To most
motorists and DIYs the basic cause of overheating could be attributed to
clogged up radiators or a thermostat that is stuck close, some times this
causes could be extended to bad electric (front wheel drives) and viscous (in
rear wheel drives) fans, we really fail to consider the facts that there are
other minor but very vital components that also make a vehicle’s cooling
system.
WHAT IS A WATER PUMP
In simple
terms a water pump is a centrifugal device driven by a belt which is connected
to the engine of an automobile through its crank shaft.
The basic
function of a water pump in an automobile engine is simply to enhance the flow
of coolant from the radiator to the combustion chamber (engine block and
cylinder) of an engine. the obstruction of this flow through faulty components
in the water pumps, pebbles or debris in the coolant will ultimately lead to
over heating.
COMPONENTS
OF A WATER PUMP
The water
pump is a simple device which is just made up of an impeller and its housing, when
this impeller spins it draws water from the radiator and sends it to the
combustion chamber , all these is achieved by the impeller using centrifugal
force.
SYMPTOMS
OF A BAD WATER PUMP
Water pumps
are usually very basic and as such when the go bad their defects are often mistaken
for other components especially since they really cant be diagnosed using
modern equipment’s of today, below are basic signs to look out for when checking
for a bad water pump.
1. OVERHEATING;
Overheating is one of the major signs of a bad water pump when a water pump goes bad the flow of
coolant naturally ceases which in turn triggers over heating
2 . LEAKS :
One key symptoms to watch out for is leakages , particularly of coolants, when
a water pump goes bad there’s usually lose of coolant through leaks, either
from the gasket or hoses.
3. FAULTY CAR
AIR CONDITION: Yes a faulty car air condition is also a sigh of a bad water pump.
4. STRANGE
NOISE FROM THE HOOD; a faulty water pump pulley bearing could also emit strange
noises this could be attributed to rust.
5. LOW
COOLANT INDICATOR; Low coolant indicator could mean so many things nonetheless it’s
also a major sign of a defective water pump.
CAUSES OF
FAULTY WATER PUMPS
Naturally
there are no unique reasons why water pumps go bad but some times these could
be attributed to aging, rust, and some times human errors like excess tightening
of the belts by technicians which could distort the pulleys and ultimately
damage the water pump. Also not forgetting if there are debris or pebbles in
the coolant.
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Car Talk