Driving with a leaking water pump?
Discussion
Our 1.6 FSI Audi A2 seems to have sprung a leak at the water pump despite having covered just 49k miles. They have aplastic impellor which is a know weak point on this engine.
The car came with AA cover and a warranty so will be going back to the supplying dealer to have it fixed.
However, the AA cant take it to the dealer until the morning when I'll be at work. Therefore it would be easier to have the car there with me for them to collect. Its a 3 mile drive that takes about 15 minutes.
If I brim the header tank before I leave, whats the worst that could happen? Is it likely to jam and result in cambelt / engine death ?
The car came with AA cover and a warranty so will be going back to the supplying dealer to have it fixed.
However, the AA cant take it to the dealer until the morning when I'll be at work. Therefore it would be easier to have the car there with me for them to collect. Its a 3 mile drive that takes about 15 minutes.
If I brim the header tank before I leave, whats the worst that could happen? Is it likely to jam and result in cambelt / engine death ?
If it does, I doubt the warranty will cover it if they've offered to pick it up. 3 miles in 15 minutes is 12mph, I guess it's a lot of traffic? I think you'd be at high risk of damaging the engine. If it was all open roads and it was an all iron engine I might have risked it.
A taxi to work will be much cheaper than a new engine.
A taxi to work will be much cheaper than a new engine.
I wouldn't risk it. Topping up the water will make no difference to engine cooling efficiency if the water pump is cooked. I had similar happen to my mx5 earlier this year. The car would overheat after about half a mile due to no circulation of water. Eventually got it to a garage a mile away after two journeys!
Hth
Mike
Hth
Mike
Edited by mike9009 on Wednesday 19th January 21:40
BliarOut said:
jayfish said:
15 min drive, no worries unless it's niagra falls under there.
Do you run a cylinder head refacing company? 
If it's pouring out he's taking a risk. If it's dripping out he'll have no problems.
Edited by Larry Dickman on Wednesday 19th January 21:54
Suppose it depends on what's wrong with the pump.
If the impeller is no longer functioning, then you really don't want to drive it.
I had a Golf+ courtesy car a couple of years back - the fan belt fell off, meaning the waterpump was no longer being driven. It overheated in just a couple of miles.
Worst thing about VAGs is that they have an ECU controlled temperature gauge, which shows dead centre over a range of tens of degrees - you only know the engine is cooking when it's too late.
If the impeller is no longer functioning, then you really don't want to drive it.
I had a Golf+ courtesy car a couple of years back - the fan belt fell off, meaning the waterpump was no longer being driven. It overheated in just a couple of miles.
Worst thing about VAGs is that they have an ECU controlled temperature gauge, which shows dead centre over a range of tens of degrees - you only know the engine is cooking when it's too late.
Larry Dickman said:
BliarOut said:
jayfish said:
15 min drive, no worries unless it's niagra falls under there.
Do you run a cylinder head refacing company? If it's pouring out he's taking a risk. If it's dripping out he'll have no problems.
Edited by Larry Dickman on Wednesday 19th January 21:54
If the question was "Will I get away with it?" then he might have a point
BliarOut said:
Larry Dickman said:
BliarOut said:
jayfish said:
15 min drive, no worries unless it's niagra falls under there.
Do you run a cylinder head refacing company? If it's pouring out he's taking a risk. If it's dripping out he'll have no problems.
Edited by Larry Dickman on Wednesday 19th January 21:54
If the question was "Will I get away with it?" then he might have a point
Right then........ Phoned the AA who said their man would be with me in an hour. Two hours later another recovery truck turned up who had been contracted to do the job on their behalf.
He looked around using the light from his mobile phone screen as a torch before pronouncing that the pump was fine. I pointed out the flood of water and explained the 1 ltr per 3 mile coolant consumption and he said it must be the seal.
He did remove the header tank lid whilst the engine was running and sure enough, there was some flow into the top of the tank.
His solution was to send me to Halfords in the morning to buy some Radweld!!
I wont be doing that and will be contacting the supplying dealer tomorrow to get them to collect the car.
He looked around using the light from his mobile phone screen as a torch before pronouncing that the pump was fine. I pointed out the flood of water and explained the 1 ltr per 3 mile coolant consumption and he said it must be the seal.
He did remove the header tank lid whilst the engine was running and sure enough, there was some flow into the top of the tank.
His solution was to send me to Halfords in the morning to buy some Radweld!!
I wont be doing that and will be contacting the supplying dealer tomorrow to get them to collect the car.
Leave the radiator/coolant reservoir cap attached but backed off so the cooling system can't presurize and that will slow down the leaking. It's a little trick I have used when I've had to get across town with a pin hole in a rad hose, etc. But as some one has said, if it looks like Niagra Falls I wouldn't risk it.
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