I have 1 92 cadillac sedan deville and I am takin a 12 hour road trip tomorrow and I want to know if my water pump is goin bad or is it the fuel pump? Please help driving by myself and don't wanna get stranded anywhere. thank you in advance
CAR SHOULD GET HOT FAST,ANTI FREEZE ON FLOOR,BUT NO MATTER WHAT IF IT DONT FEEL RIGHT GO TO YOUR MECHANIC BEFORE ANY LONG DRIVE..MY CAR RUNS PERFECT,STILL BEFORE ANY LONG TRIP I ALWAYS GET MY MECH TO GIVE HER THE ONCE OVER...EVEN IF ITS JUST FOR PEACE OF MIND...
Usually whilst a water pump is going dangerous, it starts to leak. There is a small weep gap within the casting so they can drip as soon as the interior seal has began leaking. If that's now not stuck in time, the bearing will fail and the water pump shaft will start to wobble or make a noise. The best different feasible crisis with a waterpump is that if the impeller has damaged or come off the shaft. That maybe difficult to notice with out casting off the pump. The undeniable fact that your engine isn't overheating might have a tendency to rule that out.
Prior to the cars coolant getting hot, remove the radiator cap and start the engine. Let it run for 5 minutes or so. Look into the radiator and see if the coolant is moving like a jacuzzi. If the coolant is swishing around strongly, the pump is good, if not, wait another 5 minutes for the thermostat to open. If after waiting, the coolant still has no movement, I would say the thermostat may be stuck closed. Unless there is a leak or noise coming from the water pump, don;t worry about it. They tell you when a problem is present. Noises or leaks will be the sign of a bad pump. If you see none of these signs, don't worry and enjoy your trip. Good Luck...
Ask your mechanic! He can tell a lot better than you can.
There are 2 key indications that you have a bad water pump. #1 and most obvious is your engine should overheat. This wont take long since the water pump is what circulates the coolant to keep your engine cool so within a couple of minutes of starting the car you should see your temp needle go way up. #2 is a little tricky because if your leaking coolant/antifreeze it can be because of a bad waterpump or a cracked hose or even a cracked or damaged radiator. Your best bet if your overheating is to have a pressure test done that will inspect for any leaks in your cooling system. If that turns out ok then the waterpump is the culprit. Be ware though in many models a water pump although a simple part and fix can be extremely expensive due to where it is place and how difficult it is to get to. Most manufacturers placed the waterpump in an area that requires you to take many components apart in order to reach it and often it is wise to replace your timing belt while your at it to avoid future expenses because that is also where your timing belt is so I would strongly advise anyone who is replacing their water pump to replace their timing belt as well.
