I posted an earlier thread on losing coolant fluid and found it was due to a coolant leak in a water pump.

1999 Acura TL with 170K miles...

TB + WaterPump replacement came to 800$ which I have not done... Just filling up coolant in the reservoir each week.

I stumbled upon K-Seal engine coolant leak sealant and it says it can fix coolant leaks in WaterPump.

Just wondering if anyone has tried it and have any opinions.... The reviews were quite positive in Amazon.

 

I'm wary of pouring anything other than approved coolant into the engine block.

i'm assuming it congeals and that's how it stops leaks.

what happens if it blocks a cooling jet path inside the engine block????


instead of getting a bandaid fix; you'll have to fix the root of the problem.

replace the water pump

 

Justin's right. Fix your car. At best these sealers are a band aid. Here's my experience with k-seal. My neighbor used it on a crv with a blown head gasket, and was able to trade it in with no symptoms. Because of his experience, I tried it on a subaru with a blown head gasket. It didn't fix the leak, but plugged up a brand new radiator to the point that it needed replacement.

 

I agree that you should fix it the right way, but I've used K&W Fiberlock before with good luck, not sure if it's meant for water pump leaks but my wife's 07 Impala leaks externally from the head gasket, it was already replaced at 50K then started leaking at 70K, put that in and it's been good, now at 90K.

 

water pumps don't randomly leak
They wear out-usually the bearing on main shaft, then the main seal on shaft gives way = There is a hole cast in the bottom of water pump that's called the WEEP HOLE
When the bearing/seal on shaft fails, meaning its not pumping water correctly,
it lets out coolant from the weep hole,,Escapes is a better description of what actually happens!!
The entire purpose of that hole it is to let you know there is a serious problem happening

continued operation in this condition will result in need for that crud- to temp fix the head gaskets you blow from overheats, but that will destroy your rad in the process-
ADD NOTHING to stop a leak that simply can not be stopped!!
the water pump and timing belt were due for replacement every 105kmiles,,are you past that... and its a 99!!
do the egr port and passage cleaning while its down for maintenance, that's needed every 75kmiles

NEVER let it get above 3/4 on the temp, any movement of needle, and any reading above 1/2 is bad news and you should stop driving right then

ck with some Honda dealers, they do specials on tbelt wp job for way cheap, and will do the TL for same price
See thread on wp/tbelt job for $300 I think thats the title

800 isn't a bad price, was that private shop? make sure to include ALL new related belt roller/idler pullies and tensioners- or you shot yourself in the foot to save a hundred dollars now

 

0ltl4tl and others, thanks for the response.

WP / TB was replaced at 95K. Its now 170K. Possibly due but not sure if it is yet.

I did clean out the EGR port per the TSB just a year ago.

The quote was from a private shop and a mechanic both around the same. I will be sure to check for any dealer specials. Thanks for the tip.

 

you cant count on 105 between parts change- aftermarket or even OE may not make it all the way, age is a factor as well
Plus- unknown to many- is the owner book requirement for the coolant be changed every 5 years,, after its first run of 7 years/105kmiles
the additives go bad and eat the rad,,not good
can add wear to other parts in the system like thermostat and water pump

depending on your location there may be ziners willing to come help you DIY the whole job
ck out REGIONS link to find people near you who are active in staging or attending meets,,those same ziners are the diy type

 

For what it is worth, I tried the 10$ k-seal coolant leak on my acura TL and it seems to have done the trick. After a week of running, the coolant in the reservoir is still in the max level that I filled it to earlier (while in the past it used to be almost empty by a week).

 

Keep us posted- that bad water pump wont last forever
and is costing you any favors the car owed you~



watch the actual radiator level when dead cold too, if there is a prob in reserve tank or its line- its level wont change

 

In case you're wondering this is what K-Seal would look like mixed in your coolant.