How Can I Tell if My Car’s Water Pump Has Gone Bad?

Your water pump will give you signs if it is going bad. You can expect to get anywhere from 60,000 miles to 90,000 miles out of your water pump. Once the water pump starts to go bad, Total Auto Care advises that it will need to be replaced. There are ways you can tell that your water pump is dying. Here are the symptoms that are common with a water pump that is at the end of its life.

Coolant Puddles

The water pump is one cooling system part that can spring the leak. If the leak is bad, you will end up with puddles of engine coolant on your garage floor. Naturally, this lowers the levels of coolant in your engine and causes it to overheat. A leaking water pump cannot be repaired. Rather, it needs to be replaced. We can do this here at our shop. 

Corroded Water Pump

We can also replace your water pump if it is corroded. A corroded water pump is still a water pump that is leaking. The only difference is that the leak is small enough that the engine coolant just gathers around the water pump and corrodes it. Even though the leak is not a coolant hemorrhage, you still need to get the water pump replaced to fix the leak.

Overheating Engine

The reason why is simple: If your water pump is leaking, your engine will overheat. You cannot afford to drive your automobile when the engine is overheating. Doing so causes unnecessary damage to things such as your exhaust manifold, your head gasket, and the engine block. The hotter your engine gets the greater the chances you have of severe damage.

Zero Coolant Circulation

Your engine will also overheat if the water pump has died and is no longer circulating the coolant through the engine. This is the water pump’s job; to circulate coolant. We can inspect your automobile to determine whether coolant is being circulated or not. If it isn’t, this suggests that your water pump has died and it needs to be replaced.

Whining Sounds

As an aside, your water pump can also have problems if your vehicle’s accessory belt has problems. This is because the water pump relies on the accessory belt for power. If you hear whining or screeching sounds when you first start your automobile, this is a sign that your accessory belt needs to be tightened. The sounds may continue as you drive and increase as you pick up speed.Total Auto Care in North Branch, MN, can help. Call us today if you suspect that your water pump has gone bad.