest a professional because they can also further detect any damage that the pump failure may have caused.
