Water pump is leaking, do I need to replace the timing belt, too? The car also has a misfire on cylinder 3.
I brought my car in to the shop for a valve cover gasket replacement (my dad was gonna replace my wires and found a bigger problem), and today they called saying it's leaking a little oil, but my car is "known for that"… And my water pump is leaking and when they replace that instead, they need to do the timing belt, too. This is going to cost $900. I'm really wondering if I should bother. The issue I was having was the engine misfiring every time I stepped on the gas and the code I got was misfire in cylinder number 3.
My car has 235000 miles.
My car has an automatic
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi there. If the engine has too many miles on a timing belt, then a timing belt is suggested for replacement. The misfire for cylinder 3 could be caused by a spark plug failure, fuel injector failure, or a problem with the cylinder.
First, check for the fuel injector. Start the engine and disconnect the harness to the fuel injector for cylinder 3. If the engine sounds different, then the fuel injector was working. If the engine has no difference in sound, then the injector was not working and needs to be checked.
Next, check the spark plug for a solid blue / orange spark. If the spark is weak, the plugs and wires need to be replaced as a set.
To check the cylinder if it is getting hot enough to burn fuel, put a compression tester on cylinder 3 and crank the engine over. There should be more than 130 psi.
If you need further assistance confirming the misfire diagnosis, then a certified technician from YourMechanic, can come to your car’s location for a second opinion on the car.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
Remember, a leaking and corroded water pump should always be replaced. Another tell-tale sign is sound. Worn out pump bearings, or a loose pulley, can cause a whirring noise. Replace the water pump if it is making this noise.
A water pump leak by itself cannot cause a misfire unless you overheated the engine and caused a blown head gasket or the coolant gets on spark plug wire causing misfire.
The coolant is no longer circulating properly through the car. Heating and cooling may be affected by the vehicle. The car may begin to overheat as well. It is possible to drive your vehicle without a water pump, but not good to.
If a water pumping is leaking it cannot efficiently move coolant around the engine. If that happens the engine will get hotter and will eventually overheat. At first the temperature gauge will hit the red, then you`ll start seeing steam from under the hood.
Reusing a metal gasket can result in immediate failure. Save time, money, and headaches by always replacing the water pump and gasket together.
Can you drive a car with a leaky water pump? Yes you can, but there are a few risks. Your car could overheat because the coolant level becomes low. Proper coolant is expensive, so the leak has a certain cost.
An engine misfire is a malfunction, during which one or more of its cylinders are not working. It causes excessive wear and overheating of the engine, and leads to scuffing of the surfaces of pistons and cylinders.
The water pump contains several seals and gaskets that keep coolant enclosed and secure as it flows throughout the engine. As these seals and gaskets age, they will become worn, cracked, and dried out. Once this occurs, the coolant can leak from the water pump.
So when the water pump must be replaced, it is a good idea to go ahead and also replace the timing belt, timing belt tensioner and idler pulleys.
If you want to avoid expensive mechanic bills but don`t have the technical knowledge or experience needed to resolve a leaking water pump in any other way, K-Seal is the option for you – it can fix most leaks in the water pump casing and in the seals.
The expected lifespan of a water pump is 60,000 miles to 90,000 miles, but many can last longer than that. Usually, once your car has reached the coveted 100,000 miles, you can plan on the need for a pump replacement soon. Sometimes, this cooling system part will give you signs that it needs to be replaced.
Natural rubber is great to use with water pumps and pipes for its good shock and vibration resistance qualities. Natural gum rubber is a gasket material that makes great insulation for water pumps and pipes.
Both pumps were supplied with a cellulose / rubber binder gasket. These gaskets do not require the use of any sealants. However if the mating surface is damaged a small skim coat of sealant is allowable with these types of gaskets.
Coolant leaks from the water pump are common and a clear sign that it`s time to replace the pump. The coolant is stored inside the water pump using a series of gaskets and seals. Once these parts wear out, loosen, or crack, you`ll end up with radiator fluid leaking out of the front of your car toward the center.
However, if you need to drive it until pay day, with low mileage and easy driving habit, you could make it a week with a bad water pump. Every car is different, every water pump is different, this isn`t something to count on as an exact.
From the spark plugs to the ignition coils, many different things can cause an engine to misfire. The most common causes of misfires are worn, improperly installed, and mishandled spark plugs, malfunctioning ignition coils, carbon tracking, faulty spark plug wires and vacuum leaks.
Engines that idle in a clunky or rough manner could be suffering from misfiring. In essence, when a misfire occurs and the air to fuel mixture in the cylinder becomes compromised, your engine essentially may jump up and down, causing your car to start and stop suddenly.
K-Seal permanent coolant leak repair is a top selling product with over 2 million bottles sold worldwide already. It permanently seals leaks in the head, head gasket, block, radiator, heater core, water pump casing and freeze plug. Simple to use, just shake the bottle, add the contents to the cooling system and drive.
Water pumps are designed to last at least 100,000 miles, however, if your water pump fails, you should replace it with a high-quality original-equipment level unit. Less expensive replacement pumps are available, but they might only have a service life of 30,000 miles.
The water pump is one of the vehicle components that may never require replacement if your vehicle is well-taken care of. You can own a car for over 15 years and never have to replace the water pump. That`s not to say that it can`t develop a problem.
Steel Seal™ will not seal leaks in hoses, seals, water pumps, or extremely large cracks in the head or block resulting in the vehicle not starting. If it does not run Steel Seal cannot work as it relies on temperature.
