Your car, truck, or utility vehicle relies on the water pump to circulate coolant through the engine to ensure it doesn’t overheat. The water pump installed in your automobile when the engine was built should last about 100,000 miles. Stringer Auto Repair is going to list the signs that your water pump is dying or has died below. It’s important to address the problem right away to avoid damaging the engine.
Poor Coolant Circulation
One of the things that will damage the engine is poor coolant circulation caused by a faulty water pump. If you think of the water pump as a heart and the coolant as blood, you understand better how the water pump works. If the water pump has died, it will not be able to circulate the coolant through the engine. If it is malfunctioning, it may not circulate enough coolant through the engine.
Water Pump Leakage
Unfortunately, an older water pump can begin to leak. You will notice spots or puddles of coolant on your garage floor if the leak is severe enough. Check the fluid on the garage floor to see if the color matches that of your engine coolant. If it is leaking from the front of the engine, it is likely the water pump or it might be leaking from the radiator. Either way, you cannot drive your automobile safely if it is leaking coolant because the levels will get too low to reduce the engine temperature.
Water Pump Corrosion
The water pump can also spring minor leaks that leave your garage floor clean. Still, the pump is leaking. If you inspect the water pump, you will see corrosion around it. This corrosion is the leaking engine coolant. Even a minor leak can reduce the coolant levels enough to affect your engine’s temperature, so it’s important to have the water pump replaced as soon as possible if it is leaking.
An Overheating Engine
Finally, all of these things can cause your engine to overheat all the time. This is where the engine damage occurs. An engine that runs too hot will damage parts such as your head gasket, the exhaust manifold, and the catalytic converter among other things. If your engine gets hot enough, you may even crack the engine block and this is something that cannot be repaired.
Stringer Auto Repair in Johnstown, OH, is here to help, so call us today to schedule an appointment for a water pump inspection if you suspect yours has gone bad.
