water pump or head gasket gone?

[oldmicra]

Hi there

I'm new to the club, but have been a micra owner for the last 4 years. Started on a 1.0DX and currently on my second, a 1.2 GS.

I have a question I hope someone can help with, my car is losing about 1 litre of water per day, from the alternator end of the engine, but I can't tell for sure whether it is the head gasket or the water pump that is the problem. The car runs OK and doesn't overheat as long as I keep the water in the expansion tank topped up every 20 miles!!!. The oil is clean, but there is some oil in the water, but that has been there since I bought the car 2 years ago as I couldn't find a cooling flusher that would remove oil sludge from the cooling system.

Thanks for any help

Great club by the way. Good to see so many of these old cars still on the road.

 

[frank]

oldmicra

it sounds like the pump to me,
if it is, its best not to leave it too long coz it might break the cambelt

 

[curtis]

yes the pump baring went on my last one as i needed to replace the water pump and cam belt.

 

[Arnold]

Happened to mine too! 1 litre a day sounds pretty major. I'd get that looked at ASAP

 

[Micra 110]

Where does the Water go then?

 

[sonic]

Where does the Water go then?

it leaks past the seal on the pump shaft into the outside world.

 

[Arnold]

It drips out on the drivers side of the engine near the cambelt.

 

[oldmicra]

water leak fixed

thanks for the replies - it was the water pump, had to change the cam belt tensioner wheel as well as it was close to failing.