With the arrival of winter and lower temperatures the maintenance of the engine cooling system is particularly important in our vehicles. And water pump is, more concretely, the component that causes most faults in this system according to RACE´s (the Spanish motorist club) roadside assistance statistics. This is the reason why the Spanish water pump manufacturer Industrias Dolz points out the importance of checking in this period the entire engine cooling system in a trusted garage, from the coolant to the mechanical elements that make it up.
The water pump is the component of the engine cooling system that motivates more roadside assistance, ahead of those related to the radiator, the distribution, the thermostat or the coolant. In fact, according to the information registered by the Spanish motorist club RACE, the water pump is among the top 10 reasons for road assistance last summer, just behind the usual ones: battery, tires, engine, accidents, pump / diesel injection, starter and clutch.
“The water pump makes the coolant to circulate through the system so that the engine works at its optimum temperature. The failure or malfunction of this component could have serious consequences on the engine. Hence the need to include checking the cooling system and the water pump among the preventive maintenance operations that motorists perform, or should perform, before the arrival of winter. This simple action could prevent much more expensive engine breakdowns“, highlights Javier Vicent, Marketing Manager of Industrias Dolz.
In this regard, the coolant performs a fundamental function, as it is responsible for absorbing part of the heat generated when engines are operating. This fluid travels through the internal circuit of the motor avoiding the overheating of its main parts, since an excess of temperature could melt the pistons, the head gasket, or even cause an internal explosion.
This fluid suffers a significant wear and tear in winter so it is essential “to avoid that its level falls below the recommended”, explains Javier Vicent who recommends “replacing it every two years or o 40.000 kilometers — whichever is the sooner —. In the same way, it is essential to avoid using a poor quality refrigerant, as it can negatively affect the performance of the water pump”, he adds.
For this reason, Industrias Dolz´s Marketing Manager recommends checking the level of coolant at least once a month, especially at this time of year. “Doing it is very simple. Once the vehicle is placed on a flat surface, we just need to open the bonnet, locate the liquid tank and check if its level is between the maximum and the minimum marks. Of course, for safety reasons this operation must be carried out with the engine cold”.
To conclude, Javier Vicent points out that “if the coolant level drops very quickly it could mean the existence of a leak in the circuit, so it is important to go to a repair shop to check for this possible loss of fluid which could cause a greater damage”.