If you notice there is a leak of coolant (which will appear to be green or sometimes red in color) under the center of your car, truck or SUV, contact a professional mechanic to inspect this problem. When this happens, coolant will leak from the water pump and drop to the ground, typically in the front of your car and in the center of the motor's location. Eventually, these gaskets and seals will wear out, dry up, crack or break entirely. The water pump is comprised of multiple gaskets and seals that keep coolant contained and ensure that consistent flow of coolant is delivered from the radiator to the engine. Coolant Leak at the Front-Center of your Car Here are 5 common symptoms of a bad water pump: 1. Like any other mechanical device, they will produce a few warning signs of wearing out, so that car owners can contact a local ASE certified mechanic to replace the water pump before additional engine components are damaged. Blades on the pump force coolant to flow through the engine and back to the radiator to be cooled by a forced air cooling fan.Īlthough the water pumps in most modern cars, trucks, and SUVs will last a long time, they are by no means indestructible. The pump is operated by the engine’s drive belt – as the belt turns, the pump turns. It is an impeller pump and is usually buried under the timing belt cover on the side of the engine. Your car’s water pump is the key to making the entire system work. This philosophy holds true even as technology improves over the years to create more efficient cooling systems in today's modern cars. When the water-cooled (as opposed to air-cooled) engine was introduced, many automotive experts believed that the water pump circulating coolant through the engine block was just as critical to engine protection as oil. When the water pump fails or is beginning to wear out, it can lead to complete engine failure. When it works properly, your car will maintain a consistent operating temperature, run smoothly, and take you anywhere you need to travel. The water pump is the primary component responsible for maintaining this flow. This will allow the coolant to reach its boiling point at a lower temperature than intended, and possibly allow steam to escape, which introduces moisture to the system.In order to run cool on those hot summer days, your engine needs to have a consistent flow of coolant supplied from the radiator throughout the engine. If this is the source of the leak, the pump will need to be replaced.įaulty radiator cap: It is also possible for the radiator cap to lose its ability to maintain system pressure. This happens mostly when the pump is operating, so the mechanic will check for this with the engine running. Usually, the pump seals fail following the bearing failing. Hoses will need to be replaced if they are found defective.īad water pump: Coolant can also escape from the water-pump housing. Hoses usually become brittle and weak as they get old, making them prone to failure. Perforated radiator tank or core: This is fairly easy to spot as there will be signs of leakage around the radiator.īad radiator hoses: The hoses connecting the radiator to the engine can also deteriorate and produce leaks from as little as a pinprick puncture to a full-on burst wall.
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