I have a 2003 Mazda protege 4cylinder it leaks coolant when the car is running really bad but not when it turned off. It overheats really quick is it my water pump or thermostat

SOURCE: 1998 monte carlo coolant

I just did a lower intake reseal on my 98 monte's 3100, it's not tough to do, the biggest part is paying attention to what pushrod came from what position and ensuring they go back to where they came from, not only for wear patterns, but for different lengths on the intake and exhaust push-rods.

I work for a GM dealer in northwest montana, and I can say it's not cheap labor-wise, generally around 6 hours of labor and around 300 in parts...it can add up quick, but when those intakes start leaking oil and coolant, things can go sour quickly...espeically if coolant starts leaking into the engine, not good for bearings.

Dex cool is not the problem with these gaskets leaking, it's common on 3100's, 3400's, 3300's, etc, any motor from that series that has that style of lower intake is prone to the issue, the rubber/plastic/composite will eventually warp, break down, crack, seperate from hot and cold cycles, I've seen it all too many times. Dex cool is the best coolant out there, there's a reason that prestone, peak, zerex can't compete, in fact a few of those blends are blends that are less efficient that Dex that GM decided not to patent. But the Dex patent is due to run out soon to the point everyone can start using dex. One issue with dex is the "gum-up" problem when the mixture is not ideal and the level is left low, but flushing and setting proper mixture (50/50) and level will alleviate this problem.

SOURCE: My mazda protege 92 is leaking coolant. I have

It's probably the water pump and it's leaking on the serpintine belt and throwing it in a different location and running along the block and appears it's coming from the middle .
Location of the pump is here .

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/500/1910water_pump.JPG&imgrefurl=http://forums.motivemag.com/zerothread%3Fid%3D4312475&usg=__hhgpJQC6ED4ouO1k-dMQR1PN0ZM=&h=615&w=461&sz=96&hl=en&start=12&um=1&tbnid=Kkmiz9xNmH7NtM:&tbnh=136&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmazda%2Bprotege%2B92%2Bwater%2Bpump%2Blocation%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

SOURCE: Jeep Wrangler leaking coolant

IT IS THE WATER-PUMP. PLEASE DON'T WAIT FOR IT TO OVER-HEAT BECAUSE THEN IT WILL BE TOO LATE, AND VERY COSTLY. PRICE A HEAD-GASKET JOB AND COMPARE IT TO THE COST OF A WATER PUMP. HOPE THIS HELPS YOU MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE. BEST OF LUCK.

SOURCE: 2001 Mazda Protege cooling fan or thermostat

I am realizing that the cooling fan in this car is very important. It has two in case you didn't notice. The driver side fan motor is bad in mine and the only result is poor air conditioner performance in stop and go traffic. It's fine at high speeds. I would think the thermostat is likely the culprit in your case, but if the fans are not working at all, you should get those replaced. The motors may be bad in both, which could definitely cause overheating. I've been researching prices and you should be able to get the parts for less than $100 each and installation is just a couple of bolts on each assembly.

SOURCE: 2002 mitsubishi montero 3.5L is

Hello and welcome to FixYa! If you have overheating problem, it can lead to multipleissues. You may be running on low coolant that's why the vehicle overheats. Ifthat's the case, please add coolant and make sure that it sits on the rightlevel, too much coolant can cause overheating too for coolant will overflow. The vehicle may have a faulty or worn out radiator blowermotor that's why it overheats. If that's the case then you will need a blowermotor replacement to resolve the issue. If the radiator is clogged with dirt and rusts this issueoccurs too. The coolant doesn't flow normally on the cooling system if it'sclogged. If that's the case, I strongly suggest that you have the radiatorflushed to drain out dirt and rusts. If you think that the radiator served youenough then it's better to have it replaced. Please do check the radiator hoses, If you have worn outhoses it can cause coolant leakage which can result to overheating. A tiny holeis good enough for the vehicle to overheat. A faulty thermostat sensor can cause the issue too. If youhave worn out thermostat, the fan may not trigger that's why the fan won't workwhen under stressed conditions. A blown radiator blower fuse can cause thisissue too so I suggest that you check the radiator blower fuse and replace itwhen necessary. What causes the radiator blower fan fuse to blow? It's becauseof a failing radiator blower motor, If that's the case have the radiator blowerfan motor replaced. If the fluid in radiator doesn't circulate then it meansthat you have a blown head gasket or a faulty water pump. I suggest that you gofor the water pump replacement first specially if you think that it's near theend of it's service life. Usually, water pops out the radiator when engine isreved (a sign of faulty water pump and possible blown head gasket). Hope you find this information helpful enough and thank youfor using FixYa! Have a good one!