Water Pump Ceased in Death Valley. Serpentine Belt on Fire. (1 Viewer)

[MH_Stevens]

Very lucky to get rescued. I drove 7 miles after water pump ceased with no alternator and then was lucky enough to free-wheel downhill 12 miles to get to phone service.

Anyway got towed to a bucket shop (Top Notch Repair) with bad reviews in Pahrump, NV. How much should this cost? And how do you avoid theses guys putting in cheap components? Should I insist on OEM and risk the cost? No dealership nearby.

A reply today would be most beneficial as by opening time in the morning I will be committed.

 

[RoaringFork]

Get the car operational and enjoy the rest of your trip. Worry about OEM parts when you get home... sure wait for OEM if you can afford the time, but who has an open schedule in Death Valley???

...seized

 

[3_puppies]

it can't be the water pump. on a 2UZ.
the water pump is run by the timing belt, without a belt it wouldn't even run.

so it is an accessory pulley, tensionor, or the a/c comp or the alternator. easiest way to check would be to open the hood and spin all the pulleys that the belt would be on and you'll discover what is bad

to get going Napa parts would be fine, OEM better but not critical.

 

[hickuptruck]

If your water pump seized, you got some timing issues to take care of..

 

[95Fantasma80]

were you in top of maintance?

 

[suprarx7nut]

I'm guessing the serpentine belt failed after the fan pulley bearing failed and seized. That would have you without alternator, but with a good water pump, still.

Get it fixed however they can and plan on a thorough once over when you get home.

If it's just a price difference in parts, go OEM all the way. Especially for bearing components, I would not risk aftermarket stuff. Just not worth the risk in labor to save what amounts to a fraction of the labor cost of the job.

 

[MH_Stevens]

Getting conflicting views as to if water pump and fan clutch seised. The shade tree mechanic now wants $1700 for water pump and I'm considering a tow to second opinion. Car even without serpentine drives fine till battery dies. So does this mean water pump is NOT seised. MUST KNOW as 300 miles from home and dealing with sharks!

 

[94SRUNNER]

IMO get a second opinion. Doesnt sound like a water pump issue at all. I agree with @suprarx7nut as to the diagnosis.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Getting conflicting views as to if water pump and fan clutch seised. The shade tree mechanic now wants $1700 for water pump and I'm considering a tow to second opinion. Car even without serpentine drives fine till battery dies. So does this mean water pump is NOT seised. MUST KNOW as 300 miles from home and dealing with sharks!

Water pump and fan clutch are completely separate in the 2UZ. Some engines use the fan pulley to drive the water pump. That's what I imagine the mechanic is picturing. I think he's just misunderstanding how the engine is designed.

Based on the info here, this is the part I think you need. Amazon.com: Aisin FBT-002 Fan Pulley Bracket: Automotive

Again though, that's assuming you guys know the fan is seized. That bracket part has the bearing in it.

Maybe show him this picture:

There you can see the water pump installed and being driven by the timing belt. The fan bracket mounts over top of the components you see here and is driven by the serpentine. Kinda of hard to see, but it's shown here:

 

[Trunk Monkey]

With the belt off you should be able to turn everything by hand and see if anything is seized or not.

 

[ntk]

Would definitely recommend a second opinion or to ask them to look at it again. I had a fan pulley seize last year and had similar symptoms - plus a decently loud ker-chunk sound leading up to the pulley seizing before the serpentine belt snapped.

More info here if it sounds similar to your situation:

Crank Pulley/Harmonic Balancer Issue - How bad is it?

Hey all, So here's the back story: I daily drive a 99' 100 series in Colorado. I was driving up to Denver (70ish miles) for an interview last Friday, when I noticed a noise from the engine bay that was a bit concerning after I pulled off the interstate. It sounded like a rubbing with an...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[FxFormat]

If your water pump seized your timing belt will break soon after that. What your dummy mechanics meant to say is the fan clutch seized, either that or the bearing in the bracket that holds the fan clutch. Will make a horrible noise and/or not spin at all causing your serpentine belt (the outside one that you can see) to break also. The labor for that fan clutch is pretty extensive so don't expect a cheap fix.

 

[OEMGUY0720]

Try giving Jerry (mechanic) a call 702-955-6823 he’s a good guy and is very familiar with the 2UZ here in Vegas area.

 

[3_puppies]

Getting conflicting views as to if water pump and fan clutch seised. The shade tree mechanic now wants $1700 for water pump and I'm considering a tow to second opinion. Car even without serpentine drives fine till battery dies. So does this mean water pump is NOT seised. MUST KNOW as 300 miles from home and dealing with sharks!

IT IS NOT THE WATERPUMP!
unless you can fix it yourself with the above suggestions,
go somewhere else, have it towed or whatever to get the rig somewhere that knows these engines.

 

[Beanzermin]

Pahrump is only a 45 minute drive to Vegas! Multiple dealerships that would fix correctly with OEM parts. Might even be worth renting a Uhaul to get it here!

 

[jLB]

Getting conflicting views as to if water pump and fan clutch seised. The shade tree mechanic now wants $1700 for water pump and I'm considering a tow to second opinion. Car even without serpentine drives fine till battery dies. So does this mean water pump is NOT seised. MUST KNOW as 300 miles from home and dealing with sharks!

In my opinion, either the shade tree mechanic is a snake that is trying to take advantage of you, or he is not familiar with the 2UZ, has misdiagnosed the issue, and I wouldn't want him working on my vehicle. I'd run (find someone else).

 

[3_puppies]

any update?

 

[Dockofthebay]

any update?

Shade tree mechanic kidnapped young couple. Said they had a $2500. outstanding bill for blinker fluid, and battery installation. Last seen heading toward Utah. Kramer and Newman are in hot pursuit.

 

[Whiskerz]

Tow the car elsewhere.

 

[erse]

Shade tree mechanic kidnapped young couple. Said they had a $2500. outstanding bill for blinker fluid, and battery installation. Last seen heading toward Utah. Kramer and Newman are in hot pursuit.

Anyone who has been to pahrump can attest this may be uncomfortably close to the truth