2002 Ford Focus water pump or heater core?

Question

I have a 2002 ford focus and it has been leaking water for just over a year. It is leaking faster now. And I have noticed that heat is coming inside the car from the floor. I checked under the car and saw water dripping from the water pump. However the water pump has not given any of the tell tell signs that it is going out such as the squeaking and or grinding. I don't know where the heater core is so I don't know if it could be leaking down onto the water pump making it look like it is leaking. And if it is the water pump how would that explain the heat venting into the car. Any advice would be great...thanks

Answer 1

if the heater core was leaking, your floor board would be wet with anti-freeze. ill say the water pump, the seal went out of it. you wont hear any noises if the bearings are still there.

Answer 2

The heater core is inside the vehicle. If it was leaking, you would have a wet floor. If the pump is driping it is bad and needs to be replaced. Just curious...how long were you going to wait to replace it? I hope you also realize that coolant that leaks on the ground attracts animals and when they drink it, it is deadly to them.

Answer 3

your water pump is defiantly bad they don't always give a warning they just give out and leak.You have been fortunate that it has been leaking for a year and still driving take it to a shop soon this job needs done by some one who knows how to re time the car as water pump run on timing belt and if it is not timed right you could damage the engine very seriously causing damages over $1500

Answer 4

Heat gets into the car through the natural air circulation system. The heater core is inside your dash so I HIGHLY doubt its leaking onto your water pump. If your pump is leaking it is at fault. Water pumps have little weep holes on the bottom of them that allow water to start seeping out long before they have catastrophic failure. Its kinda like squealers on brake pads.

Answer 5

The heater core is located on the passenger side on the firewall. From the water pump there will be two small lines going into the black box on the firewall. The heater core is inside the box. You could have a bad radiator hose. That's the cheaper fix.If it was the water pump, your car would over heat in minutes. The heat inside the car could be from a vent door stuck open in the heater box.

Answer 6

The leak at the pump is the tell tale sign of a worn pump. When the bushing gets worn, the coolant starts coming out a weep hole they put there. It's done that way on purpose to give you some warning.

The leak inside is something different. If it smells like antifreeze, it's the heater core. If it's just water, you just have a clogged AC drain.