Water Pump Noises?

[CherokeeMan]

Hello - I have a 96 Jeep Cherokee 4.0L auto with 202K. Lately, when I start it up cold I hear a whining noise coming from around the fan belt area near the front of the engine. I have lubricated most of the moving parts but the noise is still there. After the engine heats up the noise usually goes away. Also, when I turn off the engine a hissing sound comes from the same area for about 3 seconds. I replaced the rad and most of the hoses about 2 years ago. I am slowly losing radiator fluid from somewhere as well. Does this mean my water pump is dying and needs to be replacement?

If so, do you have any mechanic recommendations? I need a new mechanic 

Thanks
CherokeeMan

[rws]

Using a small inspection mirror with a flashlight look at the front of your motor where the lower rad hose connects to the waterpump.  If  the pump is leaking you will see where antifreeze has run down the bottom of the pump onto the hose than you know the pump is "done".    This is an excellent opportunity to put on a high-flow after market pump.

[rainemaker]

always start simple like check your rad cap and make sure it is holding pressure, tighten all hose clamps and thermostat housing bolts, are you having overheating problems?a cooling system problem should affect your temp esspecialy if it is the pump and if you have a leak it could be cavitating (starving )your water pump and that makes quite a wine. If you can't find the leak now try washing it and then run it and use the mirror and light. These are just some things to check. If you want to take it to a mechanic and you are sure it is the cooling system I would try a rad shop like Citywide or some one else. They specialize in cooling systems so the labor should be cheaper because they specialize. PM me if you want to tackle this yourself and want some help

[bae146]

Could be the idler bearing for your serpentine belt?

[CherokeeMan]

Thanks for the advice I took my Jeep to the mechanic on Friday and they found a crack in my rad between the core and the tank. Basically, it was a bad weld (defect) so I got the rad replaced. They said my water pump is fine. I couldn't find any leaks. The hissing sound is now gone when I turn off the engine however I am still hearing a loud noise from the front of the engine. I inspected it again tonight and it sounds like my rad fan is the source. I sprayed the center joint with a little WD-40 but it's still making a loud noise. Is there any easy way to fix this?

Thanks again
CherokeeMan

[rws]

The idler is a usual problem.  Cheap and easy to fix.  The squeal can be very high pitched and annoying.