Can you drive a car with a bad water pump?

+1 vote
asked Apr 1, 2020 in Repairs/Maintenance by er5666 (330 points)
Can you drive a car with a bad water pump?

1 Answer

0 votes
answered Apr 4, 2020 by Larry S (42,350 points)
If your water pump is bad on your car then you should not drive the car until you get it fixed.

Driving a car with a bad water pump can cause your engine to overheat which can lead to warped engine heads and even a damaged engine.

Then it can be costly to replace the engine if it gets overheated too much.

If you do drive the car with a bad water pump you should be prepared to be stranded on the side of the road eventually and it will cost you usually more through having the vehicle towed and then repaired then it would be to just have it repaired.

If you're just driving around town for only a few miles then driving with the bad water pump is likely okay until you can replace it.

But just don't allow the engine to overheat.

Most water pumps on vehicles last between 50,000 to 60,000 miles and sometimes as long as 100,000 miles before needing replaced.

If your water pump has never been changed and the water pump and the car has over 60,000 miles then it would be best to replace the water pump before it actually fails.

When a water pump fails it can cause your engine to overheat which can lead to costly damage to the engine and also leave you stranded on the side of the road.

If your vehicle has a timing belt and it's being replaced then the water pump should also be replaced at the same time.

Some vehicles the water pump has to be removed to change the timing belt and it's best to install a new water pump when that is being done instead of putting the old one back on.

When a water pump is going out it will usually start leaking and making whining noises.

If your car has been overheating and everything else is okay then it's likely the water pump.

I replace all my water pumps after 50,000 miles as preventative maintenance especially before venturing farther than 200 miles from home.

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