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[Bigron]

I've had an unidentifiable coolant leak for the past two weeks which refused to show itself despite my putting a UV tracer dye into the coolant.
It only seems to lose coolant whilst/after being driven, but not on my driveway, but this morning, after driving a couple of miles to a friend's house, I saw it! There was a dribble running down from behind a pulley driven by the aux belt, so I assume it is due to the water pump - there ain't much else near there, is there?
What is OOF wisdom regarding water pumps? I seem to recall hearing on here that VX pumps are no longer recommended.
Is it wise to change the aux belt, changed by James 4 years ago (when he did my cambelt and thermostat too), but with only less than 15k miles on the aux belt?
As this morning it nearly emptied the expansion tank after a 5 mile journey, I cannot take it to Serek; can any other mobile OOFer help, please?

Ron.

[TheBoy]

Worth checking for leaks in the valley as well, before condemning water pump

[Bigron]

Not sure what you mean, TB, and where would it be leaking from, please?

Ron.

[Doctor Gollum]

Not sure what you mean, TB, and where would it be leaking from, please?

Ron.

Thermostat housing sits in the centre of the block directly above the water pump... Oil cooler plate and coolant bridge both in the same place, although these two tend to manifest at the back of the block

[Bigron]

I do not have a trace of oil in the coolant, nor any contamination on the dipstick - I hope that means I don't have oil cooler issues?

Ron.

[Doctor Gollum]

I do not have a trace of oil in the coolant, nor any contamination on the dipstick - I hope that means I don't have oil cooler issues?

Ron.

Reread my post. No one has said anything about the oil cooler failing...

[Bigron]

I read it carefully, but I must have taken too many "stupid pills" today, because I don't really understand where you are suggesting the leak would be coming from, sorry - imagine that you are talking to a blonde bimbo and use simple words! (Lizzie NOT to read this).

Ron.

[Doctor Gollum]

OK, small words...

The oil cooler plate  overs the oil cooler. They are not the same thing.

Cover plate corrodes from the inside out if coolant changes not done appropriately, go porous and eventually leak.

[STEMO]

I read it carefully, but I must have taken too many "stupid pills" today, because I don't really understand where you are suggesting the leak would be coming from, sorry - imagine that you are talking to a blonde bimbo and use simple words! (Lizzie NOT to read this).

Ron.

Get 'em off!

[Bigron]

Thanks, DG. Would a leaking cooler plate evidence itself by showing dribbles at the front of the engine? There does not appear to be any wetness in any other area, front, back or sides.
Also, you confused me by saying that the thermostat housing was directly above the water pump; I thought that housing was more-or less above the oil filter?

Ron.

[JamesV6CDX]

The stat lives in the valley above the front cambelt idlers backplate , depending on the slope the car is parked on this leak could be thermostat, transfer pipe, oil cooler plate or bridge banjos etc

Going back a while but didn’t I do the stat on this car with new pipe and seals?

If so it’s unlikely to be that

How old is the water pump?

[Bigron]

Yes James, four years ago and at the same time as you did my cambelt/aux belt. I think we (you!) concluded that the water pump was the original and likely to be better than VX replacement, so you greased the bearing and was happy with it. So, it is likely to be 17 years and 170k miles old now.
If you can recall my driveway, it slopes upwards and I park nose-up.
No loss of cooland when the engine is not running and it has been idle for most of the past two weeks - does that help diagnosis?

Ron.

[JamesV6CDX]

If you're parking upwards, and it's still running from around the water pump pulley, I'd suggest the pump is probably goosed

At that mileage, it hasn't done bad - certainly lasted another cambelt interval!

[JamesV6CDX]

Do you have cambelt kit etc, in stock? I recall you saying this was due?

Might as well use this a starting point regardless, seeing as the front covers all have to come off to do the pump / cambelt anyway

[Kevin Wood]

I have had a leaky water pump before and I can confirm that the water tends to appear on a little channel in the top of the sump cover, just to the right of the crank pulley.

If it's coming from the front of the engine when parked facing uphill, the cam belt cover is going to have to come off to find the leak anyway.