Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General My turn - the headache called 'Duratec waterpump'

Driving home the other night along a county road - doing about 65 when I look down about 10 minutes into my drive to see the temp needle working it's way past the L!!! I knew it instantly - waterpump! Of course, like an idiot, I check to see that AIR CONDITIONING was working rather than the heat! I had about 4 minutes left before home, and only ran the engine for about another 30 seconds (get up to 100, drop it into neutral <MT> and turned it off. When I got home, there had been some spraying from the overflow because the right front wheel-well was wet - no steam though, and hopefully, no major damage.

Yesterday, after a weekend away (the car didn't move!) I fired it up to check for, DUH, heat - and guess what, NEGATIVE! It wouldn't blow hot air after 5 minutes, and then I turned it off for good before it gets fixed. Sounds like a waterpump to me right?

So the questions are...(and yes I have searched!)

- I want to replace it with one that has a metal impeller. BUT, living in Canada, most of the part numbers found on this site aren't valid. Anyone find one over here lately?

- Going to have an experienced mechanic do the work, but he won't have the equipment to do that 'carbon' test, where they put the sniffer around the engine to see if there are any leaks pre-catalytic. Is this a big deal?

- The CEL had been going on and off for about 2 weeks. An O2 sensor is on it's way out - BUT, it came on during the last 2 minutes of the drive home. What could it be?? Worth finding out?

- And lastly, I obviously want the car towed to it's 20 minute destination right?

- Oops, one more quick point - the fluid in the reservoir was TOPPED up pre-overheat, but when I check it yesterday it was at the min line - does that mean THAT much evapt when it got hot, or could I have a leak?

jpb

Does the lack of responses mean that I am dead on in my analysis of the problem???

jpb

I would have it towed. I actually drove it for 20 miles once with the busted impeller but I was pretty desperate at the time.

BAT sells the water pump with the metal impaller

- DON'T drive it...get it towed.
- Are there Napa parts stores where you live? Thats where I got mine (metal one) stateside.
- The amount of coolant level dropped in the reservoir tank is probably the amount the engine spit out.
- You probably didn't do any damage, but check the oil for any coolant contamination. If really suspect, IIRC, a competent shop can put a chemical in the cooling system and sniff for it at the exhaust.

And...welcome to the failed water pump club!

When my waterpump failed I still havent discovered this website... so I probably still have a plastic impeller.

When mine failed in my ol' SE, the coolant level varied between practically empty to almost overflowing. At certain points I could hear the engine guzzling the coolant as if desperately trying to cool itself down. It honestly sounded like a frat boy chugging a 2L of keg beer. Then the engine would spit it back out into the resevoir leaving it full again. Definately have it towed. Or do it yourself. I haven't tried it but from what I hear it's not that hard.

Why not fix the WP yourself? It's a no-brainer job that takes less than an hour...

There's a howto, even.

-Lance

You can have it done where it is in about 30 min with some basic tools and extra fluid!

-Andy