Water pump affecting other systems?
08-06-2011, 01:59 AM
#1
Water pump affecting other systems?
As the title says...i think a faulty water pump may be messing up some of the other systems of the car. Now i know on some cars the water pump runs off of the serpentine belt. Now i don't even know if a Maxima has a serpentine belt or if the water pump runs off of it, but anyways...
About a year ago my mech did some sort of temporary fix to the water pump as we did not want to replace it outright (he believed you had to replace the timing chain if you replace the water pump...which i have since heard is not necessarily true). Since then here is what has been happening:
--Car overheats sometimes, although this may just be attributed to the radiator system, as we have found fluid on the car after being parked sometimes and it does definitely loose coolant over time.
--A/C works, but takes a long time to get up to "full power". This may just be that it needs a recharge, but if my original 'theory' is correct then if the water pump is on the serpentine belt and not working well, i thought perhaps that it could cause the AC compressor to underperform? Again, that theory may very well be flawed, you all would know better than i.
--Various electrical issues--finally i think that perhaps the alternator also runs off the serpentine belt, same theory as AC. Sometimes the car won't start immediately, windows won't always work, and once the car just died but then started right back up.
So in synopsis: First i would like to know if the water pump, alternator, and AC compressor are all powered by the same belt. If so, is it feasible that one bad element can be slowing the others down--i.e. my belief that if the Water Pump is not working well, it could be creating a drag on the belt and hence all the other affected things?
Right now the car is in the shop for what is believed to be a bad starter, but who knows anymore...
About a year ago my mech did some sort of temporary fix to the water pump as we did not want to replace it outright (he believed you had to replace the timing chain if you replace the water pump...which i have since heard is not necessarily true). Since then here is what has been happening:
--Car overheats sometimes, although this may just be attributed to the radiator system, as we have found fluid on the car after being parked sometimes and it does definitely loose coolant over time.
--A/C works, but takes a long time to get up to "full power". This may just be that it needs a recharge, but if my original 'theory' is correct then if the water pump is on the serpentine belt and not working well, i thought perhaps that it could cause the AC compressor to underperform? Again, that theory may very well be flawed, you all would know better than i.
--Various electrical issues--finally i think that perhaps the alternator also runs off the serpentine belt, same theory as AC. Sometimes the car won't start immediately, windows won't always work, and once the car just died but then started right back up.
So in synopsis: First i would like to know if the water pump, alternator, and AC compressor are all powered by the same belt. If so, is it feasible that one bad element can be slowing the others down--i.e. my belief that if the Water Pump is not working well, it could be creating a drag on the belt and hence all the other affected things?
Right now the car is in the shop for what is believed to be a bad starter, but who knows anymore...
08-06-2011, 05:17 AM
#3
First of all, the water pump is driven by the timing chain and not by any belt. Second, the timing chain does not need to be replaced. Just buy a new water pump and get it installed. With that in mind, the water pump will only affect overheating and no other electrical or A/C malfunction. Whoever your mechanic is, you should go to another shop as there is no temporary fix for a water pump if you don't want to change it right away.
This max sounds like its going through neglect!
08-06-2011, 12:02 PM
#4
As the title says...i think a faulty water pump may be messing up some of the other systems of the car. Now i know on some cars the water pump runs off of the serpentine belt. Now i don't even know if a Maxima has a serpentine belt or if the water pump runs off of it, but anyways...
About a year ago my mech did some sort of temporary fix to the water pump as we did not want to replace it outright (he believed you had to replace the timing chain if you replace the water pump...which i have since heard is not necessarily true). Since then here is what has been happening:
--Car overheats sometimes, although this may just be attributed to the radiator system, as we have found fluid on the car after being parked sometimes and it does definitely loose coolant over time. Loss of fluid and/or a faulty water pump would cause the car to over heat. I would find the leak, replace the hose, and replace the water pump before the engine becomes seized.
