Oh crap :( Water pump leaking, temp and amp gauges dead

[DMC5180]

The volt gauge problem is likely Bad connection on the back of the instrument cluster. The binnacle(pod) has to come out in order to clean and tighten connections. Both LH gauges share a common ground. If it was a feed issue it would likely only effect one gauge.


Dennis

[Lwanmtr]

Were the belts bad? why did they replace them?

[DMC5180]

If you loose the LH gauges also check the LH signal indicator and headlight high beam indicator. They all share the same ground trace. If those are also not working it points you to a Ground Issue.


Dennis

[DaraSue]

Were the belts bad? why did they replace them?

They thought they'd gotten damaged by all the antifreeze dripping on them (this time and during my misadventures in Wyoming). I figured it wouldn't hurt to swap them with the DMC ones anyway, since I wasn't sure what kind the seller had put in and I've heard some horror stories about aftermarket ones.

If you loose the LH gauges also check the LH signal indicator and headlight high beam indicator. They all share the same ground trace. If those are also not working it points you to a Ground Issue.

Hmm, I'll have to look into that. I didn't have occasion to use the high beams since this started happening and I can't remember if I used the left turn signal but it's hard to see the indicators from where I sit in relation to the steering wheel so if I used it and it didn't come on, I might not have noticed.

The ending to this story: I thought it was good to go after doing all that work, but then when I stopped at the rest stop halfway home, it was spraying antifreeze everywhere. It wasn't just dripping, there was a stream of it coming from the right side of the thermostat housing and more coming from the other side by the hose and some leaking from the seam around the middle of it. At that point I had AAA tow it back to SLC. At least I still haven't used my 200-mile tow yet...

It still had at least 1/3 of the overflow bottle left so I don't think I lost a ton of coolant but it was definitely worse than last time. The weird thing is, I didn't see a trail of it where I'd pulled into the rest stop, so it was almost like it only started leaking when I stopped.

Trying to keep a positive attitude and tell myself that at least it didn't happen in the middle of nowhere on the way to Vegas...

[DMCMW Dave]

What did the thermostat gasket installed on the road a couple of weeks ago look like? It should be a c-shaped ring that grabs the outside edge of the thermostat. If it's a simple o-ring it would probably leak. Not sure what's in a NAPA thermostat box.

[DaraSue]

What did the thermostat gasket installed on the road a couple of weeks ago look like? It should be a c-shaped ring that grabs the outside edge of the thermostat. If it's a simple o-ring it would probably leak. Not sure what's in a NAPA thermostat box.

Not sure. I'll have them save it when they change it out so that others can learn from my mistakes...

[Lwanmtr]

Sounding like your car has developed over active bladder....hehe. But seriously, glad you've been able to catch it before you ended up overheating and damaging the engine.

All part of the shakedown period...looking forward to mine (sorta)...hehe.

[DaraSue]

Sounding like your car has developed over active bladder....hehe. But seriously, glad you've been able to catch it before you ended up overheating and damaging the engine.

All part of the shakedown period...looking forward to mine (sorta)...hehe.

Yeah, Mike said it was possible that it had only leaked on shutdown because that's when you have high temps + no airflow or coolant flow. In retrospect I'd been thinking it felt hot around the back after I'd get home from work (about 12 miles) for a while, but since I never saw any visible leaks I didn't pay enough attention to it and thought maybe I was imagining things. Live and learn...

[Lwanmtr]

Well the car will be a lil warm in the back, cause thats where the engine is (had to...hehe)

Coulda been a developing issue until it finally just gave out, which is why you didnt see it at first.

[DaraSue]

Well the car will be a lil warm in the back, cause thats where the engine is (had to...hehe)

Coulda been a developing issue until it finally just gave out, which is why you didnt see it at first.

Nobody likes a smartass, son.

But yeah, kicking myself 5ever for not getting the thermostat swapped when I'd originally planned to. Arrgh.

They haven't started on it yet at the shop but when I went over yesterday to drop off the thermostat (which I'd spaced and forgotten to bring on my trip, which probably could have solved half my problems) I checked the turn signal and brights and neither turn signal worked, but the bright indicator came on. Something else that may be related, after I got it off the flatbed, my fuel gauge was reading close to empty and the gas light was on. Can't remember what the oil pressure was doing but that one had previously been working AFAIK. I thought maybe the float had gotten stuck since it was at a pretty steep angle going on and off the truck and I didn't smell gas or anything to indicate that it had leaked. Anybody have any ideas?