12 SIGNS OF A BAD WATER PUMP ON YOUR CAR

12 signs of a bad water pump on your car the water pump is the heart of the engine's cooling system it is the water pump's job to constantly circulate the coolant throughout the entire cooling circuit and thus regulate the coolant flow rate water pumps are most commonly driven externally by a pulley belt combination a bad water pump can cause an engine to overheat the car water pump is one more crucial part of the engine this is why recognizing signs of a bad water pump is very important when it's not working properly there isn't a good flow of coolant which causes huge problems for the engine like overheating so knowing and immediately noticing the first signs of a bad water pump may mean the difference between a more or less simple repair and a partial engine rebuild car water pumps are very simple mechanisms they are centrifugal pumps that are belt driven by the power of the engine so the moment the engine starts running the water pump creates a circulation of coolant inside the system the coolant then runs through the radiator and other elements which cools it down to a normal temperature common signs of a bad water pump one weep hole leakage this is in most cases the first sign of a water pump problem if you see a small puddle under the car or traces of moisture where the water pump is located you should react immediately the punt's internal mechanical seal seals the shaft towards the cooling circuit protecting the bearings by preventing coolant from passing into the bearing assembly these are the seals that protect the inner part of the pump from getting in contact with coolant when a water pump is new some seepage from the weep hole is normal as it takes about 10 minutes of operation for the mechanical seal to properly seat itself break in period more pronounced seepage and drips from the weep hole after this break-in period or a large coolant bleed mark around the weep hole are abnormal and indicate impending water pump failure the main cause of this kind of leakage is usually contaminated coolant worn out mechanical seals inside the pump itself is mostly solved by replacing the complete water pump in some rare cases the pump can be dismantled and repaired but the price of labor in parts is such that it simply isn't worth it exceptions are older or more rare types of cars where parts are hard to find and the only solution is reparation thoroughly flush the cooling system before installing the new pump and refill the system with the correct vehicle manufacturer's recommended coolant never dry run a water pump not even for a few seconds dry running of the pump ruins its mechanical seal two leakage from the mounting surface this usually is seepage drips or large coolant bleed marks on or around the mounting surface or on the housing improper water pump installation or improper use of seals or gaskets or sealant is the main cause for this kind of leakage if the pump is okay the gasket is the next most common reason for a coolant leak in most cases it's located on the water pump housing in order to fix this kind of problem in case of a recently installed new water pump carefully remove check and reinstall the water pump strictly follow the torque specifications make sure seals or gaskets are in perfect condition and are installed correctly when sealant is prescribed clean the rims of the part and the mounting surface and apply new sealant evenly along the edge of the part if the leakage is not the consequence of an improperly installed new water pump the pump must be replaced immediately three moisture around the timing belt cover for water pumps driven by the timing belt leaks are harder to spot in this case as the water pump is under the timing belt cover but usually at the beginning there is only a small leak which will first appear on the belt cover as a moist stain later as the problem gets worse coolant will drip from the cover onto the ground making it more visible sometimes the stain can also be caused by an oil leak the best way to tell them apart is by sense and smell if you can try reaching the stain and rub it with your fingers then smell it coolant has a specific smell distinctive from engine oil and there will be no mistake if you have a coolant leak also it's not as greasy under the fingers as engine oil is 4. rust and corrosion rust and corrosion on the surfaces of the water pump for example corrosion of the impeller fins makes the pump ineffective in moving the coolant rust and corrosion is caused mainly by contaminated coolant non-compatible coolant or mixing coolants of different chemistries another possible cause may be a defective pressure cap causing air bubbles accelerating the rust process solution replace the water pump thoroughly flush the cooling system before installing the new pump and refill the system with the correct vehicle manufacturer's recommended coolant inspect the pressure cap and replace if defective five frequent low coolant level leaks will mean frequent low level of coolant if you didn't spot any leaks then this is the most obvious sign of a bad water pump a bad water pump is rarely noticed right away except for more severe cases the leak can last for months before serious problems start the reason for this is the gradual material fatigue of the pump parts in the beginning it's just coolant moist and trickles which over time becomes a full-blown leak so if you have to add coolant from time to time check the water pump and the location around it as well as the rest of the coolant system the best way to spot a problem of water pump or otherwise is to make regular checkups on your car as it will save you a lot of trouble and money over time six deposit buildup deposits sludge and scale build up on the inside clogging the water pump and hampering proper functioning of its individual components deposit buildup is caused by contaminated coolant non-compatible coolant or mixing coolants of different chemistries if there is deep deposit that cannot be easily cleaned off replace the water pump thoroughly flush the cooling system before installing the new pump and refill the system with the correct vehicle manufacturer's recommended coolant 7. overheating engine if the engine starts to overheat frequently and the temperature gauge is constantly showing high temperature then you may have sign of a bad water pump faulty impeller the small turbine-like part connected to the pump shaft that actually pushes water through the system could lead to engine overheating two most common causes the impeller blades were out over time faulty or worn out bearings on the pump cause the pump shaft and impeller to get out of line and grind