Signs of a Bad Water Pump
Owning and driving a car can definitely be a nice luxury. But, when it comes to taking care of it and doing what must be done whenever a problem occurs, we tend to put it off until later. Even though there are certain issues that we can afford to put off until later, replacing a bad water pump definitely doesn’t fall into this category.
Driving your car with a broken water pump can cause critical damage to your engine. In addition, not only will you have to replace the water pump, you will most likely need a new engine as well. As a result, I’ll be showing you some of the major signs to look out for whenever you feel you have an issue with your vehicle’s water pump. Remember, this isn’t something that will go away, so you should assess the situation immediately.
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Leakage
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Whenever some type of liquid starts leaking from a car, this is almost never good news. Leakage is one of the first and main symptoms we see when something is wrong with our vehicles. A bad water pump can cause leakage that you can easily spot. This will be a coolant leak and should come from the front end of your vehicle, considering the engine is in the front.
This issue may not mean you will have to replace your water pump, as it can also just be a sign of a cracked gasket. In any case, you should take care of such an issue as soon as you can and try not to drive your car knowing there is an issue of this type.
Weird Noises
Everyone knows their car best. They know which bumps will be felt the most, they know how it turns, and they know how it sounds. Hearing a noise that appears out of the ordinary coming from under the hood can often be one of the signs of a bad water pump.
In this case, hearing this symptom may not be as dangerous as many others. A weird noise can simply mean that there is a loose belt that merely needs tightening. The loose belt may have gotten that way because of a loose pulley or because of old bearings that are worn. If the bearings are worn completely, they will need to be replaced as it’s too late for repairs in this case. Catching and dealing with this on time means less to repairs and less money to spend.
Steam or Smoke
Hearing a high-pitched buzzing sound coming from under the hood may not be as dangerous, but once you see smoke or steam coming from the same place that’s when things can get out of hand. This also usually means that you’ve been putting off this issue for a little while. The steam or smoke coming from under the hood usually means that the engine is overheating, which is definitely a horrible thing.
A water pump that does not function properly isn’t capable of cooling the engine as it should. Once again, not dealing with it on time will eventually mean getting a new engine as well. This symptom may also mean that the engine has also suffered some amount of damage. So, if you can, deal with the problem when you see the previous, less threatening symptoms and don’t wait to see steam coming out from under the hood.
Constant Overheating
Whatever the case may be, you certainly don’t need to wait for symptoms of a bad water pump to take your car to the mechanic every time your engine overheats. However, a completely broken water pump can force your engine to constantly overheat. If your indicator constantly warns you about this, you should immediately take your vehicle to the mechanic and take care of the problem.
If your engine often overheats, certain parts will start to give out until no amount of repair can bring it back to life. It will take much more than a simple engine flush to make it better this time. Because of this, taking care of the problem on time saves you both a lot of money and stress.
Key Takeaways
One of the most important questions that this article was designed to answer is the following: “Can you drive a car with a broken water pump?” The answer to this question is a hard “NO!” You’ve seen the damage a broken water pump can do to your engine. It can quickly make sure that you’re looking for a new engine as well, not just a new water pump replacement.
So, now you know how to tell if a water pump is bad and you should always act accordingly whenever such a symptom pops up. Do the right thing and take care of it on time, for your sake and for your car as well. Fixing the water pump isn’t nearly as costly as replacing an entire engine.