How to Solve Problems With Water Pumps
Water pump failure prevents coolant from circulating throughout the engine and providing the protection that it needs from overheating. If your water pump is failing, you will notice extremely low coolant levels with leaking that occur both during times when the vehicle is parked as well as when it is being driven. If the water pump is failing, there are a few things that can be done to prolong its lifespan; however, once it's on its way out, it needs to be replaced as soon as possible.
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Things You'll Need
- Coolant stop-leak
- Distilled water (2 gallons)
- Funnel
- Socket wrench set
- Mirror
- Flashlight
Instructions
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Open the hood on your vehicle and check the coolant level in your coolant reservoir. If the coolant level is below the minimum line, use a funnel to add more coolant to your system. If you know for sure that your water pump is leaking, then the leak will become progressively worse as the component wears down even more. Since antifreeze is a potentially hazardous chemical to the environment, consider using distilled water for coolant until you can get the pump fixed.
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Check the tension on the drive belt connected to the water pump. Find the midpoint on the belt and use a metric ruler to measure the deflection when you push in on the belt. Belts that have a distance of 12 inches or less between pulleys should deflect no more than 1/4 inch. Belts 12 to 14 inches long should deflect no more than 1/2 inch. Use a socket wrench to tighten any belts that are loose. If the belt is fraying, cracked or separating, it should be replaced immediately. Some water pumps are connected to the engine's timing belt. Depending on your engine's design, if your timing belt or chain breaks while driving, it could lead to catastrophic engine failure.
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Add antifreeze/coolant stop-leak formula, which may serve as a temporary fix; however, you should still have lots of distilled water on hand (two gallons at all times) in case your car begins to overheat. Continue to watch the temperature gauge on your car with vigilance. If your car overheats, bringing the temperature gauge into the red zone, you could be risking permanent engine damage.
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Replace your water pump if the leak continues. Look for coolant leaking out of the water pump's weep holes. This indicates that that pump's seal has failed. You may need to remove a belt cover and use a flashlight and mirror to see the weep hole. You may also hear a howling sound from the water pump if its shaft bearings have failed. Drain the coolant from your radiator, remove the drive belt by loosening the tensioner bolt and unscrew the mounting bolts for the water pump.
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Install the new water pump using the reverse of the process that was used to remove your old one. Clean off any corrosion from the bolts and bolt threads with automotive solvent cleaning solution and apply automotive sealant to the water pump's mounting bolt threads. Some water pumps also use O-rings to connect to the engine block. Use a small amount of grease to help seal the O-ring to the block before installing the new water pump. Refill the coolant once the water pump is installed.
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References
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