against the pump housing worn out impellers mean a weak flow of coolant simply the proper pumping force can't be achieved eight cavitation vapor cavities or bubbles in the coolant collapse with explosive force pock marking the pumps individual components the pock marked areas then corrode away the cause of cavitation is usually the formation of bubbles at the coolant inlet of the pump as the pressure increases in the system the bubbles implode and cause harm the solution is to replace the water pump thoroughly flush the cooling system before installing the new pump and refill the system with the correct vehicle manufacturer's recommended coolant nine grinding noise from the engine bay if you hear a grinding noise coming from the engine bay this may be one more sure sign of a bad water pump the noise starts in most cases as barely noticeable and gradually builds up to an unpleasant grinding tone the main reason is the bearings inside the pump the shaft inside the pump is held in place with bearings the bearings were out due to material fatigue which is no surprise since the pump turns over billions of times in its service period solve this problem as soon as possible before it causes major damage to the engine itself the bearing failure is usually accompanied by noticeable leaks before the water pump totally fails complete replacement is the best solution here some water pumps can be repaired through installing new bearings but this rarely the case before any kind of repair just make sure to pinpoint the correct sound of the grinding noise as it's not exclusive only to the water pump it may be caused by other devices with faulty bearings like the alternator ac compressor or else so make sure what's causing the noise before taking off the pump with the engine off check the condition of the bearing by looking for any side to side play at the shaft apply hand pressure there should be no play at all rumbling or screeching noises coming from the water pump indicate a worn bearing a misaligned belt causes excessive wear an over tension belt causes overload on the bearing accelerating wear a damaged mechanical seal allows coolant to leak through the bearings and wash away the lubricator replace the water pump and make sure to inspect the belt drive system belt tensioner pulleys belt tension and alignment 10 frequent water pump drive belt problems frequent belt problems are one more of the sure signs of a bad water pump some of the most common are a faulty water pump pulley will damage the serpentine belt over a short period of time a squeaking sound is mostly caused by a faulty pulley or a severely worn out belt screeching appears when the pump bearings are the problem since the pulley is heavily turning a sure sign that a total failure is near and that the pump will stop turning all together before the screeching sound a grinding noise and coolant leak may appear around the water pump if you for some reason neglect the grinding noise wobbling and eventually the screeching sound you'll surely get a broken belt the water pump pulley will get stuck and in a short time the belt will snap or break of course this can also happen if you haven't changed the belt on time timely reaction and paying attention to these signs of a bad water pump is crucial and of the most importance noticing and reacting on time can save both your engine and your budget otherwise in a worst case scenario the engine can overheat the timing belt can break and this can lead to a partial or complete engine rebuild also make sure the car maintenance is done on time and with quality parts take this problem very seriously tend to it as soon as possible and if you can in more severe cases avoid driving the car altogether eleven damaged or broken shaft there are times when the water pump shaft is bent or broken a clean break indicates an instantaneous fracture caused by sudden overload or imbalance if the broken shaft is discolored usually blue the damage was gradual indicating excessive heat buildup before the shaft broke what causes water pump shaft damage a misaligned belt causes excessive wear an over tension belt imposes a powerful bending force on the shaft resulting in shaft bending or early shaft fracture excessive vibrations due to lack of maintenance if you happen to have damaged a broken water pump shaft replace the water pump and make sure to inspect the belt drive system belt tensioner pulleys belt tension and alignment if equipped with a water pump mounted fan inspect the fan and fan clutch assembly the fan may not be squarely mounted on the shaft a bent or damaged fan a worn spacer or a worn or damaged fan clutch could also be factors contributing to the brake 12 wobbling belt if you look at the water pump drive belt while the engine is running and the motion is not linear but wobbling you might have a faulty water pump pulley the main reasons for this could be a pump bearings may be worn out when the bearings inside the pump are worn out the shaft is not centered properly since the pulley is directly connected to the shaft it too is not centered because of this the wobbling appears b water pump pulley is faulty the main reason for a faulty pulley is material fatigue or poor material quality constant strain and pressure over a prolonged period of time can damage the pulley see pulley is not properly tightened this is rarely the case and is mostly caused if some previous improper work has been done causing a damaged screw thread it hasn't been tightened properly etc the screws or nuts that hold the pulley have safety washers under them or other systems that secure these into place so the rotation force doesn't accidentally take them off so if no one touched it you shouldn't have these kinds of problems when the bearings are worn out replacing the complete water pump is the best solution if the wobbling is caused by the pulley in most cases the pulley can be replaced separately well that's all we have for you in this video if you enjoyed watching please smash the like button and subscribe for more

Channel: The AbJ Garage

Views: 179,645

Keywords: automotive, waterpumps, carcare, autoparts, aftermarket, counterman, water pump, bad water pump noise, symptoms of a bad water pump, bad water pump, water pump symptoms, bad water pump symptoms, bad water pump symptoms car, water pump car, failing water pump sound, engine light on, p0217, water pump leaking, car making whining noise, heater not working in car, signs of a bad water pump, bad water pump signs, water pump location, where is water pump located in car, DIY, cooling, coolant

Id: uRmk2qaUDPY

Length: 13min 25sec (805 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 23 2022