Overheating: A malfunctioning water pump prevents proper coolant circulation. Noisy Water Pump: A failing water pump may produce a whining or grinding sound. Troubleshooting: Inspect the Water Pump: Look for any signs of wear, leaks, or damage. Replace the Water Pump: If the water pump is faulty, replace it with a new one. 5. Faulty Cooling Fan

The suction of the pump is thru the center hole, and the pressure side is around the tips of the vanes. Too much of a gap between the plate and the vanes and the pump tends to draw coolant from the pressure side instead of from the center hole (which is plumbed to the radiator and the hot side of the block).

Signs of a bad water pump include coolant leak, overheating engine, whining or grinding noise, steam from the radiator, seized pump and burning rubber smell, collapsed radiator hose, erratic temperature gauge readings, and coolant contamination.

The damage done to the raw water pump housing required a replacement of the entire housing. Unfortunately, this little incident ended my boating season WAY too early last year. However, the silver lining is that I had to take apart the raw water pump to replace the raw water pump housing.

How reliable is the 2017 Chevrolet Equinox? See the most common repairs performed and learn if your vehicle is at risk for major repairs in the next 12 months. Car Values