My girlfriend drove the car the other day and said she heard a loud thumping sound from under the hood like three thumps but it stopped and everything seemed fine after.

I had some overheating issues and found that the coolant was low and saw that it was leaking. I pressurized the system and followed the leak and noticed it was coming from behind the ac compressor from a little hole in the side of the engine (see pictures).

I cant see any place it could be coming from and wonder if the water pump/ water pump seals are shot.

What do you all think?

The first picture just shows the coolant dripping off the oil pan. The second shows where the source of the leak is unernieth / behind the ac compressor on the driver side of the vehicle.

 

hard to tell from that picture. The water pump is inside the black cover on the driver side of the motor beneath the cams.

 

I watched a youtube video of replacing the water pump... Where it is leaking from lines up with where the drain screw is at. I about 99 percent certain its the water pump. I figured someone would know exactly where it would leak from if it were the water pump in order to remove that 1 percent uncertainty ha. Thanks for your input

 

So i got the water pump replaced at the dealership as it was under warranty (aftermarket) and on the way home as i was pulling in i saw the guage was hot... and pop... This is the aftermath.

Not sure what to do now.

 

Clean the engine, get a and find the source of the leak. Really simple, really effective. If you're going to be a shadetree mechanic, make sure you have the right tools to do the job, especially for diagnostics. You'll always save money in the end.

 

Im not sure if you posted this on the wrong thread or not... I stated that i had the water pump replaced as it was under warranty and was the cause of the leak... then on the post right before yours i included a picture of my radiator with a 2.5 foot crack in it where it exploded??

 

What is the probability that the head gasket is done on my z? I am ordering a block testing kit now. It should be here with the new radiator. I am assuming this would be a definitive test for the blown head gasket since in theory the exhaust fumes would have been what built and blew the radiator correct?

 

There is a coolant line that runs behind the A/C compressor - it feeds the oil cooler/warmer... not sure that is going to help here though.

Not sure how to diagnose a radiator exploding... first things that come to mind would be debris in the system, or too much pressure.

 

Ya the leak was fixed with the water pump. The peep hole is also behind the ac compressor. After the water pump was fixed the radiator blew which makes me lean towards high amounts of pressure in the cooling system. I am hoping it was just buildup in the radiator but i have this awful feeling of a blown head gasket. Thanks for the reply.

 

Medo5, you should have a look at the radiator cap. The cap has a spring-loaded valve that should release pressure at about 18 PSI preventing damage (coolant should move back and forth from the overflow tank). My dad had a car in his shop with a faulty cap, it was also pushing coolant out of the water pump weep hole before blowing out the radiator.

 

So i will take it and get it tested. I thought of that earlier too. I sorta discounted it since the overflow was full of coolant meaning it did push up and allow the coolant to escape into the overflow. Thanks for the reply.

 

That sucks. Good luck.

 

If it is the head gasket my aftermarket warranty will cover for $100... So its not too bad just time without my z.