Factors That Cause Your Car’s Water Pump To Fail
To understand why your water pump (WP) is an essential automotive component, it’s important to understand what takes place around your engine while you’re driving. The pistons housed inside the engine’s cylinders rise and fall thousands of times per minute. Each time this occurs, the air-fuel mixture inside the cylinders is compressed and ignited. This activity generates intense heat, which can eventually overwhelm the assembly, and cause it to seize. It is for this reason your vehicle is equipped with a cooling system.
The purpose of the cooling system is to continuously transfer heat away from your engine. This is accomplished through coolant. The fluid courses through the block and cylinder head, absorbing heat as it travels. It flows to the radiator, and releases the heat before returning to the engine.
At the heart of the cooling system lies your water pump. Below, you’ll learn how it works, and the problems that cause the part to fail.
How A Water Pump Works
Your water pump has a simple job: to keep coolant moving through the cooling system. It’s a relatively simple component; it is comprised of a hub, bearing assembly, a set of impellers, an internal seal, and a gasket designed to prevent leaks. In most vehicles, the WP is attached to the front of the engine. It may be driven by the timing belt, a fan belt, or a serpentine belt. As the belt powers the component, the impellers within its housing spin on a shaft. The spinning draws coolant into the radiator, and pushes it toward the engine block.
As long as the pump continues to work as described above, the coolant will continue to travel through the engine, and help regulate the temperature. If this component fails, however, your engine will be at risk of overheating. Next, we’ll take a look at the reasons your pump can fail.
Leaking Shaft Seal
Recall that one of the pieces in the pump is an internal seal. The job of the seal is to prevent coolant from leaking out of the bearing assembly. The problem is, like every seal installed throughout your vehicle, the one in the water pump will slowly deteriorate. The deterioration can be caused by rust and debris that accumulate in the component. It can also be caused by the coolant traveling through it.
Pump seal wear occurs very slowly. The WP should last at least 60,000 miles before it develops a leak. When a leak does form, however, it must be fixed as quickly as possible. Otherwise, it will worsen until your engine is starved of coolant.
Worn Or Broken Impellers
The other reason a water pump can fail involves the impellers. Long ago, they were made of metal. They were rugged and could easily withstand tens of thousands of driven miles without sustaining significant wear. Today, many cars come equipped with pumps that are designed with impellers made of plastic. Though they are lighter and more efficient than their metal predecessors, they also suffer deterioration much more quickly.
As with the pump’s internal seal, the impellers will wear down even faster if the coolant contains contaminents and debris. In some cases, they’ll break, which will impair the WP’s ability to push coolant to the engine block. This poses a serious risk of overheating.
Can A Failing Water Pump Be Repaired?
If the internal seal that prevents coolant from escaping the bearing assembly wears down, the pump will need to be replaced. Likewise, if the impellers become severely worn, or break off, a replacement is necessary.
Avoid the temptation to save a few dollars by purchasing a rebuilt pump. With a rebuilt, there is no way to tell whether the rebuilder did a high-quality job. Because the water pump plays such an important role in the operation and health of your engine, invest in an OEM-certified component. It will come with a longer warranty, and help preserve the life of your engine.
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