2003 C5 Corvette Problems with Water Pump
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
2003 C5 Corvette Problems with Water Pump
Had leakage from the water pump and my boyfriend replaced it with one from Auto Zone. He also replaced the thermostat.
Since the replacement, it won't circulate the coolant. The radiator never gets hot.
He read this forum and tried bleeding the system by running the car and allowing it to cool and then removing the overflow cap. This has not done any good.
Any suggestions? Does the water pump need to be primed? Could this possibly be a defective water pump?? Please help. Live in Chicago so there are few "corvette days" left before it gets too cold to drive it.
Since the replacement, it won't circulate the coolant. The radiator never gets hot.
He read this forum and tried bleeding the system by running the car and allowing it to cool and then removing the overflow cap. This has not done any good.
Any suggestions? Does the water pump need to be primed? Could this possibly be a defective water pump?? Please help. Live in Chicago so there are few "corvette days" left before it gets too cold to drive it.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 803
Likes: 42
From: Destin Florida
Its possible that the Radiator is stopped up. If the radiator is not getting warm that would be my first thing to check. Has it ever had the original Dexcool coolant changed ? Dexcool is notorious for turning to "mud" IF the coolant level gets too low.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 803
Likes: 42
From: Destin Florida
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,389
Likes: 3
From: somewhere shooting my assault rifles
When I changed my WP once and even when I only changed my radiator out it was a bitch to bleed all the air out. My radiator stayed cold for a dozen start-ups and coolant temps went to 230 a couple times when I shut it off and let it cool for 15 mins and try again until it finally burped the air bubble out and allowed coolant to flow through system. Just rev it up to 3500 a few times, let it idle and do it again and it will finally burp the air through. I did it exactly by the book instructions and that never worked worth a damn but filling through upper hose did the trick.
I found easiest way after all that was to leave upper radiator hose off at radiator and fill from there into radiator and into engine with the reservoir cap off and fill there as well. Don't button it all up and only fill through the reservoir.
I found easiest way after all that was to leave upper radiator hose off at radiator and fill from there into radiator and into engine with the reservoir cap off and fill there as well. Don't button it all up and only fill through the reservoir.
Last edited by Z06supercharged; Sep 18, 2012 at 07:48 PM.
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