Whether you drive a CUV, an SUV, a car, or a truck, Accurate Auto Center can replace the water pump when it has gone bad. In terms of mileage, this generally happens between 100,000 miles and 150,000 miles. In terms of years, the water pump lasts about 10 years. The cooling system needs a functional water pump to circulate the coolant through the engine. Here are signs that your water pump is bad.
Rust All Over the Pump
If you drive an older SUV, open the hood to inspect the water pump. It’s located in the front of the engine. Check your owner’s manual for an engine schematic. You want to check the water pump to see if it is rusted or corroded. If it is, this is an indication that it is leaking. The leak is a slow leak that pools the coolant around the pump. This is what causes the corrosion.
Leaking Engine Coolant
Replacing the corroded water pump helps to prevent a more severe engine coolant leak out of it. As you can imagine, the rust is going to eat through the water pump and create a coolant leak that is worse. In this case, you may back the SUV out of the garage one day only to see coolant all over the garage floor. We recommend that you avoid driving your SUV if it is leaking coolant.
Reduced Coolant Circulation
An old water pump does not just suffer from leaks. The water pump can also start to have problems moving the coolant throughout the engine to keep the temperature at normal. This reduced coolant circulation will cause your SUV’s engine to run hotter than it normally does. If you continue to drive your SUV with an overheating engine, you could cause damage to the engine.
Growling or Grinding Noises
You might also hear the water pump going bad. In this case, the water pump makes growling or grinding noises because it is worn out and struggling to circulate the coolant. Naturally, because the water pump is located in the front of the engine, you will hear the noises coming from there.
Constant Overheating
Finally, all of these things will cause your SUV’s engine to overheat when you drive the automobile. As we mentioned above, we don’t recommend you drive your SUV when the engine is running too hot, whether that is because the coolant level is too low or the water pump isn’t circulating the coolant.
Accurate Auto Center in Tomball, TX, is here to help, so reach out to us to set up a service appointment for your SUV.