Plan to get about 100,000 miles out of the original water pump in your car, truck, or utility vehicle. Once you reach this coveted milestone, it’s possible that the water pump will begin to leak or otherwise malfunction. This can cause a huge problem in your vehicle’s engine because the water pump is the cooling system part that circulates the coolant through the engine. Urb’s Garage would be happy to inspect your vehicle’s water pump if you notice any of the problems listed below. These are signs that indicate that your water pump has reached the end of its life and needs to be replaced.
Corroded Water Pump
An older water pump will start to leak. Usually, the initial leak is a minor one that isn’t noticeable unless you inspect the water pump visually. Therefore, we recommend that you inspect your water pump on a regular basis if your vehicle has a lot of mileage on it. If you see corrosion around the water pump, you have a minor water pump leak, and the engine coolant is seeping out of the pump.
Engine Coolant Leak
This minor leak will get worse if it is left unaddressed. Consequently, you will eventually end up with puddles or spots of engine coolant on your garage floor. This is an indication that the water pump is starting to give in to its age. Unfortunately, the only way to fix a water pump leak is to replace the water pump itself. Again, if your vehicle has over 100,000 miles on it, you’ve gotten all that you can out of the existing water pump.
Bad Coolant Circulation
A faulty water pump will also be unable to circulate the coolant through the engine in order to reduce the engine’s temperature. You may have partial circulation where the engine is at least getting a little bit of coolant or no circulation at all. This is an indication that the water pump needs to be replaced. Replacing the faulty pump will resolve the problem.
Constant Overheating
Both leaks and poor circulation will cause your engine to overheat constantly. The coolant leaks reduce the coolant levels in the cooling system and, as a consequence, the engine does not get enough coolant to keep the temperature down.
If the water pump has died completely or is in the process of dying, it may not be circulating coolant through the engine. Constant overheating can damage your engine beyond repair, so don’t drive your automobile if it is overheating all the time.
Urb’s Garage in Burlington, KY, or Erlanger, KY, would be happy to inspect your water pump and replace it if necessary. Call us today to set up an appointment.
