The water pump is extremely important to the cooling system in your car, truck, or utility vehicle. Without the water pump, coolant would not be circulated through the engine to keep the temperature at normal. On average, an engine’s temperature should never exceed 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Without a functional water pump, the engine’s temperature will rise quickly. The following are signs that your water pump is going bad and needs to be replaced.
Corroded Pump
The water pump is designed to last for about 10 years or 100,000 miles. Once it gets too old, it may start to leak slowly. When this happens, the pump will get corroded because the coolant will puddle around it. Naturally, the corrosion will eat through the pump and increase the amount of coolant that is leaking out of it. If you see that your water pump is corroded, have it replaced right away.
Leaking Coolant
Taking immediate action helps to prevent coolant on the garage floor. The more the coolant eats through the water pump, the greater the coolant leak. As we mentioned above, you need plenty of coolant circulating through the engine to keep the temperature below 220 degrees. If the coolant level gets too low because it is leaking out of the water pump, your engine will overheat.
Poor Circulation
The engine is also going to overheat if the water pump is no longer able to circulate the coolant through the engine. This, too, can happen if the water pump gets too old. It may reduce the circulation or it may not circulate the coolant at all. Unfortunately, this, too, will make your engine overheat. If you bring your vehicle to our shop, we can test the coolant circulation to see if there is a problem.
Growling Noises
The water pump is located next to the radiator in the front of your engine. As such, if you hear growling noises coming from this location, the water pump is most likely making the sound. This, too, is a sign that the water pump is malfunctioning and needs to be replaced. In some cases, the water pump’s functionality can be affected by a loose accessory belt that will squeal.
Overheating
Finally, as we have mentioned above, there are a couple of reasons why your engine will overheat all the time if the water pump is bad. It could be because you don’t have enough coolant in the engine, or it could be because the water pump is no longer circulating the coolant.
Do not worry. We are here to help, so call our shop today to schedule a service visit.