(I figured I'd better start a new thread for this possibly unrelated issue)

I believe I have less than 50/50 more like 75/25 mix, and it got down to 18 this morning. So I'm thinking maybe some of the coolant froze up.
I went to start my car and it cranked like a slug.
I backed off the key, but my car likes to start after only 2 turns. So it did, and it sounded bad.
Lots of loud noises for about 2-3 seconds and then the engine smoothed out.

But there was a loud "PUFF" sound, and now coolant is leaking from the water pump area and the idle is surging. I'm hoping another hose just went, (I've regularly had to change hoses on this 200k engine) but god forbid the water pump broke in this weather.
Someone previously told me that if the engine is iced, the impeller will kamakazi itself to save the car and water will leak through the weep holes?


One more thought: after running for 5 minutes, the top hose - coming from the top of the engine to the top of the radiator - is hot and has lots of pressure on it.
The lower hose - going from the bottom of the radiator to the thermostat - is ice cold and appears like it may be stiffer (frozen?)

If that's the case is there anyway to quickly check if my water pump is still running? I've got a feeling that, if it was, I've just busted a hose near it because of the pressure it creates.

 

If u got a leak by ur water pump at those temps id say u messed up ur pump and the rad situation I say ur not gettin circulation cause ur pump is done

 

You shouldnt use 50/50 in cold weather bump ttttttt

 

Yeah, I drained some out this summer troubleshooting and just put more water in it, so it thinned it out too much /doh

Anyway to test the pump?

 

For clarification, which do you mean?

75 coolant/25 water

or

75 water/25 coolant

 

weep hole in water pump. it pops out to keep coolant off the timing belt. you probably need a new water pump.