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Spyder How much coolant is "normal" from the water pump weep hole?

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PlanZero

Proven Member
1,516
263
Aug 13, 2013
Easton, Pennsylvania
OK I searched and just found similar symptoms but no one came back and said their wp died suddenly.

As I'm sure you know, on the gates water pump instructions it claims some occasional seepage from the pump weep holes is normal.

Here's the deal. I picked up this Spyder from a kid who basically got scammed. When he bought the car 5 months earlier it needed a water pump and didn't run. He found a guy to do the whole timing job including parts for $500. Obviously this should've raised a flag. So he gets the car back, runs fine, and his buddy pulls the timing cover and sees the belt isn't new. Pump appears new, and no overheating or coolant issues. So the kid goes back to the shop and the owner tells him the mechanic took off to Puerto Rico with a bunch of tools. So obviously the mechanic just slipped the belt off and put it back on.

So I have the car, put some work into her and she runs great. My gf dailies her. Planned on either doing or paying for a whole timing job once I have time. Now situations have changed and there's a chance I may be selling the car in a month or so, so I wasn't planning on doing much more for maintenance.

So today I go to the garage and there's a puddle of coolant directly under the water pump about the size of a salad plate. My gf had the car so I told her to check the coolant reservoir and under the cap and look under the car. Everything was fine. She drove it home and the coolant is literally still at the line from when I filled it weeks ago. Pipe o ring is dry. Oddly, it appears there is some coolant around the top weep hole? I thought that was a vent? After an hour, still nothing. Started the car for a bit, nothing. Took it for a drive, nothing.

Similar threads ask the same question, with the usual reply of change the pump, yet others say they had it happen and it never happened again!
 
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It shouldn't have any coming out. I've run gates, GMB and OEM pumps long past 60k intervals without any seep from the weep hole. If it's leaking from the weep hole, it's time for a new pump.

Make sure you're checking the fluid level in the radiator, not just the reservoir. When a leak develops, the system will have a hard time drawing fluid from the reservoir since pressure will release and draw back from the spot it's leaking rather than the reservoir. You're best bet for testing is a coolant pressure tester, pump it up to 15psi or so and check for leaks. Letting it sit and idle, or even a short drive isn't always enough time for it to build enough pressure to show a leak.
 
Yeah when I said under the cap I meant rad cap. I should mention my gf drives at least 80mph for a half hour commute each way to work. Hence the reason I freaked out when I saw the puddle. But, no more loss after each trip. I plan on renting a tester, but as situations are right now she'll still be driving this car to and from work (she'll never drive my Tsi and I'm using my jeep for work right now),so I told her to just keep an eye on it.

I already had the OEM pump fail on my awd. Kind of the same situation. Unbeknownst to me there was a big puddle of coolant under the car in the morning, when I got to my destination the car was overheating and no coolant. When I added distilled water it actually just started dripping from the pump.

I'm severely pissed if this pump is failing after 6 months. I've also put enough work into the car that I'm not just going to take a loss when I sell it because it needs a wp, so I'll probably have to replace it and it really couldn't be at a more inconvenient time.

I got my hopes up for a minute because of two other threads where people said it happened once, one of whom was a wiseman LOL. I should know better by now.
Here's one:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/water-pump-weeped-now-doesnt.259592/
 
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I have a car that is more than weeping. It will drive for a hr no problem but then it needs water. It's the pump, just like mine. There is a "slight" chance its just a bolt but don't hold your breath. Belt tightness has some play in the deal of a water pump failing prematurely so don't over tighten your belts, that will take it easy on the bearing so it doesn't wear out and let the shaft wobble, which will make the seal leak to start with. Trying to be helpful, not a bummer.
 
I know this is really dumb... but are you sure the puddle was not just condensation from the A/C compressor? It's near that side of the car, just started getting warm outside, no change in coolant level, hard to duplicate on short drives, etc... all those kind of point to that
 
Yeah it was definitely coolant. I tasted it LOL. Plus the ac doesn't work and probably bone dry. Not to mention I could actually see coolant all around the weep holes. Besides my awd, I had a pump fail on my jeep and it dawned on me that both times I discovered a puddle in the morning, as if the pump just gushed some coolant out after the system depressurized. That's why I'm puzzled because I could not replicate the situation, and the actual coolant loss was minimal. After my gf drove it all day, the puddle from the morning seems to be the only loss.

Well I guess I'll just monitor it for now and hope for the best until I sell the car as soon as my gf gets her own. Of course I would disclose this incident to a potential buyer, even if it was a one time incident. I swear my dsms get jealous of each other and do things to demand attention. Just like certain problems disappear right after you order the parts to fix them.
 
Then what's the point of a weep hole, and the fact every water pump says occasional seepage is normal?

I absolutely love when people don't even read the thread before they chime in with their undue advice. If I wanted inane "advice" I'd go to my local autozone.

I would never buy a car for a woman, let alone much else. She just drives it. That's why I still have money LOL. I just have too many dsms at the moment, and I just purchased 4 more rental units I have to renovate asap which obviously takes precedence over stupid car repairs.

And if I was the one who did it the first time this wouldn't be an issue, because I wouldn't get some eBay or parts store (except for napa) water pump, which is obviously what this "mechanic" did. It's ridiculous since pumps are so cheap for these cars. He could've at least gotten a gates, $25 from rockauto.

Whatever, it's really not that serious. I was just looking for clarification on the statement found in the box.
 
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None whatsoever, once it stars to weep your pump is gone, a lot of people will say the pump is bad, the car overheats for lack of fluid almost never a pump will fail completely, as in not pumping in my lifetime I have only seen one pump with the impellers almost all gone and it was still moving fluid.
The noise will give away sometimes before you notice loss of fluid and it drips and you may not see the fluid.
That is the reason for the weep hole, so it weeps when bearing is close to total failure.
 
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