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What Kind of Noise Does A Bad Water Pump Make?

This article helps you answer the question, “how do I know if my thermostat or water pump is bad?” It explains the main symptoms of a bad water pump or a bad thermostat.

If you're wondering, “what kind of noise does a bad water pump make?” a bad water pump might make rattling, clicking, or whining noises as it gets bad. Some of these noises might be linked to simple issues, while others require installing a new water pump.

The water pump plays a major role in your vehicle's cooling system. It pumps enough coolant to run around the engine and bring its temperature down when it exceeds a certain maximum threshold.

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Since the water pump works extremely hard to transfer coolant along with the engine, it's not surprising to deal with water pump damage is overtime of use. After your vehicle hits 100,000 miles, you will most likely deal with some weird water pump behaviors.

Understanding the type of noises that your bad water pump makes helps you determine the issue earlier and prevents you from paying thousands of dollars of unnecessary repair costs. This article highlights the different types of noises that your water pump might make as it gets back and clarifies to you what exactly caused this specific noise. It also gives you a general idea about how much it will cost you to install a new water pump.

What is the water pump, and what is it do?

The water pump is a critical component in your vehicle's cooling system. As the name suggests, it is supposed to pump the coolant fluids in the engine when the engine suffers exceeds a maximum threshold.

Many people might underestimate the work that the water pump does every day. For example, did you know that your vehicle is a water pump that pumps about 7 gallons every mile you drive your car? Imagine if you've driven your vehicle for 100,000 miles; by that time, the water pump must have pumped about 700,000 gallons of coolant!


With this amount of work, it is not surprising to deal with water pump damage over time. Therefore, whenever you deal with water pump issues, you must replace the pump with a new one to maintain a working engine and prevent engine overheating that could cost you thousands of dollars down the road.

What kind of noise does a bad water pump make?

The good news is that your vehicle will bring your attention by showing some loud noises whenever the water pump goes bad. Therefore, you must familiarize yourself with the following noises your water pump might make as it goes bad.

Keep in mind that some of the bad water pump noises might be linked to other faulty components. Therefore, before you assume it's the water pump and go ahead with replacing it, you must use all possible tools to help you determine the real culprit causing the bad noise.

As a rule of thumb, automotive experts always recommend that you never underestimate any weird noise coming from your vehicle. You've been driving your car for enough time to determine whether this noise is new or not. Thus, anytime you hear loud noises, no matter where it's coming from, you need to refer to your mechanic and resolve the issue immediately because sometimes these noises might be linked to significant problems.

Let's take a closer look at some of the common noises that your water pump might make as it goes bad:

1.    A rattling noise coming from the water pump

One of the common noises linked to a bad water pump is rattling. The water pump might rattle due to two main problems: a bad bearing or probably a damaged impeller shaft. In some scenarios, the water pump might also rattle due to an issue with the tensioners.

Worn-out bearings are the very common causes of rattling water pumps. As we indicated earlier, the water pump works hard all the time, and it's not surprising for the bearings to get damaged the more you use the vehicle. Therefore, your mechanic needs to inspect the bearings and check if they cause the rattling noise.

Another common problem that could cause your water pump to rattle is a loose or damaged impeller shaft. Unfortunately, when that impeller shaft causes the growling noise, the driver ignores the problem for extended times. That's why you must never ignore any weird noises coming from your vehicle if you don't want to pay a lot on repair costs.

Typically, the impeller shaft might get corroded over time of use. If that's the case, you must not only replace the water pump but also flush the colon because there is a very high chance that a lot of the debris added residual of corrosion might get into the coolant and contaminating it.

2.    A clicking noise coming from the water pump

If you notice that your vehicle's water pump makes some clicking noise, especially if your engine is idle, you are most likely dealing with a bad bearing or probably a loose tensioner. Therefore, try spinning the water pump by hand and see if it resolves the issue. Also, a loose water pump tensioner might make clicking noises, which means you don't necessarily need to install a new water pump.

3.    A whining noise coming from the water pump

Finally, the water pump might make some weird whining noise every time you start the engine, and the engine temperature gets at a certain threshold. Typically, the whining noise might be linked to an issue with the drive belt or probably the water pump pulley.

