Problem with charging/cooling... linked?

If you did not have this issue before changing the water pump and t-stat sounds like air was not completely removed from cooling system. Does your vehicle have the over flow tank with cap to add anti freeze ?

Do not think you have to separate issues just vehicle shut down from over heating.

Ok, I guess I should have included one detail. I replaced the pump way back in '07. Never had any issue with it til about a week ago. And that's one thing that is puzzling me, I don't know if they are related or separate issues. I just know they both happened at the same time.

You did say in your question that after replacing those items would not get up to full temperature. It is strange that you went this long before having this problem but I would try removing all air from cooling system. Will the vehicle start now since it has cooled down ?

Oh yeah.. it seems to be running normal right now, it's charging the battery and everything. When all this stupid snow clears out I'm thinking of taking it out for a drive and see what happens. Right now it's got a huge pile of snow blocking it in so it'll be a while.

Understand that just finished digging my vehicles out. Like I said do not believe you have a problem with charging system because when a vehicle over heats it shuts the vehicle off and dash lights will come on when vehicle shuts off before turning off the key.

I really don't think the discharging was a result of the overheating. Let me describe the scenario in detail... It was about 9:30 pm, I'm leaving work. It's 17 degrees outside, I have an hour drive to get home and no heat. Yay. About ten minutes into the drive I happened to notice the voltage was down around 9, in the red. At the same time I looked at the temp gauge, which is normally showing the needle just barely above the 100 degree mark is now around 150 or so and climbing. Just a few seconds later, the temp dropped to 'normal' and the volts went back to 14. Everything seemed ok, but I was still worried. Twenty minutes later, I'm about halfway home, keeping an eye on the gauges, when the temp begins climbing again. At the same instant the volts drop to 9. Before it ever got a chance to overheat. But this time the temp kept on climbing. I managed to find a place to pull over and stop before the temp gauge hit the ceiling, although it did overheat. There was a puddle of coolant on the ground after I stopped. So I'm wondering if these are two separate events that happened at the same time, if so.... how? Or is there something going on that could have caused both to happen simultaneously? I really don't think the discharge was a result of the overheating.

Did you find out where the anti freeze leak was coming form ?

I believe once you fix the anti freeze leak you will be good to go. I still believe it was from the vehicle over heating because when a vehicle over heats does not do it instantly as vehicle is getting to that point of over heating the vehicle is starting to shut down.