Coolant leaking, heavy steering, smoke all over the place

[hyde]

Coolant leaking, heavy steering, steam all over the place

It looks like there is coolant everywhere in the engine area, causing it smoke, as it is spraying somewhere, I even have some coolant on top of airbox.
It is leaking a good amount of it, and the steering is heavy for some reason.

Dealer said "could be the water pump" on the phone. I am thinking of taking it to the local shop instead. Would that be covered under warranty? Or what else could we be looking at?

 

[hyde]

can be locked.
http://jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35135

 

[JeepJeepster]

Never really heard of a water pump leaking THAT bad but I guess its possible. Water pumps ARE covered under the 7yr/70k warranty. I would look more towards a bad hose or something else that I dont want to say since it will upset you. radiator

Smoke is probably just steam from the coolant hitting the exhaust and the heavy steering is probably from the belt slipping on the power steering pump since its wet with coolant.

I wouldnt stress too much over it. Probably something fairly simple but that doesnt mean it wont be $$.

Going to clean the engine now?

 

[2003KJ]

Water pumps can and do go bad. About the only other thing I can think of to cause it to spray coolant possibly is the radiator, but my money's on the water pump.

As for the link you posted, I'm not buying that it was because the serpentine belt was too loose. If that's the case, you would have more problems than a water pump, considering the KJ has an automatic tensioner for the serpentine belt.

Probably just a bad water pump, that's all.

 

[MoladoGuy]

Same happened to me. Water pump went bye bye and barely made it to the driveway of my father-in-law home. We went to Murrays, got a new one, replaced it, and then I was on my way. Took about 2hrs. Don't drive it for too long cause as I got into the driveway the entire waterpump assembly was bending forward. A bearing inside of it blew up to.

http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33679&highlight=water+pump

 

[jnaut]

It'll be covered by your 3/36 warranty for sure, but probably not your 7/70 drivetrain warranty.

 

[hyde]

I got it towed and I am not waiting for the dealer to call me back with the cost. It was leaking like the amount you would get from a coffee pot when it's ready, steady stream splattering because it was hitting suspension and other stuff on its way down. I could visibly notice the level on coolant reservoir going down.

 

[Marlon_JB2]

Oh yeah that water pump is covered by the 7/70.

 

[hyde]

Thanks guys. Dealer called back and it is the water pump, will be under warranty with $100 deductible... Which reminds me to plan to replace the jeep before it hits 70k or 7 years. Otherwise, this would have cost me $1k as reported in the other topic. First radiator cost me $750, the second could have cost another $750 if it had gone bad only a month later (it cracked 11 months later). $3k in repairs in a year? No thank you.

Never really heard of a water pump leaking THAT bad but I guess its possible. Water pumps ARE covered under the 7yr/70k warranty. I would look more towards a bad hose or something else that I dont want to say since it will upset you. radiator

 

[tjkj2002]

Thanks guys. Dealer called back and it is the water pump, will be under warranty with $100 deductible... Which reminds me to plan to replace the jeep before it hits 70k or 7 years. Otherwise, this would have cost me $1k as reported in the other topic. First radiator cost me $750, the second could have cost another $750 if it had gone bad only a month later (it cracked 11 months later). $3k in repairs in a year? No thank you.

$750 for a KJ radiator?

I paid less then $200 with S/H,another $12 for coolant and about 1 hour and all was well again.Time to take some auto repair classes and save big $$$ by doing your own repairs.

 

[LibertyOrDeath]

Thanks guys. Dealer called back and it is the water pump, will be under warranty with $100 deductible... Which reminds me to plan to replace the jeep before it hits 70k or 7 years. Otherwise, this would have cost me $1k as reported in the other topic. First radiator cost me $750, the second could have cost another $750 if it had gone bad only a month later (it cracked 11 months later). $3k in repairs in a year? No thank you.

I would recommend that you not use that same dealer. Either they are giving you defective parts on purpose or they suck a working on Jeeps.

Oh and Xeleventybillion on getting some tools and learning some basic auto repair skills.

 

[hyde]

I did not sign up for that, I have no time, skill or add'l money (to repair potential wrong diagnostics) to do my own work on the jeep. %90 of people living in a city, who has full time job will not be able to work on their on vehicles or learn after this point.

