There is nothing you can do to prolong it. If it is leaking it will continue to leak. If it isn't leaking it may be something else as the pump usually only fails when the bearing goes bad and it starts leaking. As the other guy said take your thermostat out as they car will not heat up as quickly. If it is leaking I would not keep pouring antifreeze in it as it is pretty expensive. At some point you would be better off just replacing the pump rather than pouring antifreeze into the engine at $12 a gallon. Is you belt tight? Is your radiator clean, can air pass through it easily? To keep the car from overheating turn on your heater, this will take heat out of the engine, although it may be uncomfortable in the car. Don't run your air conditioner as it causes the engine to work harder and produce more heat.
Carry a few gallons of water with you and after you get to your destination, and the car cools, refill the radiator before you go to your next destination. If you run the engine for too long, and it it overheated, you are going to ruin it.
No such thing for a water pump on the fritz, Get it fixed before the shaft locks up. A situation not too cool at 70 mph on the freeway as the serpentine power accessory drive belt goes poof, then you lose power steering and brakes when the engine dies and you may end up with a warped head out of the fiasco.
Arer you suire it is the water pump and NOT your intake gaskets! GHm was SUED BIG TIME for bad gaskets and disappearing coolant on nearly ALL cars made form 1996-2003 and even LATER! Try driving with the RAD CAP OFF! Check your reservoir for BROWN SLUDGE which iwl be gakset parts and head b olt sealnats. DO NOT DRIVE THIS CAR til you figure it out, or you MAY need a whole new engien! DEXCOOL has destroyed MILLIONS of engines areoudn the world, as it DISLLOPVES plastic intake runners and LEAKS into the combustion chambers! It woudrl take BILLIONS to repair anll the defective GM engines out there!
I need to have a wheel bearing and two control arms and a sway bar link fixed and my hours have been cut at work. How can I keep my car from over heating I've done water and stop leak and just kept putting dex coolant in it nothing is working. Can't really afford to do both. Any suggestions would be nice. Thanks in advance
