Expert: Matthew Day - 1/9/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have a 1994 honda civic ex 1.6l vtec and I was wondering if the water pump is leaking if it for sure needs to b replaced or if there was something else it could be.

ANSWER: If the water pump is leaking it needs to be replaced. You should also have the cooling system pressurized & make sure the pipe behind the water pump isn't leaking from the o-ring. If you are going to do a water pump, make sure you replace the timing belt also.

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QUESTION: Well is there a way I could see if its the pipe or the water pump that is leaking? (Any visual way?)

Answer
The water pump is behind the timing belt cover so looking directly at it is not possible unless you remove all the covers. But if you see green antifreeze on the bottom of the timing belt cover, then you probably have a leaking water pump. Now if you see antifreeze dripping from the oil filter or running down the water pipe, then you could have an o-ring on the water pipe leaking. The only correct way to tell what is leaking is to pressurize the cooling system with a pressure tester.