Diagnose and Fix These Symptoms of a Bad Car Water Pump
Certain car parts, like water pumps, can show premature signs of failure, which are good to know so you can check for them to help prolong their life. In this video, our mechanic explains and shows you where to inspect for signs of a bad water pump:
Signs the Water Pump Is Going Bad
What Are Bad Water Pump Symptoms and Causes?
Leaking Water Pump Weep Holes
The most common bad water pump symptom is a leaking water pump weep hole. The most common cause of a bad water pump is damaged or worn water pump seals that allow coolant to leak, or “weep,” out of the weep hole.
Typically, the water pump seals start to go bad first. If they aren’t addressed, the bearing surfaces will go bad next, which leads to total water pump failure.
When the water pump seals go bad, water from the engine can get past and leak from the seals through the weep hole.
According to our mechanic, the purpose of the water pump weep holes is to alert you that the water pump is starting to fail, which allows you time to address it before it totally fails.
It’s common for this kind of leak to spray out of the weep hole around your engine when it’s running, or drip underneath the front of the engine.
Learn about other signs of a bad water pump in our article how to diagnose a bad water pump.
Addressing Bad Water Pump Symptoms
Check for Coolant Leaks
If you know your seals are worn or damaged, or your weep hole is leaking coolant, you’ll want to locate where the leak originated from and inspect for other signs that indicate a coolant leak. Our mechanic walks you through how to diagnose a coolant leak.
Replacing the Water Pump
If it’s clear that your weep hole has been leaking coolant for a while, you’ll need to replace your water pump. Learn more about water pump maintenance and why it’s common to replace them before they could fail in this blog post.
Check out our how-to videos and learn how to replace a water pump yourself:
- How To Diagnose A Bad Water Pump
- Replace a Water Pump
- How Can I Tell If I Have a Coolant Leak?
- Perform a Radiator Pressure Test
Need to replace any of the parts mentioned in this post? Shop now:
Related blog posts
Up next: Read these blog posts:
- Bad water pump [Expert advice to diagnose & fix]
- What To Do When Your Car Overheats
- What Fluid Is Leaking From My Car?
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