NorthWest Auto Center
13910 N.E. 20th St., Bellevue, WA 98005 425.747.3402
NorthWest Auto Center Tech Question:
I was driving on the freeway in WA 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 Bellevue. 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?
NorthWest Auto Center 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 Bellevue drivers to know when their water pump will fail – they just wear out. This fellow's water pump replacement was more 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 NorthWest Auto Center in Bellevue: 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 NorthWest Auto Center about when your timing belt should be replaced.
Give us a call
NorthWest Auto Center
13910 N.E. 20th St.
Bellevue, WA 98005
425.747.3402
At NorthWest Auto Center we install quality NAPA replacement parts.