If you drive a car, truck, or C/SUV that is 10 years old or older, Extra Mile Tire and Service advises that you may need to replace the water pump soon. This cooling system part generally lasts about 100,000 miles to 150,000 miles. After this time, the pump will start to leak or malfunction and you will end up with an engine that overheats every time you drive your automobile. Let’s talk more about this below.
A Rusted Water Pump
One way to tell if the pump is having problems is to look at it carefully to see if there is any corrosion on the pump housing. If the pump is rusted, it has a small leak that is puddling coolant around it. This coolant will start to eat through the water pump housing. Replacing the water pump before this happens helps to avoid a more serious engine coolant leak.
Leaking Engine Coolant
The problem is that most people don’t realize that their water pumps are corroded. Unfortunately, they aren’t aware of the problem until the water pump starts to leak coolant onto the garage floor. You can identify the fluid on the floor as coolant by comparing the color of the leaking fluid to the color of your engine coolant. Keep in mind, however, that you should only check the engine coolant’s color when the engine is cold. If the colors match in the coolant level is low, your water pump is leaking.
Reduced Coolant Circulation
Your engine will also suffer from reduced coolant circulation if the water pump is malfunctioning. As its name suggests, the water pump pumps coolant through the engine to keep the temperature below 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything above 220 degrees will overheat the engine.
Growling, Grinding, or Squealing
Bring your vehicle to our shop if you hear strange growling, grinding, or squealing noises coming from the engine. These sounds can come from the water pump and accessory belt, respectively.
Constant Overheating
Finally, as we have mentioned above, a faulty water pump will cause your engine to overheat because it will either leak coolant out of the cooling system or fail to circulate it through the engine. It’s better to have your vehicle towed to our shop if the engine is overheating. Driving it can cause engine damage.
Call Extra Mile Tire and Service in Milton, GA, today if you believe your car needs a new water pump. We will inspect the pump and replace it if necessary.