If I was retired, or college kid, sure why not. But I have other jobs to do and the next best thing is a local shop who is less reliable than a dealer (at least you have someone to complain to). I mentioned this a few times. After all the little problems I put up with, I did not complain enough.

It is just my damn luck. But if majority of people are having similar problems with their vehicles around same period, it is the manufacturer's fault, and that's why we have 7/70k in place. It is for that reason, I will not keep this jeep longer than that if I have an opportunity. I don't know what the economical circumstances will be at that time, so you never know.

 

[Dave]

Hyed, I'm glad the water pump was covered under warranty for you. At least if it was at the dealer they put the right G-05 coolant in it.

But you said $750 to replace a radiator.........wow.

Dave

 

[JeepJeepster]

Glad it was a water pump hyedipin!

And hey, Ive got to say that college is harder than a full-time job. At least if youre in a hard major it is. I get up at 6am, spend my entire day on campus, then get to study the night away...

If you dont have the place or time to do your own work then thats just how it is. Its easy to say you should do your own work when you have the time and place+know how to do it.

 

[tjkj2002]

I did not sign up for that, I have no time, skill or add'l money (to repair potential wrong diagnostics) to do my own work on the jeep. %90 of people living in a city, who has full time job will not be able to work on their on vehicles or learn after this point.

If I was retired, or college kid, sure why not. But I have other jobs to do and the next best thing is a local shop who is less reliable than a dealer (at least you have someone to complain to). I mentioned this a few times. After all the little problems I put up with, I did not complain enough.

It is just my damn luck. But if majority of people are having similar problems with their vehicles around same period, it is the manufacturer's fault, and that's why we have 7/70k in place. It is for that reason, I will not keep this jeep longer than that if I have an opportunity. I don't know what the economical circumstances will be at that time, so you never know.

I work a full time job also(57+ actual clock hours a week) and still have plenty of time to wrench on my KJ,outside and in the snow.Learning "how to" is easy,many think diagnosing is a so hard but 90% of the time it is real easy(think of the term "KISS").Are some special tools required? Yes but most of the time they are not that $$$.I have had no formal mechanical training,self taught from the age of 8(rebuilt my first engine at 12),and I'm pulling very good wages as a senior tech at my current job.

 

[offrovering]

some people don't like working on their cars, no problem with that. ***** when dealers over charge for crap, thats the only reason I work on my vehicles. I have taught myself as well, still don't know a lot but the basics are easy to pick up on.

 

[Marlon_JB2]

And hey, Ive got to say that college is harder than a full-time job. At least if youre in a hard major it is. I get up at 6am, spend my entire day on campus, then get to study the night away...

Tell me about it. Whoever says that's not true is full of (censored).

ANYWAY....

Glad you got that fixed. And aww on you dumping the Liberty at 070001. Darn. If I had the $$$ I'd certainly buy it from you...

 

[hyde]

Tell me about it. Whoever says that's not true is full of (censored).

ANYWAY....

Glad you got that fixed. And aww on you dumping the Liberty at 070001. Darn. If I had the $$$ I'd certainly buy it from you...

I love it, but it made me upset a few times already. Poor thing is downstairs in the garage, just got it washed, all nice and clean-- always makes me sad to think of parting with it..
Buying my jeep? Haven't you changed your jeep like 7 times already? You want to be the Gene Simmons of jeepers?

 

[Marlon_JB2]

I love it, but it made me upset a few times already. Poor thing is downstairs in the garage, just got it washed, all nice and clean-- always makes me sad to think of parting with it..
Buying my jeep? Haven't you changed your jeep like 7 times already? You want to be the Gene Simmons of jeepers?

WK ain't goin nowhere. It's the Jeep I've been searching for all this time. I can't stay out of it. 3k miles already. Hasn't even been 2 months yet.

... but if I had an unlimited supply of money....

along with a Wrangler....

and a Challenger SRT-8....

and a 4 car garage.

 

[jnaut]

$750 for a KJ radiator?

I paid less then $200 with S/H,another $12 for coolant and about 1 hour and all was well again.Time to take some auto repair classes and save big $$$ by doing your own repairs.

Uhm, what's going on with everyone's radiators in the KJ. Are they prone to failure?