Spectrum Car Care Tech Question:
I was driving on the freeway in AZ and my vehicle engine started to get hot. I turned off my air conditioner and was able to drive the short distance to my meeting and then found a shop in Gilbert. It turns out that my water pump was leaking. It cost me many hundreds of dollars to get it fixed. What could I have done to avoid this?
Spectrum Car Care Answer:
This guy's story really did have a happy ending. When you continue driving when your engine's overheating you risk a catastrophic engine failure. It really is a good idea to pull over and let your vehicle engine cool down before driving again. If you add water or coolant, be sure your engine is cool or you risk serious burns.
Now there's no way for Gilbert drivers to predict when their water pump will fail – they just wear out. This fellow's water pump replacement was more expensive because his water pump is driven by his timing belt. That requires a lot of hours to get to the water pump and then put everything back on the engine.
A money saving tip from Spectrum Car Care in Gilbert: if your water pump is driven by your timing belt – replace the pump when you have your scheduled timing belt replacement. That way most of the work is already done and you don't have to pay for it twice.
Check with your friendly and knowledgeable professionals at Spectrum Car Care about when your timing belt should be replaced.