[NiNe5LS]

Noticed a pool of coolant under the car today and traced it down to a leak from the water pump. Is it possible it just needs a new gasket or is the pump most likely shot? Anyway to tell?

also, would this explain why I get no heat at idle?

This post has been edited by NiNe5LS: 09 March 2010 - 05:21 PM

[me6894]

You sure it isn't coming from the coolant crossover gaskets? I've can't even remember how many of those I've done.

[NiNe5LS]

me6894, on 09 March 2010 - 09:32 PM, said:

You sure it isn't coming from the coolant crossover gaskets? I've can't even remember how many of those I've done.

where are they in relation to the pump?

I assumed water pump because that's where I can see drips coming from. There is coolant everywhere from hitting the belt and spraying, and when I run the car all of the leaked coolant just continues to spray so it's kind of difficult to pinpoint.

What about no heat at idle, think they're related? I have to put my car in neutral at red lights in the morning and keep the engine revving so I don't freeze my balls off.

[me6894]

You won't have heat at idle if the cooling system is low on coolant.

Usually I see the crossover gasket leaking by looking from underneath the rear of the car and you will see coolant dripping from the passenger rear side of the rear head. Don't worry, it will look like its coming out of the head gasket but its the crossover gasket running down that path. Might have to pressurize the system to see it drip.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

I know a few people with the 3.5 Monte, and they all needed to get the water pump replaced. Dex-cool was a jerk to them.

You ever flush your system?

[NiNe5LS]

ChibiBlackSheep, on 10 March 2010 - 10:57 AM, said:

I know a few people with the 3.5 Monte, and they all needed to get the water pump replaced. Dex-cool was a jerk to them.

You ever flush your system?

I flushed it last summer when I put a new T-stat in. I'm going to check the crossover when I get home. If it was the crossover gasket, is it in a spot where it could hit the belt? That's why initially suspected the pump because of the mess it made from hitting the belt.

[NiNe5LS]

I saw no signs of leaks from the crossover pipe, but still from the pump location so I pulled it.

edit- i'm an idiot, i knew there had to be a gasket. i was expecting a paper style one that would show remnants. the gasket was still stuck to the pump

This post has been edited by NiNe5LS: 11 March 2010 - 06:34 PM

[NiNe5LS]

Ok, I got the new pump in, that leak is gone. But while checking for leaks I noticed the lower rad hose is ice cold at normal operation temp, so this means my T-stat is stuck closed right? I just replaced my T-stat last summer.

And how do I get the air out of the system? I looked in my haynes but couldn't find anything for bleeding the system.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

On your cars there is no bleeder valve, they re-did the whole cooling system on those. I wanna say they self bleed, I'll try to find more about that and update

Edit:

It's my understanding on your engines that the whole process that the coolant system uses is completely new. It's a new routing design, like a U shape, that goes from the front to the back and through the cylinder head, plus a coolant crossover so no coolant has to enter the intake manifold.

Also to add fluid there is a fill point near the power steering pump and that fill point prevents air from ever entering, which prevents you from having to bleed air, therefore this is no bleed screw.

This post has been edited by ChibiBlackSheep: 12 March 2010 - 01:01 PM

[Dyonysis]

Funny. My 2000 has a bleed screw.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

Your 2000 isn't an LZ9 engine

Mine has a bleeder screw too

[NiNe5LS]

what the crap. i just got the thing put back together and the system filled, now i have to drain it again to take the T-stat out

[NiNe5LS]

filling this thing is a pain in the ass. it will take a 1/2 gallon pretty quick until the coolant is to the bottom of the filler neck, then after 30 seconds its down 1/2" so I have to keep filling it a 1/2" at a time

[NiNe5LS]

Water pump is in, leak fixed, changed the T-stat again, the old one was completely caked with Dex cool. No more leaks and I have heat when idling now. Sweet.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

Glad you got it all fixed. Try to stay on the Dex-cool every 25/30k

[NiNe5LS]

ChibiBlackSheep, on 16 March 2010 - 09:23 AM, said:

Glad you got it all fixed. Try to stay on the Dex-cool every 25/30k

Yea and I just flushed it out less than 7,000 miles ago

[Dyonysis]

ChibiBlackSheep, on 12 March 2010 - 11:23 AM, said:

Your 2000 isn't an LZ9 engine

Mine has a bleeder screw too

Ah, got it