is it safe to drive 1.3 mile (no hill) with dead water pump?

Question

Car is ford taurus 98.
The car had some problems including overheating as thermostat was bad so was was not working. i drove it 25 miles to garage (i had to stop once because too hot to let it cool), i brought it to Ford who replaced the thermostat. Now they tell me some bits of thermostat broke and they need to replace the waterpump and want $620 for it. The other repair were also extremely expensive and i want to bring it to another garage 1.3 miles away on flat road.

-1- is it safe to drive 1.3 mile with no water pump or should iget it towed?
-2- should i have to pay for the water pump or is it ford's fault if they did not remove the bits of broken thermostat before reconnecting new thermostat to hose ? Can i prove that the pump was working when i came in if i drove 25 miles with it ?
Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

driving it 1.3 miles should be no problem, but why do they believe the water pump is bad? Do they have the water pump off the engine yet?



It's not impossible for bits of the thermostat to break up and cause a problem, but it IS unlikely. Was the car maintained with the proper coolant otherwise?



It is not unlike a garage to get you in for one repair and sell up to another that you do not need.



Please answer the questions above...



Thanks for responding!! The thermostat is made so that if the spring breaks (which it can),the pieces are captured around the center post and, generally, can't be sent thru the cooling system.



When a pump goes bad, it is usually the bearings that go out and they can create a whirring noise and as they get worse, coolant will start to leak where the shaft comes out of the water pump. A simple way to tell if it is bad is to try to wiggle this shaft or look for coolant leaking out the area of the shaft (with the engine off, of course).



To answer your original question tho, IF this is legitimate, then you should pay for the water pump.



If the water pump is off already, did they take it off without your knowledge? If so, don't drive it. Get them to put the old one back on (free) and drive it down the road. If it's still on the engine, driving it the 1.3 miles shouldn't be any problem.



Best of luck to you



P.S. One of the responders above said to loosen the radiator cap because the water heats quicker under pressure. THIS IS NOT CORRECT. If the car were to overheat while the cap was off, you run the risk of losing all of your coolant.

Answer 2

On a cold day, with the heater on max heat will help, but ultimately its going to depend on how hard you drive the car and what kind of traffic you get stuck in. Its safer to get it towed, but you should be fine, just constantly watch your temp guage and when its gets around 3/4 turn the car off and let it cool.



As for the thermostat, ask ford to see the new one they put in and see if the new one is the one that broke, or if it is the old one. If the new one is broken, they may simply try and replace only the thermostat as a faulty part. However if it is the old one that broke they should have flushed the system to clean out all the bits and pieces. Talk to the service manager and see what he says.

Answer 3

1) it is safe to drive 1.3 miles if the weather is cold and you do not have to idle a lot - You are MUCH safer having it towed and do you want to risk an engine over a $75 tow fee? I would tow it

2) you should probably have to pay for the water pump - there is no way to prove it did not break while you were driving with it overheating, there could have been parts while you were driving. It is too bad they use plastic vanes now days, old water pumps could have taken the wear.

It would be a lot cheaper if you could replace the water pump, but it can be very hard with modern vehicles. I would do my 69 Chevy myself easy but I would have to examine the Taurus before I would brave it out - $600 might be reasonable for a dealership to replace a water pump - I hope you find a mechanic you trust.

Answer 4

Ford people are boneheads for making you pay for something THEY broke. And what does the thermostat breaking have to do with the water pump? All they want to do is suck you in for every penny. All services are warrantied for X months/X miles. If they broke it, they are responsible for it.



As for driving 1.3 miles without a coolant, I would not reccomend it unless you wanna cook eggs on your engine. Seriously though, You'll do more damage to the engine running without a coolant. Then you'll need new pistons, fry the oil in the engine and probably need a whole new engine. Have it towed, it's cheaper in the long run. Don't take it to Ford ever again. They're sufering and in the red, they need to make money some way, screwing people is the way to go.

Answer 5

alright- you have a lot of things going on here. you have an older model vehicle with what sounds like a couple of issues. your best bet is to have the vehicle towed. letting your vehicle overheat is it not a good thing - can ruin your engine. Best not to risk it even tho 1.3 miles is nothing really. if you feel the shop is at fault. And it's a ford retailer - contact the fort corporate offices and file a complaint and ask for good will for the repair and see what happens. Couldn't hurt to ask. Take care and good luck.

Answer 6

With a bad water pump it is not good to drive any distances, because you could destroy the bearings. Which could cause more issues.

Pieces of the thermostat breaking off; If pieces fell off into the system one cannot get them out= not Fords fault.

Answer 7

definitely no longer. you will maximum probable finally end up blowing the radiator. a large quantity of stress can/would be outfitted up interior the radiator and that may no longer sturdy. I had the water pump flow out in my Mazda MPV and did no longer comprehend it. i grew to become into going up the throughway and in order that handed off to word that my temperature gauge grew to become into interior the crimson and then I heard a pop and water and steam got here taking photos up from below the hood. you are able to generally in trouble-free terms flow some a million/4 to a million/2 mile with a blown water pump. you will would desire to get it towed.

Answer 8

1) Probably, but you should loosen the radiator cap first, since pressure causes water to heat faster. Then, watch the temp guage, and if it starts to heat, stop and let it cool.



2) You should not have to, but you probably will. Try fixing it yourself, then sue for the amount in small claims court. It might work.



Next time, DON'T got to a dealer to get repairs done.