Martin's Auto Center
4303 Ilbery Road, Mount Vernon, IL 62864 618.242.2200
Martin's Auto Center Tech Question:
I was driving on the freeway in Illinois 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 Mount Vernon. 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?
Martin's 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 Mount Vernon 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 Martin's Auto Center in Mount Vernon: 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 Martin's Auto Center about when your timing belt should be replaced.
Give us a call
Martin's Auto Center
4303 Ilbery Road
Mount Vernon, Illinois 62864
618.242.2200
At Martin's Auto Center we install quality NAPA replacement parts.