Hey guys - I'm a newb to the forum, so any help is much appreciated in advance. I just picked up a 97 Jetta Jazz with a buttload of miles. It's leaking coolant, and it seems like it might be the water pump. about4 years ago I replaced the water pump on my old A2 Jetta and it was a !*&#$, I mean like it took us 6 hours (of course, we didn't know what we were doing, so that made it take longer) Have any of you done it recently - is it any easier on the A3 Jettas? Of course, I need to see when the previous owner replaced the timing belt, I might need that done and then I can have them do the pump at the same time.

I also heard that VW has used plastic impellers on their water pumps in the past, any advice on pickingout a replacement? I'd like to avoid a plastic one if possible.

 

With alot of miles it makes me wonder if it the water pump is the reason. HOw sure are you about the water pump?? where is the coolant leaking from......i;m hoping it's not coming from the heads, if thats the case i would be worried...............

more information would help

cheers [sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

Well, I'm not all that sure....it only leaks when the car is running, and the coolant drips from the front passenger side. When I turn off the engine, what looks like the water pump housing (I'm assuming that's what it is, because that's where it was on my A2 JEtta) drips coolant, and that's what my old one was doing right before the pump went out. I'll try to check it out in the morning and see if I can figure out exactly where it's coming from (hard to tell without jacking up that corner of the car) so that I can give you some better info.

When the coolant light came on flashing red, I freaked out and thought it was the oil light, because the oil light on my old Jetta would flash red. Then I looked at it and realized it was the coolant light and felt a little better.

 

The main reason i say this is my friend came to me with his camaro and said i need to change my water pump because it's leaking fluid so i said sure i'll help him do it

I asked him to start it up and checked out the waterpump and the coolant came from his heads and dripped down passed the water pump. so it was actually his heads and the heads warpped the block so he needed a whole new engine.

If i were you i would double check and if it is the water pump i would replace the thermastat and serpentine at the same time.

This way you are sure that everything is good.

Also if you wanted to double check fill the overflow with water and have a friend rev the car and look for the main leaking point.

good luck and hope to help

any other queswtions about this i hope to solve the problem

[sm=icon_guiness.gif]

 

Just start on it on a early friday night and dont have nothing planned for the weekend........lol and Hope you got a nice set of tools....LMAO

 

OK, for one, Denn, how do heads warp a block, especially a cast iron block? And 2, Shaugy, look from the top of the motor down, instead of looking up. Look for fluid at the highest point, should be able to locate it easily. any other help let me know?

 

I couldn't see anything leaking from the top (the AC compressor is right above it so I can't see the pump from above). The only place it seems to be leaking is directly from the pump. Check out the picture and see what you guys think.

The timing belt was done at around 125k miles, but it's up to 183k now. I heard you're supposed to change the timing beltevery 60,000 miles anyways, so Icould alwayshave it done and throw the pump/thermostat in with it.


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Heh....well, perhaps I'll wait for a long weekend, since I don't have a nice set of tools. =) Or I'll at least wait until the repair manual shows up.

I just hope it's not like my old one where you had to use flippin' allen wneches to take everything off.

 

Oh yea, time for new water pump. You'd be able to tell by looking from the top if your head was leaking, that's why I wanted you to start there. Sounds good, keep us posted.