(T) Major Coolant Leak!!!

We thought we had a radiator leak as there was a few marks under the car whenever we came to it each morning, took it to Mangoletsi for the fuel tank recall (its a 99 T reg Seicento Sporting) and asked them to take a look. They mentioned it was a clip that needed replacing near the rocker switch and they would charge £55 plus vat to sort it. Decided to wait a little bit till we got paid and take it somewhere else but noticed a major leak last night and put a cup under to catch the drips and it was overflowing this morning with pink cooler fluid and the cooler tank is way under minimum!!!
Put the car on axles, removed the protective cover to the left of the underside and know the area its coming from but cant see any pipes it might be leaking from....dont even know where the rocker switch is if it is the same problem that is.....did notice the sort of metal cannister type thingy and the leak is dripping off it to the right (as your looking under the car) but reluctant to start taking covers off things in case we remove the wrong part. Have followed the cooler pipes from the tank but still cant see where its leaking.

Anyone got any ideas.....Hubby is at the end of his tether and wants to just sell it but we've spent loads on it already so feel unsure at the moment.

Is the leak coming from the driver's side toward the front end?
The metal cannister you mention is probably the oil filter, if the leak is coming down onto this it's probably the water pump that's gone.
Other than that, there's the pipe into the base of the radiator water bottle, this could be the clip they're on about.

Anyone have any ideas how much it would be to replace a water pump?

5 hours labour (costs per hour vary) Id say.

I waas charged that for the oil pump and thats a similar job in terms of complexity!!

Think 5 hours is a bit on the high side for a water pump. Should be about half that at most.

Cheers

D

Oh well....I forgot that the sump didnt have to come off for the water pump for a long moment there!

Its in behind the cam belt.

Cheers

D

The metal cannister you mention is probably the oil filter, if the leak is coming down onto this it's probably the water pump that's gone....as mentioned by fixit earlier!
The leak drips off the drivers side of the cannister at a steady rate...well it did until the cooler tank emptied completely.
Just worried now at the cost involved cos were not that mechanically minded although we do have one of those cheapy haynes type manual things which is total crap!!!
Any help would be appreciated as to the most economical way to sort it out!

You are somewhere between the rock and the hard place.

If you don't get it rectified you risk overheating the car and then needing major mechanical work to repair that, or spend a bit now and get it fixed.

Either way its the haynes or the garage.

Sorry to be so glum

cheers

D

It's probably going to be an hour to two labour, plus parts. Cam belt has to come off, so may as well have a new one while you're there to save later expense (due every 36K miles). Water pump shouldn't be more than about £15-£20, belt £8 ish, antifreeze a couple of quid. Say £35 plus labour at a guess.

If you lived a little closer I'd offer to take a look for you.