loss of power steering and overheating

[patelk]

i have a 97 boxster with 115K miles. today i heard a loud clunk like something metal fell from the engine, and then a bunch of lights went off on the dash. The powersteering stopped working and the engine slowly started to overheat. No smoke or steam and it still runs. any ideas?

[pkust]

i have a 97 boxster with 115K miles. today i heard a loud clunk like something metal fell from the engine, and then a bunch of lights went off on the dash. The powersteering stopped working and the engine slowly started to overheat. No smoke or steam and it still runs. any ideas?

Check your water pump pulley and see if it is still there! :o

[1schoir]

i have a 97 boxster with 115K miles. today i heard a loud clunk like something metal fell from the engine, and then a bunch of lights went off on the dash. The powersteering stopped working and the engine slowly started to overheat. No smoke or steam and it still runs. any ideas?

A good place to start would be to remove the inspection panel on the rear bulkhead, just behind the rear seats.

That will give you a really good look at the serpentine belt, along with the water pump pulley (lower left) and the power steering pulley (upper right).

Regards, Maurice.

Edited February 20, 2009 by 1schoir

[txhokie4life]

i have a 97 boxster with 115K miles. today i heard a loud clunk like something metal fell from the engine, and then a bunch of lights went off on the dash. The powersteering stopped working and the engine slowly started to overheat. No smoke or steam and it still runs. any ideas?

A good place to start would be to remove the inspection panel on the rear bulkhead, just behind the rear seats.

That will give you a really good look at the serpentine belt, along with the water pump puller (lower left) and the power steering pulley (upper right).

Regards, Maurice.

the bearing in your water pump seized... the shaft on the water pump pully has sheared off.... your serpentine belt is flopping around.... fix it now ..maybe $500.

let it overheat..... $5-10k plus

yiu can get a water pump for $200 and a good indie can do the install.....

I bought one just like yours ... bit the owner blew up the engine before pulling over......

[Bill_SoCal]

i have a 97 boxster with 115K miles. today i heard a loud clunk like something metal fell from the engine, and then a bunch of lights went off on the dash. The powersteering stopped working and the engine slowly started to overheat. No smoke or steam and it still runs. any ideas?

A good place to start would be to remove the inspection panel on the rear bulkhead, just behind the rear seats.

That will give you a really good look at the serpentine belt, along with the water pump puller (lower left) and the power steering pulley (upper right).

Regards, Maurice.

the bearing in your water pump seized... the shaft on the water pump pully has sheared off.... your serpentine belt is flopping around.... fix it now ..maybe $500.

let it overheat..... $5-10k plus

yiu can get a water pump for $200 and a good indie can do the install.....

I bought one just like yours ... bit the owner blew up the engine before pulling over......

Sounds ugly...

Patelk - Any luck with the diagnosis? Have you pulled the rear firewall/bulkhead? Interested to hear what occurred...I think txhokie4life gave a good outline for you (unfortunately)...or hopefully you just lost the drive belt.

Bill

[suburban99]

MY half day old Boxster did the same thing yesterday. Idler pulley bearing let go., and the sepentine belt came off. Hauled car home on my trailer. Took off both idlers and replaced bearing, about $4.00 each.

Remove the bulkhead cover and have a look. Good luck.

[patelk]

still have not tried. too busy with work, but plan on doing it this week.

thanks for all the great advice

[Brad Roberts]

Depending on where you are, I can take a look at it for free if you'd like :) I typically have a water pump and gasket+coolant in my truck for the racers I work with, but I just left my truck and trailer in Texas for an upcoming PCA Club race.

I'm out near Upland, but need to travel to Huntington beach sometime this next week. I'll bring whatever tools I need for front cover removal (10mm socket)

B

[patelk]

thanks for all the advice. the winner is...... the pulley on the water pump sheared off. I just had the pump changed a year ago. they must have used cheap parts.

[RFM]

If the pump is ordered in a OPC, you will have 2 years warranty on parts, go back with the invoice and the broken pump and claim a new one.