2006 pacifica 3.5l, leaking antifreeze below drive belt, also cooling fans coming on as soon as you start the car. need help

 

Coolant leak is most likely the water pump. It is driven by the timing belt. There is also a plate on the RH head that has O rings on it that can leak[rare]. Rad fan running all the time could be a couple of things. Defective relay,defective PCM,defective temp sensor,short in the wiring.

 

jamie1,
thanks for responding. question, I just bought the dealers service manual, and it says when replacing the timing belt to also take valve covers off and loosen rocker arm assy. I have done timing belts before, but I have never had to do that. It is the 3.5l, and I am wondering if it is really nec.
any help is deeply appreciated.
Greg

 

hey G here you go i'll send send pictures,moe
3.5L ENGINE
The water pump on all models can be replaced without discharging the air conditioning system.
WARNING: DO NOT REMOVE PRESSURE CAP WITH THE SYSTEM HOT AND UNDER PRESSURE BECAUSE SERIOUS BURNS FROM COOLANT CAN OCCUR.
NOTE: It is normal for the water pump to weep a small amount of coolant from the weep hole (black stain on water pump body). Do not replace the water pump if this condition exists. Replace the water pump if a heavy deposit or a steady flow of engine coolant is evident on water pump body from the weep hole (shaft seal failure). Be sure to perform a thorough analysis before replacing water pump.
[ol][*]Drain cooling system (Refer to 7 - COOLING - STANDARD PROCEDURE).
NOTE: The water pump is driven by the timing belt. [*]Remove engine timing belt (Refer to 9 - ENGINE/VALVE TIMING/TIMING BELT/CHAIN AND SPROCKETS - REMOVAL).[*]Remove water pump mounting bolts (Water Pump - 3.5L Engine). Note position of longer bolt for proper re-installation.[*]Remove water pump body from engine (Water Pump - 3.5L Engine). [/ol]

 

hey G this pretty big my friend,the engine is not free wheeling so you need to be real careful withe the timing.heres what pump looks like.moe

 

Hey Moe, just curious, how long do they give for a the water pump in hours?

 

Oddlyenough,the ALLDATA labour guide says the water pump pays 3.0. And a timing belt pays 3.1 hrs. I would estimate the labour if I was doing the job at.4.0 hrs.