--A/C works, but takes a long time to get up to "full power". This may just be that it needs a recharge, but if my original 'theory' is correct then if the water pump is on the serpentine belt and not working well, i thought perhaps that it could cause the AC compressor to underperform? Again, that theory may very well be flawed, you all would know better than i. It is likely that it needs to be recharged. Also, if you're still on the OEM condensor and compressor, they're probably just worn out. When your car is running it is causing the compressor to spin, but not do any work. If you've ever noticed when you're sitting at idle, and you turn on the A/C your engine speed goes up about 200 RPM's to compinsate for the extra load put on the engine from the A/C compressor which is now doing work. Engine speed goes up so that other things powered by the serpentine belt don't underperform.
--Various electrical issues--finally i think that perhaps the alternator also runs off the serpentine belt, same theory as AC. Sometimes the car won't start immediately, windows won't always work, and once the car just died but then started right back up. The alternator does run off the belt. if the car won't start immediately, look at the starting system. In a nutshell, it's basically ignition, battery, and starter. if there's power to make it crank, then the ignition works. is your battery good? and if it takes a while to start and/or doesn't start at all then chances are it is your starter. they do have a pretty tough job. if you wanna take it to the next level you can check your alternator. start the car and throw a multimeter on the battery. 12VDC fused. it should read anywhere from about 13 to 15 volts. 15 is actually kinda high but it works. if it's 12 to 13 I would look at getting the alternator replaced soon. if accessories in the car don't always work, check the connections and fuses.
So in synopsis: First i would like to know if the water pump, alternator, and AC compressor are all powered by the same belt. If so, is it feasible that one bad element can be slowing the others down--i.e. my belief that if the Water Pump is not working well, it could be creating a drag on the belt and hence all the other affected things?
Right now the car is in the shop for what is believed to be a bad starter, but who knows anymore...I only got about 123K miles out of my starter. Mine's a 98 so I can only guess how many miles yours has.
About a year ago my mech did some sort of temporary fix to the water pump as we did not want to replace it outright (he believed you had to replace the timing chain if you replace the water pump...which i have since heard is not necessarily true). Since then here is what has been happening:
--Car overheats sometimes, although this may just be attributed to the radiator system, as we have found fluid on the car after being parked sometimes and it does definitely loose coolant over time. Loss of fluid and/or a faulty water pump would cause the car to over heat. I would find the leak, replace the hose, and replace the water pump before the engine becomes seized.
--A/C works, but takes a long time to get up to "full power". This may just be that it needs a recharge, but if my original 'theory' is correct then if the water pump is on the serpentine belt and not working well, i thought perhaps that it could cause the AC compressor to underperform? Again, that theory may very well be flawed, you all would know better than i. It is likely that it needs to be recharged. Also, if you're still on the OEM condensor and compressor, they're probably just worn out. When your car is running it is causing the compressor to spin, but not do any work. If you've ever noticed when you're sitting at idle, and you turn on the A/C your engine speed goes up about 200 RPM's to compinsate for the extra load put on the engine from the A/C compressor which is now doing work. Engine speed goes up so that other things powered by the serpentine belt don't underperform.
--Various electrical issues--finally i think that perhaps the alternator also runs off the serpentine belt, same theory as AC. Sometimes the car won't start immediately, windows won't always work, and once the car just died but then started right back up. The alternator does run off the belt. if the car won't start immediately, look at the starting system. In a nutshell, it's basically ignition, battery, and starter. if there's power to make it crank, then the ignition works. is your battery good? and if it takes a while to start and/or doesn't start at all then chances are it is your starter. they do have a pretty tough job. if you wanna take it to the next level you can check your alternator. start the car and throw a multimeter on the battery. 12VDC fused. it should read anywhere from about 13 to 15 volts. 15 is actually kinda high but it works. if it's 12 to 13 I would look at getting the alternator replaced soon. if accessories in the car don't always work, check the connections and fuses.
So in synopsis: First i would like to know if the water pump, alternator, and AC compressor are all powered by the same belt. If so, is it feasible that one bad element can be slowing the others down--i.e. my belief that if the Water Pump is not working well, it could be creating a drag on the belt and hence all the other affected things?
Right now the car is in the shop for what is believed to be a bad starter, but who knows anymore...I only got about 123K miles out of my starter. Mine's a 98 so I can only guess how many miles yours has.
