BAD NEWS-Please help me?

HI there,

I`m new to this forum and have a spot of bother with my 1990 nissan pulsar auto. Driving home and the car doesn`t feal like its pulling as well as it should be. Getting near home and when I accelorated I herd a knocking noise! Pulled into driveway put it in N and no noise, put it in D and noise.

Stopped engine lifted hood and small ammount of smoke. Pulled out dip stick and smoke was coming out. Left car over night. Went to check fluid level and empty. Started to fill and car has basically no water and all its oil.

I have noticed that the water is dripping out at a steady rate. I can`t see the exact place becuase I don`t want to get under the car using a basic car jack but it's leaking at the rear end of the engine where the sump bolts onto the lower half of the engine block. The water is actually running out of this area and down the oil filter onto the floor.

Is this an engine out job and new gaskets? Could there be a plug that has blown out? Should I expect the worse and assume it will be a bottom end re-build?

I didn`t notice if the overheat light was on when driving but I can safley say NO. The ECM light comes on every now and then and then goes out after a few minutes but it is very intermitant. Sometimes it never comes on. Usually when I touch the gear shifter with my left knee!

Well thats about all I can tell you. Please don`t get too technical in your responses. I do have a good knowledge of cars but not auto's

Cheers


Grant

Sounds like your water pump is leaking water, very common problem with Pulsars. Need a new water pump, timing belt and do your camshaft & crankshaft oil seals while your at it(no point doing this all again if they leak oil 2 months later)

With regard to smoke coming out, did it come from auto trans dip stick or engine oil dipstick??
If it was oil, then that should be OK, just got a little hot. Check your oil and make sure it is a normal blackish colour. If your oil is white, you have a split head gasket or damaged head.
If it was from auto transmission, that means trouble... You have probably smoked internal friction materials.

HI thanks for the reply,

I hope that its a water pump problem. When I removed the oil dipstick that is where the smoke was coming out from there is no contamination with water so that great news!

Any idea on what that knocking sound could be when the car was in D? It went away when in N. Sounded like it was in time with the cam belt? Does this drive the water pump?

Just want to check with the water pump issue as I thought that water pumps are driven from the fan belt? I`m sure I could be wrong here? Would it be ok if I was to drive the car with a stuffed pump about 1KM down the raod to a mechanic? Would I cause any further damage?

If I look under the hood the water leak is bottom left hand side at the rear. Now that I write this, it sounds about right I guess? Any further info would be good. Do these just unbolt and you can slot a new one in?

I am taking the car to a mechanic in the AM as I do not have the tools for the job. It's nice to arrive with a good idea on the problem.

Once again thank you or taking the time.

Grant

A little happier for your advice!