10 Auto Water Pump Repair Tips

Every carowner should know these 10 water pump repair tips. The water pump of a car is one of the most important parts of its cooling system. Without a water pump, a car would immediately overheat and could cause damage to your motor. You need to learn these repair tips if your water pump ever gives out on you.

  1. Do not drive your car. Do not drive your car at all while the water pump is bad or before you repair it. Driving a car with a bad water pump could result in blown head gaskets which is expensive to fix. It may also cause other problems such as a melted radiator due to its aluminum content being exposed to extremely higher temperatures than normal.
  2. Keep engine cool. When you are about to repair a water pump, then make sure your engine is cool. When repairing a water pump you would be working with a lot of metal parts that may be hot. Working on hot, metal parts is dangerous.
  3. Have patience. When repairing a water pump on newer model cars it could be time consuming. Do not rush the job. It could take up to three to four hours to repair or replace a bad water pump.
  4. Change your thermostat along with water pump. It is always a good idea to change your thermostat along with your water pump to ensure the maximum results. Some thermostats may go bad with the water pumps, because it may be damaged due from extreme temperatures. It is best to do the two jobs together.
  5. Add new coolant. After you finish a water pump repair job, it is best to add new coolant. You should drain the old coolant from the radiator. This tip is to ensure efficient coolant. The old coolant may be scorched and have less quality from the bad water pump.
  6. Check Water pump Gasket. Sometimes, it is just the gasket that has gone bad on a water pump and the water pump may not be damaged at all. You may just have to use a new gasket. Advising, it is best to change the whole water pump, because the water pump could go out shortly after the gasket has went bad.
  7. Check fan clutch. Most of the time when a water pump goes bad, then the fan clutch could be damaged. Inspect your fan clutch. If it looks bad, then replace it as well. A bad water pump could effect a lot of things in the cooling system of your car.
  8. Check pulley. There is a pulley that is directly in the front of your water pump. Sometimes, the pulley may be the problem. But if water/coolant is leaking from behind the pulley, then you would know that it is your water pump. Also, the water pump may make a grinding noise. You would still need to remove the pulley to get near the water pump.
  9. Prevent hazards. Anytime when you are dealing with coolant loss or any liquid substances from a car, it is best to prevent hazards. Coolant and oil is dangerous to humans and animals, so make sure that you do not spill any on the ground. If some is spilled, then it is best to clean it up properly.
  10. Test drive car for at least 30 minutes. If you have repaired your water pump already, then test drive it to see if your car is no longer overheating. At least thirty minutes of driving should be enough time to determine that factor. If not, then you have done a great job at replacing your car's water pump.



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