So I bought an SRT-6 this past December up in Seattle, WA, and drove it 2,000 miles back down to TX. After having fun gunning the engine on a few straight roads leading out of Seattle, I noticed within the first few hours of the drive that the SRT was transforming into a Prius about 50% of the time. Needless to say, after 2,000 miles of this, I quickly did some research, pinned the blame on the silly IC pump, and ordered a new Bosch one from Rob.

I figure the pump failed due to sitting for 1.5 years (yes, years) without leaving the garage. The car only had 982 miles on it, since the previous owner bought it for his wife. After sitting that long, I speculate that the coolant corroded the main lead part in the pump and caused it to crack (see pics), resulting in my supercharger overheating and having to shut down to cool every few feet.

The install was a b****, since it was my first time doing any work with the coolant system, removing the wheel/ panels, and crimping tiny wires together. But I did get to spend some quality one-on-one time with my SRT, and in the end I took the following pictures of the failed IC pump.

Btw, I'd like to take this chance to say a very big thank you to all of you experienced SRT owners out there whose posts I pour through on a weekly--sometimes daily-- basis, while looking for more tips on how to turn the SRT into the ULTIMATE driving machine.

Finally, a few questions..has anyone ever taken a hose to the undercarriage of their Crossfire? Will I possibly cause water damage to my car by doing so? I'm in Colorado for training and the road salt here is an ugly mess.

Check out the pics, and thanks for all your valuable insight.
Peace.
-Kenny

 

That's exactly what mine looked like when it failed.

I ended up mounting the replacement in the engine bay.. But it's good to hear you got your fixed and are back on the (salted) road.

 

That's par for the course when it comes to these pumps but you'll be happy for a good long while with the new one from Rob. BTW, did you solder and heat shrink or the new connector on or just crimp and wrap with ET? If you did just crimp it, I would recommend soldering it when you get a chance. It's not going to be life or death but I have seen the car code up due to crimped connections and if it does, you'll see the coolant light come on intermittently so just giving you a heads up about that. Also, you'll be fine spraying down the car. Just use your better judgement about where you're hitting it with the high pressure water and keep it away from the electrical boxes in the upper rear corners of the engine compartment as that is where all the sensitive electronics sit. You can wash them off, just don't hit them up close as you can push water past the seals.

Take care and enjoy the new car.

 

I took apart my IC pump at 75K and it looked fine. Must be from sitting, it was definitly the original pump, you could tell nobody had been in there.

 

Ken, thanks for the info on the IC. FYI, I've been washing and detailing cars since the mid-60's, and almost always wash the undercarriage each time with a regular garden hose (typically, about 40 psi) and nozzle, and have NEVER had a problem, so wash away! With todays cars, some of it's even easier than in the past, given the abundant use of plastic everywhere, and especially in wheel wells, which I just don't spray, but wash with a different washing mitt from that I use on the exterior paint. The last thing I do is wash the engine compartment, wipe down what I can reach and dry, and then close the hood and start the engine to let the heat do the rest. It works like a champ.

Lastly, for what it is worth (and this may cause some perked forum ears), I typically only wax my garaged cars twice a year, and those parked outside maybe 3-4 times a year, contrary to some on this forum who say they do it 10 times..., but maybe their circumstances are different. and I NEVER use electric buffers of any kind (save them for your boat), as they remove paint surfaces excessively and cause severe premature wear. Hey, just look at a buffing wheel surface after use -- that's your paint on there. But, again, that's my 2-cents.

Again, thanks for the IC info. This forum is a great place.
regards -- bob

 

Nice writeup and pics Jet Did your pump have a small 'vent' hose on the back? mine does but it seems not all of them do. It routes strait up and is factory shrinkwrapped onto one of the larger pump hoses. I wish I had thought to have as replacement pump ready, with the front bumper clip off replacement would be a snap and I was in that far 2 weekends ago


Alan

 

Yes, mine had a small breather hose attached to it. I simply cut the end of it off, so it wouldn't be dangling too close to the ground. There was no place to attach it to the new Bosch pump

 

Hey Rudy, yes I crimped the wires to connect the new pump. Was going to solder them together, but being a newbie solderer I forgot to bring the flux and heat shrink to the lift. So I used the easier crimp connectors instead. I crimped them on pretty tight, but will keep your advice in mind if temp lights start going off.
What do you mean by fine spray? I usually use the local DIY carwash down the street, and it has two spray options: garden hose pressure and high pressure

 

Where in the engine bay? Wouldn't that get a little messy when draining the coolant to replace the pump..

 

Hi Bob, sweet washing tips. When you say you only wax the car 4 times a year, do you use clay/ polish on it after every wash? I bought a discount electric buffer but haven't used it yet. I've "fine-detailed" my car just once since buying it, and that included wash, shammy dry, and hand-buffing the Turtle Wax Black Box wax all over. Took about 3.5 hours and was a heck of a job