The leak is in the same area as my water pump, but when I jacked my car up yesterday, I wasn't able see my water pump. It's a 99 Saturn SL1.With the leak, it leaks very slowly, and it only leaks about a few ounces of fluid at a time. It mostly only leaks when I start the engine while its cooled down, and it's leaking down the passenger side of my engine.If it was a bad water pump, would the antifreeze leak without stopping until all of the antifreeze is gone?
It would leak till its empty.
it can be leaking also from your radiator..you might want to check the cheaper solutions first. replacing a water pump is very expensive
So what are you saying, if it is not the water pump your not going to fix it? Find the leak weather you can't see the water pump or not and fix it or just let it leak and ruin the engine, it doesn't matter to me.
It would NOT leak until it emptied the coolant. Between the bad pump and the leak, air will enter the cooling system. Right now you have some air in the cooling system. When enough air gets in, and because hot air expands, you will soon reach a point where the pressure will be so great that a hose will rupture or be forced off the clamp. Then a cloud of white steam will explode under the hood and you will be stuck wherever you happen to be at the time waiting for an expensive tow truck. Since things like this happen to you, and since you probably have better things to do than learn about cars, then do this: Go to AAA and buy a one year membership. For about $65 a year, and your cell phone, they will come anywhere, any time on any day to tow the car, jump the battery, open a locked door, put on gas, start your car, give you a ride and pull you out of a ditch - all free.
When the water pump seal fails it's either because the water pump bushing/bearing is bad or because someone was running straight water in the cooling system. Once a water pump starts to leak it needs to be replaced immediately. If you let it go it will start to leak more and faster as the seal deteriorates. You will spend more money topping up the system with antifreeze then to just fix it. The other thing that will happen is you will get caught as it fails completely and overheat the motor causing thousands in damages or at least need a tow which once again will cost more than replacing the water pump.
