Defective water pump: symptoms and causes

If the water pump is defective, this can be seen from various symptoms. Wear is often one of the main reasons for problems with the vehicle component.

Defective water pump – these symptoms indicate it

Symptoms of a faulty water pump include, among other things, loss of coolant, which can be noticed in a number of ways, such as the car squeaking when driving.

• Since the water pump is responsible for transporting coolant to keep the engine at the right temperature, the engine will suffer if the coolant supply is interrupted. In this case, it is quite possible that the engine will overheat at some point and be severely damaged as a result. Do not continue driving the car if the engine starts to make worrying noises.

• Water pump wear can also be indicated by leaks in the system. These cause coolant to enter the engine compartment. In many cases, you can see this when the engine is switched off, as the liquid escapes after a while under the car, at the height of the engine, and drips onto the floor. Water spots in the engine area and rust spots on the pump can also be indications of a defect.

• If the water pump can no longer pump the coolant, thereby lowering the temperature of the coolant, this can reach a point where the coolant in the radiator starts to smoke. The resulting smoke escapes from the engine compartment. In this case, the temperature is so high that you should park the car as soon as possible to avoid causing further damage to the engine.

• In many cases, the warning lights indicate problems in such situations, so you should take the warning signals seriously, especially if you have also noticed one of the other symptoms mentioned.

• The sooner you take care of the repair or replacement of the water pump, the less risk you run of causing serious and costly damage to the engine. It may even be enough to top up the coolant.

Causes of a defective water pump and what you can do

Causes of a defective water pump usually relate to the age of the installed parts and how often they are used.

• Since the water pump and the radiator are in constant use, component wear is unavoidable. How much strain the pump can withstand depends on several factors. In addition to the quality of the coolant used, the age of the individual parts installed is also relevant, as is the question of how often they have been stressed. The water pump is said to have a lifespan of up to 150,000 kilometers.

• Foreign bodies such as dirt that get into the cooling water can impair the cooling performance and attack the individual parts of the pump. If, for example, the cooling water has turned a brownish color, this indicates contamination that can arise from leaks in the system. In addition to regular TÜV inspections, it makes sense to take a look under the bonnet yourself to detect the first signs of a defect.

• You can now also make appointments with the TÜV online and get an email reminder for the TÜV appointment.

• Damage to components such as the impeller, which is used to transport the coolant, can also cause the cooling performance to be reduced or even completely interrupted.

• Generally speaking, you should always have the defective pump replaced by a specialist if possible. Avoid buying used water pumps on the internet if you want the new pump to last.