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She let it get very hot! When my husband got there, it was very smokey under the hood! We pulled it home and it sat for a few days. When you put water in the reservoir, it drains out immediately on the ground. Since it's a VW Bug, it's not easy to see anything! I was able to see that the water just comes pouring out from one of the pulleys. Is it possible to just be the water pump? I don't want to spend a bunch of time and money just to find out the motor is shot! Thanks

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  • Welcome to Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair!
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Commented Oct 14, 2017 at 18:27

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Finding a leak is half the battle. You just need to narrow it down a little bit more. Use mirrors and bright handheld lights to help.

  1. Check the hose going from the pump to the radiator. Look for a cut and look that it's on tight.
  2. Check the gasket that seals the water pump, see if that's where the leak is actually coming from.

Depending how bad the car overheated, the engine may still be healthy. The most common consequence of overheating is a blown head gasket. Most auto parts stores can rent you a block tester, they are simple to use and will tell you if the head gasket is healthy or not.

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  • So I would need to fix the water leak first correct? I don't want it running with no water.
    – nichole crites
    Commented Oct 15, 2017 at 5:05
  • Correct. Since it pours right out onto the floor when you are filling it, get someone to fill it while you are looking directly at the area where the leak is coming from. Use a bright handheld light or your phone.
    – tlhIngan
    Commented Oct 15, 2017 at 5:08

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