Our mechanic wants to replace my husband's water pump in his 1996 Saturn saying it is quite loose. We'd like to wait until next week since its a 2 day job and with our schedules it would be difficult. Can it wait for a couple of weeks? Could this leave him stranded?
This may sound crazy, but I drove my car for nearly 3 months with a failing water pump. Fortunately, I live in a very small town and would only drive a few miles at a time, but it was still a major hassle. I had to carry a huge thing of water and constantly refill it, along with several times of sitting on the side of the road, waiting for my engine to cool down. You have to be VERY careful not to blow a head gasket by overheating your car. I don't know how bad your water pump is, but my mine was literally dripping water out as I was filling it up. I think if you wait a week and are very careful, you should be fine. I know all car guys/gals are going to disagree, because it's not the proper answer, but it's the truth for me. Good luck
If the water pump is being described as quite loose then typically the bearing would be going out and the water pump very well could go at any time, the severity of possible damage if that happens and it overheats is ridiculous. Don't risk it. If it was a drip from the weep hole in the water pump then you could ignore it for a bit or a gasket leak for as long as you needed but if it's loose as your mechanic suggests the pulley/shaft can go without warning.
There is no way of knowing how long it will last. How long has it been going out? What does the mechanic mean by loose? Is it leaking water? It could last a couple of years, it could go out tomorrow. If you trust your mechanic, which I would over people on here, I would have the water pump changed as soon as possible. When it goes out, and it will, it will leave you stranded, and in the most inappropriate place and time.
A leaking water pump could be caused by a bad gasket so it does not have to be changed. Changing a gasket is cheaper. If the leak is due to a crack or a pinhole, then by all means have it changed otherwise you risk a crack of the cylinder head caused by overheating which can cost your thousands. You can get a reconditioned or 2nd hand water pump and can save you money. Just ask your Napa store. Typically, second hands are 20% cheaper and can last for years. Good luck.
Water pumps rarely just go. If you can specify on what loose means, such as is the bearing worn out, is it leaking, etc we can help moreso. Chances are a few weeks won't hurt, if this is a problem that has slowly surfaced and worsened over time, as opposed to a sudden onset. Just keep a religious eye on whether the temperatures begin to climb, and if so don't take the risk and carry on, stop and get the vehicle recovered (if you really can't afford to have the work done sooner rather than later, and take the risk that is)
