What Causes a Water Pump to Fail? – UnderhoodService

What Causes a Water Pump to Fail?

Water pump failure can happen at any time during the year. Depending on the season, your customer may see different symptoms, and not understand the root cause. We'll point out a couple of symptoms that vary with the season, and some that stay the same all year round.

Sponsored by GMB North America, Inc.

Water pump failure can happen at any time during the year. Depending on the season, your customer may see different symptoms, and not understand the root cause. We’ll point out below a couple of symptoms that vary with the season, and some that stay the same all year round.

Common Symptoms of a Failing Water Pump

When not addressed in a timely fashion, a failing water pump can cause the engine to overheat and seize. It is usually a gradual process, but there are many telltale signs to look out for in order to catch the problem early on. Any time a customer brings in a car with the following symptoms, it’s highly recommended to check out the water pump.

Year Round Symptoms

  • Low coolant level
  • A high pitched, whining or growling sound coming from the front of the engine
  • A coolant leak at the front of the car
  • Overheating

Hot Weather Symptom

  • The temperature gauge showing warmer than normal coolant temperature (but not yet overheating)

Cold Weather Symptom

  • Heater doesn’t produce much heat (due to low coolant)

To diagnose water pump failure:

  • Check for coolant leaks at the weep hole and gasket.
  • Listen to the water pump while it’s running.
  • Grab the pump pulley and check for bearing play.

What Causes a Water Pump to Fail?

Water pumps wear out over time, but the following things will speed up the process:

  • Bad/wrong coolant:Contaminated or incompatible coolant can cause corrosion inside the water pump.
  • Worn/improperly installed belt:A belt that’s either misaligned or too tight can make the water pump seize.
  • Dry running:A water pump that’s running without coolant or low on coolant (due to a leakage) lacks the lubricant needed to keep the seals in working order. When seals overheat, they fail and cause even more coolant leakage.

Water Pump Preventative Maintenance

Water Pump Preventative Maintenance sounds a little funny, doesn’t it? But it can be done. Two important things you can prolong the life of a water pump:

  • Flush and fill the coolant on schedule:Coolant breaks down over time, and people sometimes add water to it. Both increase the chance of corrosion inside the pump.
  • Use the right coolant:Manufacturers use different materials for water pumps and engine gaskets. They specify coolant that won’t damage anything in their engines.

Why Use a Quality Replacement Water Pump?

A well-built water pump will be more reliable and reduce comebacks. A cheap water pump is bound to fail again, causing a comeback and a warranty issue. It’s in your shop’s and your customer’s best interests to install an aftermarket water pump that’s reliable and well built.

So what should you look for in a high-quality replacement water pump? A few must-have features:

  • OE-quality
  • A design that matches OE coolant flow rate and pressure
  • Bearings produced in-house
  • High-quality materials
  • Tested for durability, leakage, and dimensional precision

This article has been brought to you by: GMB
For more information please visit: https://www.gmb.net/products/water-pump/

You May Also Like

A Closer Look: Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI)

Gasoline direct injection (GDI) is used on most new vehicles and requires a different approach to diagnosis and service. GDI technology has been an integral part of helping to improve fuel economy while reducing emissions, and can be found on more than half of the U.S. fleet. In fact, the use of GDI engines has

Gasoline direct injection (GDI) is used on most new vehicles and requires a different approach to diagnosis and service. GDI technology has been an integral part of helping to improve fuel economy while reducing emissions, and can be found on more than half of the U.S. fleet. In fact, the use of GDI engines has grown by over 600% since 2010. This means that in the next five years, 42 million more vehicles with GDI will enter the Aftermarket “Sweet Spot” of 6-12 years old, during which their injectors and related parts may need to be serviced or replaced. While GDI systems have proved effective, these systems encounter specific failures and require an understanding of how they work and how to test them when they set a code.

A Closer Look: Electronic Throttle Bodies

A shop’s reputation is affected by things like accuracy of diagnosis, quality of the repair, and friendly service. Equally as important is the quality of the parts installed. If the shop does everything right, and the part fails, the customer will ultimately be upset with the shop. When a new part fails, the customer is

Enhancing Efficiency and Streamlining Operations: The Benefits of Utilizing Nexpart Multi-Seller for Repair Centers

In today’s fast-paced automotive repair industry, staying ahead of the competition is crucial for repair centers to thrive. One key aspect that can significantly impact operational efficiency and customer satisfaction is the availability of OE, Aftermarket, Heavy Duty & Salvage parts. Here are just a few advantages of incorporating Nexpart Multi-Seller, a cutting-edge parts ecommerce

Get your vehicle road trip ready with these summer tips 

Summertime is a great time to take your car out on the open road, but it’s also important to ensure that your vehicle is in tip-top shape. Regular preventative maintenance can help you avoid costly repairs and keep your car running smoothly. Make sure you’re ready with these helpful tips from Delphi Technologies. Chassis The

A Closer Look: Ignition Coils

OE coils are known for their high failure rates. Engine misfires, rough idle, a decrease in power under acceleration, poor fuel economy, and a check engine light are all signs of an ignition coil that has failed. Read along for more technical information on how to diagnose a failed coil, and why the original equipment

Other Posts

Engineering behind chassis: high and low-friction parts

What is overengineering? Overengineering is often described as designing a product or solution in an unnecessarily complicated way where a simple solution had been shown to have the same efficiency, or is even more effective than the original.  In the aftermarket world, the OE part is where the journey starts. It begins with testing and

A Closer Look: Turbocharger Operation and Installation

Turbocharger Overview With an effort to increase fuel efficiency, maintain performance and reduce emissions, vehicle manufacturers are adding turbocharged engines to their lineups at a significant rate. Over the next five years, the turbo service market will continue to experience substantial growth.  At a basic level, a turbocharger consists of just three major internal components:

Two Lubegards Are Better Than One

Lubegard Synthetic ATF Protectant and Instant Shudder Fixx work better, faster, and longer together to stop torque converter clutch shudder (TCC shudder).  Both products are effective on their own, but when used together they provide not only a long-term solution for TCC shudder but also offer complete protection for transmissions. Since the 1980’s lockup torque convertors

The Importance of Proper Spark Plug Torquing

Whenever you install new spark plugs in your vehicle’s engine, there are some crucial considerations to keep in mind. For those who have installed plugs before, proper plug gapping usually comes to mind first. But another important factor in getting the most out of a new set of spark plugs is to precisely torque them