Engine Overheating? How to Know When Your Water Pump Needs Replaced

It’s easy sometimes to forget to take care of your Vauxhall. Unless it’s spitting smoke out the exhaust or sitting in your driveway making a weird sound as you attempt to turn it on, you may not even worry about it. The problem is, every car part is a sensitive piece that plays a role in keeping your Vauxhall together and running properly. When even the smallest piece breaks down, an avalanche of problems can ensue.

In terms of your cooling system, the water pump is one of those Vauxhalls parts that is essential to the cooling process. Without it, serious issues can occur and put your car in jeopardy.

What Does a Water Pump do?

In your car, the water pump is responsible for circulating coolant or antifreeze through the engine block and cylinder head. It’s constantly being used so that the engine is able to endure the intense heat produced by internal combustion. The coolant circulated by the water pump helps to reduce the engine’s temperature.

Depending on the model of Vauxhall, the water pump is located at the side or front of the car under the bonnet. It’s attached to both the radiator and the engine, and has a belt that turns the axle in the centre of the water pump using centrifugal force. As the axle turns, suction is creating, pulling water out of the radiator into the pump and then pushing it out over the engine and cylinder heads. Once this occurs, the water then returns to the radiator to cool down before the process repeats again.

Signs of a Failing Water Pump

Because your water pump plays such a significant role in keeping your engine cool and operational, it can cause serious damage when it fails. Here are some signs to watch out for.

Leaking Weep Hole

What it Looks Like: Inside the water pump is a mechanical seal that seals that shaft of the pump to the cooling circuit. This keeps the bearings assembly protected by the coolant. In a new water pump, a bit of seepage from the mechanic seal, or weep hole, is completely normal. After a few minutes of operating the pump, the weep hole seats itself and prevents seepage from occurring.

If you notice that a large amount of coolant is leaking out of the weep hole, something is wrong. This isn’t normal and indicates that pump is about to fail.

The Cause: One of the biggest reasons for weep hole leakage is contaminated coolant. Another possible reason behind this problem is running the water pump dry. This quickly ruins the seal.

How to Fix it: When coolant becomes contaminated and results in a leaking weep hole, the only course of action to take it to replace the water pump. Before you install the new Vauxhall part, however, you’ll need to flush the cooling system thoroughly to prevent the contaminated coolant from doing the same thing to your new water pump. If the cause was dry running, avoid it in the future by checking the coolant level on a regular basis.

Mounting Surface Leakage

What it Looks Like: When you look at your water pump, it may appear that coolant is leaking on the housing or mounting surface. You may notice large amounts of seepage or small bleed marks in this area.

The Cause: When this occurs, it’s most likely because the water pump wasn’t installed correctly. There could also be a problem with how the sealant, seals or gaskets are being used.

How to Fix it: If you’ve recently replace the car part, check to see if your installation is the issue first. Uninstall, remove and check the water pump before reinstalling it. Pay close attention to the installation instructions, especially the torque specifications. If this doesn’t seem to be the issue, take a look at your gaskets and seals. They should be installed correctly and in perfect condition. If you’re adding a sealant, make sure to clean the mounting surface and the rims of the water pump prior to applying it to ensure the best results.

Rust and Corrosion

What it Looks Like: We’ve all seen what rust can do to car parts, and the water pump is not immune. Rust often affects the surface of the water pump, but corrosion can also affect internal parts, like the impeller, resulting in a pump that is unable to move coolant toward the engine.

The Cause: If your coolant isn’t compatible with the water pump, you’ve mixed two different coolants together or the coolant has become contaminated, rust and corrosion can occur. This problem might also be caused by a pressure cap that has become defective, allowing air bubbles into the coolant that accelerate the corrosion process.

How to Fix it: Unfortunately, the only way to fix this problem if the coolant is to blame is to replace the Vauxhall part. Before you do, make sure you flush the system thoroughly so the issue doesn’t affect the replacement. If the problem is the pressure cap, replace it. Unfortunately, you may still have to replace the water pump in this case if it has begun to rust.

Cavitation

What it Looks Like: When cavitation occurs, the signs are obvious. The components inside your water pump look like they’ve been throughout war, and have been chewed up and spit out. The problem is vapour cavities inside the coolant. These cavities are like bubbles, but when they pop, they do so with explosive force, damaging anything they are near. The damage leads to corrosion inside the car part.

The Cause: Bubbles forming in the coolant that then implode as the pressure in the system rises during normal use.

How to Fix it: There is no fixing a water pump damaged by cavitation. Like many other car parts, it must be replaced. Be sure to thoroughly flush the old coolant out before installing a new water pump to prevent further damage.

One of the first signs you’ll notice when your water pump is failing is a hot engine. Don’t automatically assume the pump has to be replaced, however. Check other Vauxhall parts that play a role in its operation, like the belt drive system. If the tensioner or belt in this system is worn out, the water pump won’t be able to function correctly. If you have to replace the water pump, it’s best to replace the tensioner and belt at the same time for preventative maintenance.