(T) water pump leaking?

Yet another thing i spotted when i had the car up in the air today...

There was water collecting, and slowly dripping from the big pulley on the bottom of the engine. It looked to be leaking out from the bottom of the timing belt cover. It wasnt leaking rapidly, and it was doing it with the engine off. The car has been loosing water for a while, i put it down to an air lock tho because it stopped doing it - but that was when i was using it a lot.

When would a knackered water pump leak? Engine off like this - or do you think its something else?

Another thing, i dont think this warrents a new thread tho. When the car was jacked up, with the OS wheel removed - i fired her up. I'm 99.9% sure i knocked the car into neutral first, but the OS hub was rotating slowly with the engine running.. the NS wheel was still on the ground and so not spinning.

It makes no sense does it? I must've had it in first and just not realised (didnt climb into the car and start it from there as i dont like putting extra weight into cars on stands!)

Hi,
When the pump seals go they normally leak at first only when theres pressure in the system, will normally stop leaking when engine is cold.
The wheel turning when off the floor is ok, its just friction in the gearbox created by the oil, all front wheel drive cars seem to do this....

Thanks
Paul T

If water has been used instead of coolant, the frost plug may have rusted through - I have had this happen to a Cinq I bought last year and had to braze a patch into the frost plug. You should be able to see a metal disc/grommet on the side of the engine above the main pulley and check here for leaking with the arch liner off. Fiat/Halfords should have frost plugs for cheap if this is the problem.

I shall check that next time i have the car jacked up. My HG has gone before due to lack of proper coolant (not by me!)

ta

could it be like i had arc?? - mine used to leak when engine off

erk, i might have a faulty cock

if it is, i have patched up my old cock, there was only a pin hole in it

have you been driving round with heaters on full blast, i hope you dont have a broken cock cause its a bugger to replace

i drive around with the temperature set to hot, and the fans on one.

where abouts is the cock located, and what does it do?

does the cinq have a cock

its located behind the battery and the furry backing, so needs to be stripped to get at it

i think it selects the hot water from the cold water, well im guessing thats what it does as its a heater control valve

could drive round with heaters off and on cold, maybe see what happens

il see what it does.

ive not noticed it dripping anywhere till now, round the pulley area. but it had been loosing a bit of coolant. I was blaming the rad, because its not in great condition but it does seem to have drips forming round the pulley.

I always thought the way it selects hot and cold is that it has two pipes - one from the fans, and then one from the fan via the heater matrix - and the selector moved a bit of plastic to open/close each pipe. if that makes sense, so it switches air - not water.

Makes more sense for it to switch water tho. Il check the parts cd for cinq cocks.

im assuming it selects the water as it was leaking water , i am most probablt totally wrong though

where is the pulley area, it leaked on the steering arm thing on mine

its the bottom of the engine, timing end. Where the TDC sensor is, and the alternator belt sits.