Your water pump is responsible for delivering the coolant into the car’s engine and cylinders. If your water pump fails, your engine will overheat, and you will need to potentially pay thousands of dollars in repair costs. This is the main reason you need to learn how to spot the most common signs of a failing water pump and have it inspected on a regular basis.
How Long Does Your Water Pump Function Without Fault?
It is difficult to tell when your water pump will give in, and it can happen to any car due to the stress we put on our vehicles and the constant movement of the parts when the engine is running. While your regular mechanic inspections would generally cover water pumps and belts, it is important that you schedule checks every six months on cars older than three years. Fortunately, water pumps are generally designed to last a long time — up to 60,000 to 90,000 miles.
How to Avoid Water Pump Problems
Prevention is always cheaper than treatment, and this is true for your water pump. If it fails and you ignore the signs, you can end up with a damaged and smoking engine that needs to be replaced or repaired at a high cost. Even though you might not be able to fully diagnose your water pump, you can look for warning signs. Keeping an eye on the warning lights on your dashboard is easy, and you can also schedule an inspection of the belts running from the pump to the engine every three months.
Common Signs of Water Pump Failure
You might be able to see a weep hole leakage of the coolant, which will reduce the performance of your pump and, consequently, your engine. This problem is usually caused by contamination of the coolant, and it is easy to fix if you spot it on time. A trained mechanic will need to flush and refill the entire system.
You might find rust on the metal surface of the pump. This fault can also be caused by contaminated or noncompatible coolant. You always need to make sure you are using your car manufacturer’s recommended engine coolant, or you’ll end up with even more problems. If you are not sure which one to use, read more on different types of coolants.
Leaking of the coolant to the ground or garage floor is a very common sign of water pump failure. When you get into and start your car, back up some to see if there is any sign of dripping fluid on the ground. You must repair the leaking pump immediately before you end up with engine damage.
In some cases, the problem is not the coolant or the pump itself, but the belt. Through our Lexus service department, we offer quality parts directly from the manufacturer. If your car makes a whining noise, the belt is likely loose and needs to be adjusted. If it is loose because of wear and damage, it will also need to be changed.
Image by Bill Abbott is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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