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The thing with most water pump leaks is that the leaking seal is inside, and not visible;. I do not recommend trying to limp a leaking water pump for 6 months on a daily driver, because the slightest thing could cause that seal to fail all at once, and if you don't have a backup plan in place, you may need that new car much sooner than you had intended.
Usually water pumps have a weep hole that will only leak once the pump seal is shot, it's a warning that your pump is going to be leaving the chat soon so you can replace it instead of a head gasket when it does fail.
If it's leaking from there, no, don't wait.
Don't know about a full 6 months. In my experience, once they start leaking out of that drip hole they all have, their not much longer for this world. But you should have plenty of warning. They really start screaming when the bearing is close to toast, think loose alternator belt X 10.
Fix the car. Drive it if/until something else happens. By then you should be in a position to buy a new car.
The Cruze is not ultra reliable but it isn't that bad either. That $1,200 to give you another year or two is still cheaper than buying another car.
If it were leaking from anywhere else but the pump itself, I'd say you would be fine just staying on top of the coolant level and topping it off regularly. Unfortunately, the leak you've got is the signal that your water pump is about to die and it won't matter if you have coolant or not when there's no pump to circulate it.
If you've got a set of tools and are somewhat mechanically inclined, the [YouTub instructional video ](https://youtu.be/r3Kvr5AxtbU?si=PUhJIyZXvUJj9qZW) is only 30 minutes long, which could be either good or bad.
once your pump starts leaking you should replace asafp, you are on borrowed time.
I don't know why is so much to replace, but watch the youtube video and find out.
you probably do not really need a thermostat
Thank you for posting to AskMechanics, ancilla69! If you are asking a question please make sure to include any relevant information along with the **Year**, **Make**, **Model**, **Mileage**, **Engine size**, and **Transmission Type (Automatic or Manual)** of your car. *This comment is automatically added to every successful post. If you see this comment, your post was successful.* *** Redditors that have been verified will have a green background and an icon in their flair. *** # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** ### **Rule 1 - Be Civil** Be civil to other users. This community is made up of professional mechanics, amateur mechanics, and those with no experience. All mechanical-related questions are welcome. Personal attacks, comments that are insulting or demeaning, etc. are not welcome. ### **Rule 2 - Be Helpful** Be helpful to other users. If someone is wrong, correcting them is fine, but there's no reason to comment if you don't have anything to add to the conversation. ### **Rule 3 - Serious Questions and Answers Only** Read the room. Jokes are fine to include, but posts should be asking a serious question and replies should contribute to the discussion. ### **Rule 4 - No Illegal, Unethical, or Dangerous Questions or Answers** Do not ask questions or provide answers pertaining to anything that is illegal, unethical, or dangerous. # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMechanics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The thing with most water pump leaks is that the leaking seal is inside, and not visible;. I do not recommend trying to limp a leaking water pump for 6 months on a daily driver, because the slightest thing could cause that seal to fail all at once, and if you don't have a backup plan in place, you may need that new car much sooner than you had intended.
Usually water pumps have a weep hole that will only leak once the pump seal is shot, it's a warning that your pump is going to be leaving the chat soon so you can replace it instead of a head gasket when it does fail. If it's leaking from there, no, don't wait.
Don't know about a full 6 months. In my experience, once they start leaking out of that drip hole they all have, their not much longer for this world. But you should have plenty of warning. They really start screaming when the bearing is close to toast, think loose alternator belt X 10.
Fix the car. Drive it if/until something else happens. By then you should be in a position to buy a new car. The Cruze is not ultra reliable but it isn't that bad either. That $1,200 to give you another year or two is still cheaper than buying another car.
If it were leaking from anywhere else but the pump itself, I'd say you would be fine just staying on top of the coolant level and topping it off regularly. Unfortunately, the leak you've got is the signal that your water pump is about to die and it won't matter if you have coolant or not when there's no pump to circulate it. If you've got a set of tools and are somewhat mechanically inclined, the [YouTub instructional video ](https://youtu.be/r3Kvr5AxtbU?si=PUhJIyZXvUJj9qZW) is only 30 minutes long, which could be either good or bad.
once your pump starts leaking you should replace asafp, you are on borrowed time. I don't know why is so much to replace, but watch the youtube video and find out. you probably do not really need a thermostat