If your car, truck, or utility vehicle has over 100,000 miles on it and it is overheating constantly, you may have a faulty water pump. Tri Valley Auto Repair & Diesel explains that it is important that you avoid driving your automobile when the engine is running too hot. Continuing to drive it can cause serious damage including cracking the engine block. This overheating along with the following signs are an indication that your car’s water pump has gone bad and needs to be replaced.
Leaking Coolant
One thing that will make your engine overheat is leaking engine coolant. If the spots on your garage floor are directly under the front of the engine, either the water pump or radiator is leaking. Generally, when the radiator is leaking, the engine coolant has an orange tint to it because it is filled with rust. If the coolant is its normal color, it’s likely leaking out of the old water pump.
Corroded Pump
The water pump can also spring a minor leak that will not leave you with engine coolant on the garage floor. Rather, the leaking coolant will pool around the water pump and corrode it. If you take a look at your water pump and see corrosion all around it, your water pump has a leak. Even a minor leak can cause the engine to overheat because there is not enough coolant to reduce its temperature. It’s important to get a leaking water pump replaced as soon as possible to avoid engine damage.
Poor Circulation
Aside from leaking, your water pump may also malfunction and be unable to circulate coolant through the engine. This is the primary job of the water pump. If the engine does not have coolant circulating through it, it will overheat. We can check your coolant circulation to see how well the water pump is functioning. If it isn’t functioning up to standard, we can replace it. Again, to prevent engine damage, it’s important to replace the water pump so your engine stops overheating.
Whining Noises
Finally, you may hear whining noises that sound as if they are coming from the water pump. In reality, these noises are the accessory belt to which the pump is attached. Regardless, if the accessory belt is too loose and not rotating as it should be, it can directly affect the water pump’s functionality.
Call Tri Valley Auto Repair & Diesel in Limon, CO, today if you suspect that your car’s water pump has gone bad. We can replace the pump if it needs it.
