I was wondering if anyone could help me figure out why? Problems started when our car overheated due to neglecting to refill the coolant a while back. The coolant tank got cracks in it and we had to replace it- but now the water pump is leaking, says my husband- should we just replace the water pump or could this be a bigger problem? Why is it leaking all of a sudden now? (please no snarky rude answers , I'm looking for help not to be scolded! Yes we neglected to add more coolant-- damage is already done so don't bother making a ridiculous comment about it!)Thanks!
A leaky pump usually means that it has gone bad. Water pumps are not designed to last forever. If your water pump is leaking after it has been on your car for a while replace it weather it is causing your car to run hot or not. Not replacing it will only lead to more costly problems because it will only continue to get worse over time. It might be a good idea to have your engine pressure tested to insure that you haven't caused any major engine damage from overheating while only replacing your water pump will seal the pressure in the system and showing any major defects such as a blown head gasket. You should also preform a check of your other coolant system components such as your fan(s), thermostat, hoses, radiator, heater valve, belts, and recheck the reservoir. Good luck.
Having to top up the coolant means there was a leak, likely a small one from the water pumps seal. Change the water pump a.s.a.p.
water pumps go out all the time and we have no control over them.It is a good idea to service the cooling system once a year,draining the radiator and flush out the complete system .But anyway when you replace the pump it would be a great idea to do just that being that winter is coming up in a few months.Also you never mentioned what type of vehicle you are talking about,someone else mentioned a timing belt ,it really depends on the year make and model but that is some good info also. I hope this info helps ya out.
it is just a coincidence but quite possibly the water pump was leaking before and that caused the coolant loss in the first place. Having the tank loosing it's coolant wouldn't cause the overheating it is only a reservoir for the extra coolant.The cooling system only takes from it when it needs it and if your system boils over will push it there rather than the ground.
Why is it leaking, who knows. They do wear out, but likely the overheating made it happen sooner. Replacing the water pump should resolve it. But if you are over 80k miles and have never changed the timing belt/chain now would be a good time to do it. (Its behind the water pump)
