MOUNTAIN VIEW AUTOMOTIVE Tech Question:
I was driving on the freeway in Colorado and my vehicle engine started to get hot. I turned off my air conditioner and could go the short distance to my meeting and then found a shop in Thornton. It turns out that my water pump was leaking. It cost me many hundreds of dollars to get it fixed. What could I have done to avoid this?

MOUNTAIN VIEW AUTOMOTIVE Answer:
This guy’s story really did have a happy ending. When you continue driving when your engine’s overheating you risk a catastrophic engine failure. It really is a good idea to pull over and let your vehicle engine cool down before driving again. If you add water or coolant, be sure your engine is cool or you risk serious burns.

Now there’s no way for Thornton drivers to know when their water pump will fail – they just wear out. This fellow’s water pump replacement was more because his water pump is driven by his timing belt. That requires a lot of hours to get to the water pump and then put everything back on the engine.

A money-saving tip from MOUNTAIN VIEW AUTOMOTIVE in Thornton: if your timing belt drives your water pump – replace the pump when you have your scheduled timing belt replacement. That way most of the work is already done and you don’t have to pay for it twice.

Check with your friendly and knowledgeable professionals at MOUNTAIN VIEW AUTOMOTIVE about when your timing belt should be replaced.