In general, the biggest reason for a damaged water pump pulley might be related to corrosion or rust or probably some holes and cracks across the bolt holes. With that, the pulley won't be held in place properly as it spins, causing the weird whining noise.

How much does it cost to replace a bad water pump?

Water pump replacement cost ranges from $461 and 638 dollars. This price range depends heavily on your vehicle type and location where you get the job done. In general, the parts should not cost you more than $314, while labor costs can range from 256 to 324 dollars.

You must select the right location to get your water pump replacement done because it might require a certain level of mechanical skillsets. You must never go with the lowest price only because you want to make sure that the right mechanic is doing the job for you, so no problems are introduced by mistakes.

If you're planning to replace your water pump, you must confirm that you have the right level of mechanical skill sets. It might be worth investing in having a professional perform the water pump replacement instead of experiencing it on your own vehicle that might be valuable. It could be critical for you to introduce damages to your expensive vehicle.

How long should a water pump last?

Typically, your vehicle's water pump should last between 60,000 miles and 90,000 miles. This mileage range assumes that you've been taking good care of your water pump and monitoring any abnormal behaviors while taking care of them immediately. Otherwise, it's not surprising to deal with significant water pump damages much earlier than 60,000 miles.

How long does it take to replace a bad water pump?

According to carfax.com, replacing a water pump takes between two to three hours which is considered an error of link average time in automobile repairs. Automotive experts recommend that you replace the water pump whenever there is a problem with the timing belt. This can save you a lot and labor costs, especially if you decide to go with a dealership or an expensive location to get the job done.

What are the common symptoms of a bad water pump?

When your vehicle's water pump goes bad, there are other symptoms that you can look for aside from the weird noises that we indicated before. Let's take a closer look at some of the common symptoms that give you hints to look at your vehicles water pump:

1.    Engine overheating

When the water pump is not working properly, no coolant will run around the engine as the engine temperature increases. Thus, when you look at the vehicle’s dashboard, you'll see that the temperature gauge is reading significantly high values indicating that your engine is continuously overheating without any help to pull it down.

Engine overheating can be linked to a variety of other problems, and therefore, you cannot simply say that it's a bad water pump that causing the engine to overheat. Thus, while you're investigating what causes engine overheating, consider checking the water pump.

2.    Coolant leaks

When the water pump goes bad, there might be some breakage in the seals, causing coolant to leak on the floor. Therefore, if you realize a puddle of coolant hanging underneath your vehicle, it might be a problem with the water pump.

However, as we indicated earlier, the coolant leak might be linked to another issue in your car, and your mechanic needs to do a thorough investigation to confirm it's a bad water pump issue.

3.    Water pump corrosion

You can also perform a visual inspection to confirm whether there are any problems with your water pump or not. For example, a bad water pump common sign would be corrosion building up on the water pump case or around the seals. Therefore, if you notice any corrosion buildup, you might want to reach out to your mechanic and check with him about what needs to be done. Sometimes this corrosion can be cleaned up, but it indicates that you need to install a new water pump in severe scenarios.

4.    Steam coming out of the vehicle

In some severe water pump problems, you might even notice some steam coming out of the vehicle. This indicates that your engine reached a significantly high temperature and started causing some problems to the other components.

You must never wait to get to this point where you start seeing the steam coming out of the vehicle. The vehicle brought your attention by showing previous symptoms to help you check the water pump before these severe damages.

Conclusion

The water pump is a critical component in your vehicle's cooling system, and you must maintain this water pump in good condition all the time to prevent dealing with significant engine problems. It's not surprising to deal with water pump damages over time of use and what's more important is to keep an eye for any weird noises that you are up on my make in the heading internal issues.

If you're wondering, “what kind of noises does a bad water pump make?” The short answer is your water pump might make some rattle Ling, clicking, or probably whining noises due to internal problems. Keep in mind that some of these noises might be linked to a simple issue that you can resolve without installing a new water pump. However, some of them might indicate significant water pump damage.

Before you spend a penny installing a new water pump, you must evaluate your vehicle's overall situation and think about the repair costs. Notice that repair costs exceed 75% or more from the value of your vehicle. Therefore, it might not be worth the investment, and you might want to consider selling your car and using the money towards a better vehicle that doesn't have any problems.

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  • Describe your car’s type and condition
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