1999 Dodge Intrepid thermostat or water pump?

Tiny
COLDSTEEL9MM
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 DODGE INTREPID
  • 165,000 MILES
Was sitting at a red light and steam starting coming from under the hood but the temp gauge was at about half way. Had to put in some water. Is this the thermostat or the water pump? Also not sure where the water pump or the thermostat is located on this car. Thank you.
Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013 AT 1:11 PM

2 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,871 POSTS
There's no way we can know the answers to any of your questions. You didn't bother to list the engine size. There's three possibilities and they're all very different. Also, we can't see the engine over a computer so you're the one who is going to have to look for the source of the leak. A leaking water pump is a good suspect but some are buried and can't be seen. You or your mechanic will have to make an educated guess based on where the coolant is seen running out. Thermostats don't leak, but the thermostat housing gasket can. That rarely occurs on its own. It's more likely to happen after the thermostat is replaced.

It's just as likely you have a leaking hose or a loose hose clamp. A pressure test will usually show that. If a leak is too small to see, you can add a small bottle of dark purple dye to the coolant, then search after a few miles of driving with a black light. The dye will show up as a bright yellow stain that you can follow back to the source.
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Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013 AT 1:28 PM
Tiny
COLDSTEEL9MM
  • MEMBER
  • 21 POSTS
Sorry about that, it's a 1999 2.7 Liter engine.
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Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013 AT 1:30 PM

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