Leaking coolant: Drips or puddles of coolant under your car, near to the location of your water pump, could indicate that you have a bad water pump gasket. Top up your coolant if necessary, contact your mechanic for guidance and have the leak fixed promptly.
Room Temperature Vulcanizing (RTV) Silicone Caulk
The final common substitute for frame gaskets is RTV silicone caulk. This product is applied in the place of frame gaskets (usually by hand). RTV caulk is a low-cost option best used for low-volume applications; it is often messy and inconsistent if applied unevenly.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Water pump is leaking, do I need to replace the timing belt, too? The car also has a misfire on cylinder 3.
ANSWER : Hi there. If the engine has too many miles on a timing belt, then a timing belt is suggested for replacement. The misfire for cylinder 3 could be caused by a spark plug failure, fuel injector failure, or a problem with the cylinder.
First, check for the fuel injector. Start the engine and disconnect the harness to the fuel injector for cylinder 3. If the engine sounds different, then the fuel injector was working. If the engine has no difference in sound, then the injector was not working and needs to be checked.
Next, check the spark plug for a solid blue / orange spark. If the spark is weak, the plugs and wires need to be replaced as a set.
To check the cylinder if it is getting hot enough to burn fuel, put a compression tester on cylinder 3 and crank the engine over. There should be more than 130 psi.
If you need further assistance confirming the misfire diagnosis, then a certified technician from YourMechanic, can come to your car’s location for a second opinion on the car.
My water pump is leaking but I replaced timing belt and pump a year ago. Can I just replace the water pump this time?
ANSWER : Hello. You can just replace the water pump in this case. Although, the cost of just the timing belt is fairly negligible in comparison to the total labor of the job. My estimator says the water pump is a 6.5 hour job. Multiply that by whatever the shop rate is and you have the total labor without parts. You end up saving about $100 or less on parts if you only replace the pump.
The deciding factor will be the condition of the timing belt. If it has problems, you won’t be saving yourself any money by reusing it. In addition, there are seals and pulleys that may need to be replaced as well.
Assuming all the related parts were replaced the first time around, there isn’t a reason you can’t reuse them. I would say you should weigh the savings of reusing them against the actual condition of the parts. This is best determined after a complete disassembly. Keep in mind, time estimates will vary a bit depending on many factors. Either way, the labor is the largest cost.
If you would like to have the water pump replaced, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to perform this service at your convenience.
I had my timing belt and water pump replaced 45000 miles ago. Now I am told I need to replace water pump. Is this normal?
ANSWER : Hello there, 45,000 miles is a short lifespan for a water pump on your 2000 Honda Odyssey. There are a few reasons the water pump will need to be replaced, such as a pump bearing failure, water pump seal leak, or rust/contamination damaging the pump. Faults such as rust or particles in the cooling system are formed in the cooling system over time and the parts break down, or regular coolant flushes are not performed. These particles can cause the pump to fail prematurely. It would be a good idea to ask why the water pump needs to be replaced or take note of any symptoms you are experiencing with the car before moving forward with this. If you would like to have an expert give you a second opinion on this, a certified technician from YourMechanic can come to your location to inspect the car and replace the water pump if necessary.
Does the water pump need to be replaced if the water pump belt is showing signs of wear? Or just the belt?
ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. There is no reason to replace the water pump every time the belt is changed, unless the pump itself is damaged or not working properly. The belt may show signs of wear which is fairly common between 80k-100k miles. I would not recommend putting the belt service off as this can cause major damage if the belt were to snap. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your home to inspect your belts to determine when and if they would need to be replaced, while at the same time inspecting your water pump and cooling system to be sure there are no issues with it.
I need my timing belt replaced for my 2011 Chevy Aveo and I was wondering if it’s also necessary to replace the water pump? Someon
ANSWER : The timing belt should be changed at 100,000 miles. If the water pump is driven by the timing belt, the pump absolutely should be changed when you change the timing belt. Indeed, aftermarket timing belt kits include the water pump, along with the timing belt and components, inasmuch as changing the water pump is recommended. All rotating pulleys that the timing belt rides on should be changed as well (included in kits) because the grease in those pulleys dries out. If the water pump is NOT driven by the timing belt (some Aveo’s) there is no need to change the pump at this time as it can be accessed later without disturbing the timing belt. Dealer OEM parts are preferred but if you buy aftermarket parts use only a reputable name brand such as Gates. If you desire that the timing belt, components, and water pump be installed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request timing belt replacement and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
hi- i got an estimate to replace my timing belt and water pump for my 2012 pilot. Do these figures seem right? Timing belt (35.00)
ANSWER : Hi there. That is a fairly good and detailed estimate for this type of service. It also falls within the price estimation to have a mechanic shop complete this service. However, you might want to consider a third option, of having a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete the timing belt replacement and water pump replacement. Simply click the blue links to receive an estimate for both services.
Hello, I have 2007 Toyota Prius 135000, I have had it since 67000, do I need to replace water pump? Serpentine belt? maintenance?
ANSWER : Hello. If your vehicle just needs the serpentine belt then that needs to be replaced. There is no reason to replace the water pump if it is not leaking or making noise. You could have it changed as maintenance, but there really is not reason to do so. As for the other items, with this many miles I would have the vehicle tuned up and also change any fluids that have not been changed. You should have these items replaced by a certified mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, as they can come to you to [replace your belt and do the maintenance on the vehicle] https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/serpentine-drive-belt-replacement
Do I need to replace timing belt again of replacing water pump?
ANSWER : The water pump and timing belt should be replaced as a set if the coolant leaked on the belt. The coolant leaking on it will damage the belt.
