2004 Sebring 2.7L diagnostics
 

I recently acquired a 2004 Sebring 2.7L and was told that the water pump needs to be replaced. So far I've only ran the engine for a few minutes at a time. There is a loud squeal coming from the area around the main serpentine belt and I've noticed a lot of vibration in the belt. My assumption was that the idler pulley was bad instead of the water pump. My suspicions were further confirmed when I was filling the coolant system and got some water on the idler and belt and the noise immediately went away. My confusion is that from my research, the overwhelming conclusion is that the water pump is the cause, but the engine never overheats. Can someone please either reinforce or correct my thinking here and say what the problem most likely is? Thanks!

How was it determined the water pump is bad? Was it the noise or something else?

Are you needing to continually add coolant?

A water pump will leak in two places, into the motor or from the weep hole just under the thermostat. Leaking into the motor is quite obvious when looking at the oil; it will typically be chocolate milk it coffee with cream color. Leaking from the weep hole will show up as a dry stain running from the weep hole. For me, I saw the stain on the oil pan while changing oil. If neither of these is present, I would rule out a water pump issue at this time. Note the water pump is under the timing chain cover and is driven off of the timing chain. There is no way spilled coolant could reach the water pump. If you are needing to continually add coolant, it may be leaking from the coolant bleeder housing where the 2 pieces are joined. The bleeder housing connects to the upper radiator hose, the coolant reservoir, and has the coolant temp sensor. If leaking, staining around the seam will be apparent.

Now to the noise. There are 2 belts, one for the power steering and the serpentine belt for the ac and alternator (the tensioner is for the serpentine belt). It may be possible with the serpentine belt removed, to feel any roughness in the tensioner or alternator bearing (the usual suspects). Being very mindful of the moving serpentine belt a piece of vinyl tubing can be used to isolate where the noise is coming from.

A belt that is not tight enough will act just like that.

Thanks for the replies. The previous owner stated that the pump would need replacing. He sounded pretty certain. The oil looks good, but I think I see now where the leak is occurring, and it's a pretty bad leak. I think what I have, and correct me if I'm wrong, is two problems instead of one. The belt looks fine, but I suspect I need to replace the idler since when I wiggle it, there is the slightest bit of play, and in addition to that, the water pump is bad.
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Agree, you are looking at 2 issues.

The coolant staining on the oil pan confirms to me that the water pump needs to be replaced. Replacing the water pump is labor intensive and you will be looking at 5-6 hours of labor alone. FYI, a new timing chain tensioner is a must.

Are you referring to the primary tensioner? I don't need to replace the chain, sprockets, and guides, do I? I'm balling on a budget, so the fewer things I have to buy, the better.

Yes, I am referring to the primary timing chain tensioner The secondary tensioners are for the cam shaft chains which do not need to be touched.

When I had my water pump replaced by a dealer at 135k miles I asked about the chain and guides and they saw no reason to replace (and I know they would have 'recommended' if there was any sign of significant wear).

You need to be OC (obsessive-compulsive) about verifying the timing marks. Before releasing the tensioner, rotate the engine through 2 rotations of the chain and recheck timing marks. They need to be dead-on, close won't do. Repeat once more. Misalignment crops up because the camshafts like to rotate due to valve spring pressure on the cam shafts.

Got the parts ordered: belt, tensioner, pulley, pump. Might tackle it this weekend with the help of a friend. I'll let you all know how it goes.

You will need a gasket to reseal the timing chain cover and I would suggest maybe replacing the crankshaft seal in the cover.

You will need to pull the crankshaft pulley and IIRC you will need a special puller so as not to damage the pulley. Can probably get a loaner from an auto parts store.

Quick question. The gasket kit for the timing chain cover came with two smaller seals/gaskets. I already installed the large one, but where does the thinner, smaller diameter one go? Also, I'm trying to get the power steering pump out of the way to access the tensioner, but I can't seem to access the bolts that need to come out. What am I doing wrong?