Q: My car overheated and now will not start. I believe I have a water pump issue and possibly a blown gasket.
My car overheated today so I drove it to a parking spot and shut it off. After that, the car would not turn back on. The engine cranks but the engine will not start. I believe it could be a water pump and head gasket issue. Will the water pump alone cause the car to not start?
My car has 115000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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A faulty water pump will not cause a failure to start. If the water pump is not working, all that will happen is after you start the car, the engine will overheat. If the head gasket has failed and coolant has leaked into the combustion chambers, that could cause a no start condition. I recommend you request an engine cooling system leak diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will see if there is an external or internal coolant leak. If there is no internal leak, for example at the head gasket, the cylinder compression should be tested. If compression is OK and there is no coolant in the cylinders, the only way to pinpoint the fault causing the no start is to perform a no start diagnostic. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
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