08-06-2011, 05:39 PM
#5
Thanks for the advice guys. Like i said, it's in the shop right now and both the AAA guy (who had to come tow it.....haha) and my mechanic said the starter was bad. I have to go out of town this thursday so he is getting a new one installed monday, so that is the main thing right now.
@Trini--I briefly looked on ebay for water pumps and saw some as low as like $30. Are they genuinely that cheap? Or do you think that's a junk one? As for neglect...i do what i can...but i have been working an internship this summer so i don't really have any money to spare and my dad will only help me pay for something if it's "essential". Trying though...
@styliztik--Like i said above, how much can a good water pump be found for? All i ever hear is that mechs charge a ton for the labor involve but that it isn't a terribly expensive part.
I think the guy is going to recharge the AC too while changing the starter, so we'll see if that works.
As for the electrical I (we) are pretty sure it's the starter. I don't currently have a multimeter but the lights all come on when the key is on and all the accessories (radio, window, ac, etc) all work, just no start--no click or anything.
As far as i know everything on the car is still stock. Previous owner didn't really leave many service records except that he had regular oil changes. Right now it has something like 138xxx if i'm thinking right. So it's very likely that many things are simply wearing out...we'll see
@Trini--I briefly looked on ebay for water pumps and saw some as low as like $30. Are they genuinely that cheap? Or do you think that's a junk one? As for neglect...i do what i can...but i have been working an internship this summer so i don't really have any money to spare and my dad will only help me pay for something if it's "essential". Trying though...
@styliztik--Like i said above, how much can a good water pump be found for? All i ever hear is that mechs charge a ton for the labor involve but that it isn't a terribly expensive part.
I think the guy is going to recharge the AC too while changing the starter, so we'll see if that works.
As for the electrical I (we) are pretty sure it's the starter. I don't currently have a multimeter but the lights all come on when the key is on and all the accessories (radio, window, ac, etc) all work, just no start--no click or anything.
As far as i know everything on the car is still stock. Previous owner didn't really leave many service records except that he had regular oil changes. Right now it has something like 138xxx if i'm thinking right. So it's very likely that many things are simply wearing out...we'll see
08-06-2011, 05:58 PM
#6
For the A/C. You need to put die in the system and find the leak you have, simply put if your A/C doesn't blow cold or is low on freon you have a leak. You can try using a U/V light and looking around the A/C compressor and all the lines going to and from the condenser, drier and evap. The freon/PAG oil will glow a bright green when using a U/V light.
08-06-2011, 10:57 PM
#7
Thanks for the advice guys. Like i said, it's in the shop right now and both the AAA guy (who had to come tow it.....haha) and my mechanic said the starter was bad. I have to go out of town this thursday so he is getting a new one installed monday, so that is the main thing right now.
@Trini--I briefly looked on ebay for water pumps and saw some as low as like $30. Are they genuinely that cheap? Or do you think that's a junk one? As for neglect...i do what i can...but i have been working an internship this summer so i don't really have any money to spare and my dad will only help me pay for something if it's "essential". Trying though...
@styliztik--Like i said above, how much can a good water pump be found for? All i ever hear is that mechs charge a ton for the labor involve but that it isn't a terribly expensive part.
I think the guy is going to recharge the AC too while changing the starter, so we'll see if that works.
As for the electrical I (we) are pretty sure it's the starter. I don't currently have a multimeter but the lights all come on when the key is on and all the accessories (radio, window, ac, etc) all work, just no start--no click or anything.
As far as i know everything on the car is still stock. Previous owner didn't really leave many service records except that he had regular oil changes. Right now it has something like 138xxx if i'm thinking right. So it's very likely that many things are simply wearing out...we'll see
@Trini--I briefly looked on ebay for water pumps and saw some as low as like $30. Are they genuinely that cheap? Or do you think that's a junk one? As for neglect...i do what i can...but i have been working an internship this summer so i don't really have any money to spare and my dad will only help me pay for something if it's "essential". Trying though...
@styliztik--Like i said above, how much can a good water pump be found for? All i ever hear is that mechs charge a ton for the labor involve but that it isn't a terribly expensive part.
I think the guy is going to recharge the AC too while changing the starter, so we'll see if that works.
