Sound of a Failing Water Pump

[thom4782]

My water pump died today at 105,000 miles.

Last night, I head an intermittent squeak at idle that went away above 1200 rpms. At first, I thought is was AC noise from the expansion valve or evaporator. But alas, it wasn't. I eventually found out this morning that it was coming from the engine area.

I decided to drive it five miles to the independent shop to get a quick diagnosis. If I was smarter,Along the way, I heard a clunk, saw the battery light come on and immediately pulled to car off to the shoulder of the road. As I did so, I also noticed the steering got heavy. I would have avoided the 1 hour weight for a tow on the highway exit ramp and had the car towed from home.

When the car got to the shop, I opened up the front engine access cover and found the water pump pulley had fallen off. Surprisingly, there were no signs of leakage. So Monday or Tuesday, the shop will replace the pump, thermostat, serpentine belt, and coolant. I'm guessing $750 to $1000