Possible Water Pump Failure (Advice for Driving short term)

[GlanzaV]

Hi,

Our 2002 Leon CupraR (35000mi) has just hit 120deg on the way home from the shops (as I overtook a car) I let off and cruised into our village which was 1/2mi or so away and as I pulled into the house the water temp had returned to 90deg.

I'm pretty sure it needs the waterpump changed (and will get the timing belt done at the same time) but as we're down at our parents we need to get back up to Glasgow (35mi approx) so will be be able to drive back up? taking it easy? and get the waterpump/belt changed on monday?

I was reading a couple of old posts and the SEAT dealership on Alexandra Parade was mentioned as being a bit dodgy (this is our local one in Glasgow, never had any probs with work done before, but this was specifically timing belt/water pump related and bad servoce)

 

[HallycupraR]

HIya mate

When it happened to me i was about 10 miles from home took me around 4hrs to get home stopping every 300-400 yards at temp started to go up, she is working fine now but 35 miles might take u a long time an wonld not like to say if u drove it what damage u would do, prob not the answer u were after

 

[lukecupra2001]

You with AA or anything?if so get them to recover it if its part of your plan with them, they can take it direct to garage of your choice i think.

dont risk it driving home you mite do more damage.

Luke

 

[Slimy]

It took five miles for me to damage my dads car when it broke it's water pump. I don't know what needed to be done as I wasn't too much into cars at the time, but it was off the road for a while.

However, that was a Rover Metro, so probably not the best example!!

Have you got AA/RAC cover? I'd be tempted to get it recovered to home.

 

[traumapat]

I drove futher with a dodgy pump but it depends how damaged yours is, and if it gets worse.

 

[LEE69]

Just depends how damaged the pump is.
I drove about 7 miles home taking it easy, and having to stop when it rose.

I wouldn't risk 35 miles.

 

[GlanzaV]

I've got Green Flag through my Royalties Gold account - But suppose we could get it done at the local garage in Mauchline, he's pretty good, just not SEAT/VAG specialist.

I would imagine so long as the temp never went above 90deg it would be fine? coming back in to Mauchline earlier it was going down so long as I wasn't going onto boost? But then it was only 1/2mi if that and was pretty much cruising in neutral until I had to come up a hill, so can't really tell what it would be like for 35mi to be fair!

Play it safe I think!

 

[Trublu07]

When mine went I have about a 20 mile trip to home. At first the temp only went up when doing about 60. By the time I got to my home town I couldn't do 30 without it creeping up. I wouldn't risk it again.

 

[Slimy]

I've got Green Flag through my Royalties Gold account - But suppose we could get it done at the local garage in Mauchline, he's pretty good, just not SEAT/VAG specialist.

I would imagine so long as the temp never went above 90deg it would be fine? coming back in to Mauchline earlier it was going down so long as I wasn't going onto boost? But then it was only 1/2mi if that and was pretty much cruising in neutral until I had to come up a hill, so can't really tell what it would be like for 35mi to be fair!

Play it safe I think!

The problem is that the water temperature is only telling you the temperature of one particular spot on the engine. If the water isn't flowing, you won't get that same temperature all through the engine. So you could be bimbling along with 90 on your temperature gauge, while the other side of the engine is reaching double that.

If you could get the oil temperature then that would be a safer check (I'd hope the oil pump is still going!). But don't rely on the water temperature.

 

[ThackersLCR]

Windows down, heaters on full whack. But as said, dont risk it. An overheated engine is a damaged engine. And at 35k, you dont really need it.

 

[m0rk]

Windows down, heaters on full whack. But as said, dont risk it. An overheated engine is a damaged engine. And at 35k, you dont really need it.

What you're advising is what I've done with a dead thermostat... this is different

a knackered waterpump won't flow the superhot water to the heater matrix.

The only thing you should do is either drive gently to the local garage, or get it uplifted by the garage repairing.

At the end of the day changing a cambelt & waterpump is monkey work, and doesn't require a specialist, so your local back street will be fine, just buy the bits & give it to them.

 

[ThackersLCR]

Sorry mate, yeh, of course! Got me wires crossed!

 

[GlanzaV]

Playing it safe and going to the local garage on monday, it should be fine to drive to it (again it's <1/2mi from the house) - I'll just need to get public transport back home tonight! Sucks!

Thank god for the trusty diseasal Ibiza for work on monday!

 

[LEE69]

Yeah that short journey will be fine.

 

[Slimy]

Yep, the engine won't have got warm by then, so the water wouldn't be doing anything anyway!

 

[GlanzaV]

Ok some more advice needed:

I left my GF to take the car to the garage this morning. When she started it uo (first time it's been started since I got home on Saturday) the red light came on and it beeped again as soon as she turned it on, I had checked the fluid levels on the sunday morning and they were all fine so beeping probably isn't low fluid level?

She drove it up to the garage and explained this and he says it sounds perhaps more electrical than mechanical now? What do you guys think? He also seemed to think it's an engine out job to change the pump? Surely not?


P.S. She says he's going to leave it running and watch what the temp does to try and diagnose it? I suppose that sounds plausible but when I had phoned this morning and explained what I thought I asked him if he could remove the thermostat and inspect the pump, would that be a better plan than leaving it to potentially overheat?

 

[LEE69]

Beeping could be the prongs in the header tank needing a clean, hopefully a coincidence.

As for engine out, oh dear can you try another garage?

 

[LEE69]

The water won't circulate so try looking at the return hose for the header tank, god some garages shouldn't be in business

 

[GlanzaV]

He's a fairly respected guy locally - but I've never had to send much business his way before. Usually did my own services on my last cars, but want to maintain history etc on this one and timing belts is something I'll leave to the "professionals"

Only other option is driving it 10mi to Kilmarnock and have SEAT do it?


Also - I think it would be a huge coincidence if the prongs just needed cleaned after it hitting 120deg? It's also never had the "3 beeps" before (had it often in my Ibiza Cupra and eneded up replacing the header tank)

 

[LEE69]

Get it recovered to Seat or just tell this garage what you want doing