What does a water pump really do?

What does a water pump really do? It drives the process for cooling the engine by helping a mixture of water and coolant or antifreeze to circulate around the engine of the car. This mixture absorbs some of the heat from the engine, and then it passes through the radiator, where there, it is cooled down before the process begins all over again.

Without a properly functioning water pump, your vehicle will not get you very far...

If you see leaks or hear grinding and whining sounds coming from the area where your water pump is located, have them inspected by a qualified technician who can give you a proper diagnosis. Your local AutoCare Center can help you with this.

In some cases, the water pump is easy to see under the hood. Most of the time, if you can easily view the pump externally, the serpentine belt drives it.

Water pumps that are driven by the timing belt are found under the timing belt cover and cannot easily be seen. If you have to remove the cover to replace the water pump, then you should consider replacing the timing belt at the same time because the coolant mixture leaking from the water pump may have contaminated the belt.

Remember, timing belts usually need replacing in the 60-90K mile range anyway, so having both jobs performed at the same time could make sense because the technician already has the cover removed.

Your AutoCare Service Advisor will be able to recommend options for you after the diagnosis has been completed.

Posted November 19th, 2013