what does the weep hole on the water pump do? mine is leaking, but the car is at about the normal water temp (stock gauge) its just slightly above normal. so what does this do?

 

When the weep hole is leaking, that indicates that the water pump is failing. Time for a new one.

 

so thats it? thats all its there for? then (if so) could you tell me how it works to satisfy my own curiosity.

 

nobody knows?

 

As the vehicle heats up, the cooling system builds pressure. The water/colant mix is expanding as all things do when heated. If the water pump is failing, and not pumping the water, the water will start to build pressure and release from the weep hole.

Also, if it is a catastrophic failure, meaning the pump just totally let loose, the water will also come out of the weep hole.

 

Nobody really cares.

One could, I suppose, theorize that it is an internal impeller seal designed to leak before the outer shaft seal fails and that the weep hole is designed to more or less 'weep' (hence the name) providing you an 'early warning system' (if you will) therefore notifying you in advance of the waterpump failure before said failure actually occurs.


But in my 30 years of changing water pumps, I never wondered why. It just works that way.