Hey all, as you know NYC has been really cold these few days. I notice that when I start the Max up cold, a bit of coolant leaks. I can't see where it is leaking from, definitely not from the radiator or pipes.

After the car is warmed up, theres no more leak.

 

water pump weep hole.

when it's cold the seal shrinks a little so a little coolant gets by.
when it warms up the seal swells up and seals it up so no coolant gets by.

it's leaking by the crank pulley right?

 

wow thanks for the quick reply, so I need a new pump?

 

sounds like it...assuming that it's leaking above the crank pulley area. that usually means you'll need a new timing belt and tensioner also.

 

oh yeah it looks like its leaking by the crank pulley but I can't see it directly though. I went under and tried to look at it from the hood.

 

sorry, I just noticed another problem. When I turn on the heat, it sometimes stops intermittently and the car heats up like crazy but the heater just blows cold air (the thermostat goes all the way up to HOT). Then when hot air comes through again, the thermostat goes back down.

Does this have to do with the water pump or is some kind of valve messed up?

 

My car used to do the opposite. you may need a new thermostat/ water pump/ timing belt. ON A COLD morning my car would seem like it would take 20 to 25 minutes to warm up, then the needle would only move a little past C. Once I came to a stop like at a light, the heat would come out warm and the temp hand would go near the middle. Once I drove off and more air was getting into the radiator, I would get little to no heat and the temp guage would go all the way down to cold. Come to find out it kept doing this, until I figured it out. The thermostat was staying open or being stuck open too long. When I started the car in the mornings the thermostat would be wide open letting the coolant go to the radiator before it was even hot enough inside the engine making the computer think that the car was still cold. CHanged the thermostat and problem fixed.

 

Makes a lot of sense, thanks for such a thorough response. Is the thermostat located within the water pump? Only asking because if so I want to do everything at once.

I was quoted for $300 to just change the pump dunno how much more $ I have to spend on the max

 

Wow 300 just for the pump, that seems like a steal, from their part.

 

No, the thermostat is in the pipe thing where the bypass hose goes.

 

thanks all, I changed the pump along with timing belt today. the shop was pretty nice; $300 for the whole job. he said nothing is wrong w/ thermostat and my problem was caused by the water pump. so far the head has been normal and all