Plan to get about 100,000 miles out of your vehicle’s water pump. That is the average lifespan of this cooling system part. Once the water pump goes bad, you’ll need to replace it as soon as possible. Otherwise, Integrity Auto Repair warns that you will experience the following problems underneath the hood.
Poor Coolant Circulation
The water pump is responsible for circulating the coolant through the engine when it is needed. As the water pump begins to fail, it may not be able to circulate the coolant as well as it used to. If your engine is not getting enough coolant, it will overheat.
Coolant Leaks
The water pump is one cooling system part that can leak engine coolant. If you have a coolant leak in the front of your automobile in the center, it’s likely leaking from the water pump. The water pump might start leaking before it dies completely, so this is one of the first signs of water pump failure.
Corrosion
If the water pump has a slow leak, corrosion will build up around the pump. You may be able to see the corrosion on the outside of the water pump. It looks like jelly. If your water pump is getting corroded, it’s time to replace it because it has a slow leak and will continue to fail quickly.
Sounds
The water pump is attached to your vehicle’s accessory belt. This is what powers the pump. If you hear a whining sound coming from your engine that gets louder when you accelerate, this could be a sign that the accessory belt needs to be tightened before it affects the water pump’s functionality.
Overheating Engine
As we mentioned above, the water pump circulates the coolant through the engine. If it is unable to do so, your vehicle’s engine will overheat. This is the number one sign that your water pump has failed. If your vehicle is overheating and you’ve driven it more than 100,000 miles, there’s a good chance that you need to replace the water pump.
Steam
The hotter your engine gets, the more chances you have of steam pouring out from underneath the hood. Once the engine has reached this temperature, it’s dangerous to continue to drive your automobile. In fact, it’s dangerous to drive your automobile even if there isn’t steam coming out from underneath the hood if the temperature gauge is registering too hot.
Integrity Auto Repair in Eugene, OR, would be happy to inspect your water pump and test it to make sure that it is still working. If it isn’t, we’ll replace it.
