So recently my car has been losing a lot of coolant to the point where it was just cheaper to use water until the weather got cooler. Now that it's down in the 40s I've started back on using Regular coolant. So I'm assuming there is a leak from somewhere and I can't locate it? There is nothing on the ground under my car when I am done driving, and it sits but there is some spray up by the top near the rad cap.

But within the past few days my car overheats almost instantly, I always filled the rad regularly to keep it from overheating but I was stuck in some crazy mall traffic the other night and sat idling for way too long while it was too low. It started overheating into the red and wouldn't stop. I stopped a few miles down the road at a pep boys and topped the rad of with fluid, but by the time I got home it was almost empty. I took a look at it today with some friends and I see a lot of leakage near behind the drivers side front tire, especially while the car is running. I think it's the water pump? I've researched it and found using water instead of coolant can cause corrosion in the pump?

But even before then I was going through coolant so even if I fix the pump I'm still losing slowly from somewhere. And since it's been overheating the rad cap has like fallen to pieces. The spring and gasket and everything is like separated and I put it back together every time I take it on and off.

So besides the water pump does anything else sound off?

 

Sounds like your cap is bad. Its designed to hold pressure, and it doesn't sound like its working. Also, your pumps bearings may have gone out and now its leaking from there. This will cause it to get hot quick. You might need to take it to a qualified mechanic to diagnose it. Your head gasket might be blown now, along with warping your head by letting it run hot. You should always shut the car off if in the red and check for the issue.