It’s always a good idea to keep your cool, and that’s especially true when it comes to some components of your vehicle.  One is the engine.  It’s hot under that hood thanks to the mini explosions that are occurring in the internal combustion engine when it’s running.  Your vehicle has a cooling system which takes the heat out of the engine by moving a liquid coolant to a spot where the heat can escape (the radiator). 

The part that keeps that coolant moving is the water pump, which could probably be more accurately called the coolant pump since water is only one component of the fluid that does the cooling. If the water pump fails, your engine can overheat quickly, and that can cause significant and expensive damage to your vehicle.  Water pumps can be driven by belts (mechanical) or electricity (electric).

Your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends mileage intervals when you should consider replacing your water pump even if seems to be working fine.  That way   you are less likely to have a water pump break down at an inopportune time. Some manufacturers recommend replacing it every 60,000-100,000 miles/100,000-160,000 km.

Sometimes your water pump will fail before that, of course.  One sign something is wrong with the cooling system is if you notice the engine is overheating.  An illuminated engine temperature warning light on your dash or a temperature gauge that shows above normal are two things to look for.

You may also see steam coming out of the engine compartment, which is another sign of overheating.  Both could mean your water pump needs replacing.  We also recommend that when your vehicle’s timing belt needs to be replaced that you have the water pump replaced at the same time since everything will already be apart.

When your vehicle is already in to have the water pump replaced, it’s a good time for a technician to examine other cooling system components at the same time.  Those will include belts, pulleys, hoses, clamps as well as the radiator, thermostat and heater core.