Of all of the semi-serious problems that can go wrong with little or no notice, having the water pump fail on your car rates near the top. Most of the time, you first learn of your water pump problem when your car overheats as you cruise down the highway or sit a traffic light on a hot day. If you can develop a little savvy about that water pump, you can greatly increase your odds of knowing when it is telling that it may fail soon.

This effort begins with learning what your water pump looks like and where it resides under your hood. Water pumps require something to turn them so that their internal actuator can propel the water through your cooling system. The something that turns them is a fan belt. On most newer cars, the water pump is turned by one of the larger serpentine belts. Consequently, begin your search for your water pump by inspecting what sits in behind each of the pulleys on your car.

The water pump looks a little like a metal octopus. It has ducts that run through it and so it must be large enough to cover the ports on your engine where it receives coolant and the ports that it pumps that coolant back into. It is normally held in place by about 6 or 8 bolts that are almost always two different sizes.

Once you have located your water pump, you need to look for some specific things to alert you about its condition. Water pumps have a weep hole that faces either to the side or toward the ground. This hole on most pumps is about half the size of a pencil. Water pumps have an internal gasket that seals this hole from the inside when it is still in good condition. As it wears, this hole will begin to earn its name and weep. Small amounts of coolant will begin to seep from this hole and make a trail down your engine.

If you see this trail of moisture or residue, make plans to have the pump replaced within a day or two if possible. If water pours from this hole when your car is idling, call your garage mechanic and take it in for repair before you drive it anymore. Fill it with coolant and drive straight to the garage. If it is a long distance to the garage, you may need a tow if the leak is really bad.

A few thousand miles before the weep hole starts screaming at you to change your pump, another sign will almost always be evident. As water pumps age, they begin to make a rhythmic squeak. Every revolution of the pump will produce a short but noticeable squeak. Your alternator can also make this some sound, but it will usually be failing electrically by that time. Your water pump will probably be showing no other visible signs when this squeak first becomes evident.

If you hear the squeak, make an appointment within a week or two if you are not taking in long trips to have it checked. This sound is distinctive enough that anyone who has heard it will have no trouble with diagnosing it.

Obviously, if you see coolant on the ground or driveway under the front of your car, you need to find out where it came from and have that part replaced. It can only come from a bad radiator cap, hose, or water pump unless your radiator is failing or you have lost your freeze plug. At any rate if your see this, do not wait to have it checked if you do not have enough expertise to diagnose or fix it.

Learn more about this author, Allen Teal.
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