As for the electrical I (we) are pretty sure it's the starter. I don't currently have a multimeter but the lights all come on when the key is on and all the accessories (radio, window, ac, etc) all work, just no start--no click or anything.
As far as i know everything on the car is still stock. Previous owner didn't really leave many service records except that he had regular oil changes. Right now it has something like 138xxx if i'm thinking right. So it's very likely that many things are simply wearing out...we'll see
08-07-2011, 07:44 AM
#8
Thanks for the advice guys. Like i said, it's in the shop right now and both the AAA guy (who had to come tow it.....haha) and my mechanic said the starter was bad. I have to go out of town this thursday so he is getting a new one installed monday, so that is the main thing right now.
@Trini--I briefly looked on ebay for water pumps and saw some as low as like $30. Are they genuinely that cheap? Or do you think that's a junk one? As for neglect...i do what i can...but i have been working an internship this summer so i don't really have any money to spare and my dad will only help me pay for something if it's "essential". Trying though...
@styliztik--Like i said above, how much can a good water pump be found for? All i ever hear is that mechs charge a ton for the labor involve but that it isn't a terribly expensive part.
I think the guy is going to recharge the AC too while changing the starter, so we'll see if that works.
As for the electrical I (we) are pretty sure it's the starter. I don't currently have a multimeter but the lights all come on when the key is on and all the accessories (radio, window, ac, etc) all work, just no start--no click or anything.
As far as i know everything on the car is still stock. Previous owner didn't really leave many service records except that he had regular oil changes. Right now it has something like 138xxx if i'm thinking right. So it's very likely that many things are simply wearing out...we'll see
@Trini--I briefly looked on ebay for water pumps and saw some as low as like $30. Are they genuinely that cheap? Or do you think that's a junk one? As for neglect...i do what i can...but i have been working an internship this summer so i don't really have any money to spare and my dad will only help me pay for something if it's "essential". Trying though...
@styliztik--Like i said above, how much can a good water pump be found for? All i ever hear is that mechs charge a ton for the labor involve but that it isn't a terribly expensive part.
I think the guy is going to recharge the AC too while changing the starter, so we'll see if that works.
As for the electrical I (we) are pretty sure it's the starter. I don't currently have a multimeter but the lights all come on when the key is on and all the accessories (radio, window, ac, etc) all work, just no start--no click or anything.
As far as i know everything on the car is still stock. Previous owner didn't really leave many service records except that he had regular oil changes. Right now it has something like 138xxx if i'm thinking right. So it's very likely that many things are simply wearing out...we'll see
I understand very much what situation you in. $30 is very cheap..not sure of they are any good. But after talking with pmohr on this issue, it seems that the water pump usually is good and the two o-rings is what break down overtime. As long as the pump does not have any up and down movement, it is still working. If you want to go this route, go to the dealer and replace the two o-ring seals and see if that works.
08-10-2011, 01:32 PM
#9
For now--Had ac checked while in shop, said there was plenty of refrigerant, but the compressor itself was weak...I thought maybe there was a grounding issue as there are other electrical issues as well. Plausible? Or is the compressor just going bad...
08-10-2011, 01:57 PM
#10
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I thought maybe there was a grounding issue as there are other electrical issues as well. Plausible? Or is the compressor just going bad...
shop, said there was plenty of refrigerant, but the compressor itself was weak
2 pieces of advice:
1) Stop trying to work on your car.
2) Find another mechanic.
08-10-2011, 08:06 PM
#11
I was suggesting that if the compressor wasn't getting the correct power or something perhaps it would underperform. But thanks for your really helpful post, guy. And i don't ever recall saying that it was I who worked on my car...it appears your reading comprehension skills have failed you yet again.
Last edited by sunshine7684; 08-10-2011 at 08:08 PM.
08-10-2011, 08:11 PM
#12
I understand very much what situation you in. $30 is very cheap..not sure of they are any good. But after talking with pmohr on this issue, it seems that the water pump usually is good and the two o-rings is what break down overtime. As long as the pump does not have any up and down movement, it is still working. If you want to go this route, go to the dealer and replace the two o-ring seals and see if that works.
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