Do I need to replace my water pump?

[PathFound]

I've had my Pathfinder for a few weeks now and I noticed a small puddle under the engine. I had a closer look and based off what I've read on this forum I think the water pump is leaking. I'm far from an expert and largely unfamiliar with Pathfinders, so I was hoping someone could look at the below picture which is directly underneath the front of the engine. I'm assuming this is a coolant leak because the wet stuff looks bright green.

 

Thanks,

 

[Casey.T]

I would agree thats a Coolant Leak.....

 

Could be Water pump, bypass hose or even the lower hose/T-Stat....

 

Depending on your Mechanical Abilities.... Strip down the front, Do the T-Stat, Water pump, Timing Belt, and front Cam Seals.... Parts should be less than $100...

 

Doing these things $Priceless$

Edited September 21, 2006 by Casey.T

[Slick]

sssh seems like an awful lot of oil there too...... but yeah, as above, because yer gunna ahve to pull the t belt anyway to change the H2o pump. and once coolant gets on yer belts..well. over time they become brittle and break.. and that sux.

 

FYI: don't let anyone tell you different..... ONLY run a 170 degree t stat. i use prestone t stats... work good.

Edited September 21, 2006 by Slick

[unccpathfinder]

eems like an awful lot of oil there too

 

i donno that thats oil slick...antifreeze makes a pretty big mess as it falls and evaporates it gets pretty greasy/gooey and turns blackish

[94extreme]

wheather that's the h20 pump is hard to tell from the pic.. like casey said it could be one or all of those things.. best disassemble and see what it really is. gool luck and let us know how it goes.

[Precise1]

Try spraying everything with a degreaser (simple green, etc), hosing it off and letting it dry. Then start the truck, let it warm up and idle for a bit. Turn it off and crawl underneath for a look. I'll bet you'll be able to better isolate the source.

 

B

[unccpathfinder]

in an addition to what precise said when mine was going it wouldnt leak until maybe 10 to 15 mins after it sat i guess the pressure had to build up or something from it not circulating but it didnt leak instantly but that doesnt mean it will/will not in ure case i was just going to throw it out there

[PathFound]

Well I'm glad the leak is not oil. There is some old oil on the engine but it's right under the oil filter so I assume some oil spilled out from the filter area on the last oil change.

 

Thanks for all the replies. If I'm gonna change the waterpump, like CaseyT said, I might as well change the timing belt, thermostat, and front cam seals. This is gonna be a bigger job than I thought. I might need to bring this to a mechanic.

[Precise1]

I suggest you find the leak first, then worry about the rest. How many miles on what year Pathy ? Basic maintanence history ?

 

B

[GrimGreg]

Usually if the water pump is shot it will leak on purpose out a little weep hole on the bottom of it.

[PathFound]

Precise1: my 1991 Pathfinder has 244,500 km. Overall it's in great shape. For pictures, look at this thread: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=10670

 

I don't have the maintenance history so I need to replace the timing belt to make sure it will last a while.

 

Grimgreg: That's interesting info about the waterpump leaking out of a weep hole. I hope that's the only leak problem.

 

If I'm gonna take apart the front of the engine I might as well replace the parts (timing belt, water pump, thermostat, cam seals). I'd feel a lot more comfortable for a mechanic to do the work, but it could cost thousands. I'd rather pay one of the knowledgable people on this forum to help me replace the parts! Anyone live near Squamish, BC, Canada?

 

Thanks for all the help. Much appreciated.

[Casey.T]

There are a couple of us available VIA Phone if needed...

 

How far are you from Spokane WA (99218)

[PathFound]

Thanks for all the replies. CaseyT I'm 737 km from Spokane, WA.

 

About a week ago I added more coolant to the resevoir because it was closer to the 'low' mark. I topped it up to the high mark. I drove the Pathfinder over 700 km this week and have not noticed any dripping fluid on the ground where I park. This is bizzare. The problem obviously did not fix itself! I will have to pull apart the engine to inspect.

[88pathoffroad]

Just to let you know, if the water pump IS leaking from the weephole, it means that the pump is shot and needs to be replaced ASAP before it lets go. If it lets go(catastrophic bearing failure), it can take your fan, belts and radiator out with it, as well as potentially overheating the engine and stranding you on the side of the freeway.

 

Also, coolant leaking onto the timing belt will degrade the belt and cause it to fail eventually. If the timing belt breaks, your engine will break with it.