Your BMW’s water pump circulates water into the radiator, in order to cool engine temperatures. The water pump, along with the engine fan and radiator are the most vital parts of a vehicle’s cooling system. Therefore, knowing how to identify a possible BMW water pump failure is important since it can help you avoid inconvenient breakdowns and potentially costly repairs.
BMW Water Pump
As a BMW owner, you may have become aware that one of the issues you may have to deal with is water pump failure. Unlike many automobile manufacturers, BMW prefers to use an electric water pump in their vehicles rather than a mechanical one since electric water pumps help reduce the emissions of pollutants and fuel consumption while at the same time, maximizing engine performance.
Your BMW’s water pump keeps your engine from overheating by circulating water around your engine cylinder block’s water jackets to absorb the heat generated by the engine. After cooling down, the water-coolant mixture goes through hoses to the radiator where air passes over it, reducing the temperature of the mixture in the process, and then, the cycle repeats. If your water pump does not function properly, the metal pieces of your engine will expand and break/crack or even fuse together.
Why BMW Uses Electric Water Pumps
If you ever looked under the hood of a car with an engine that has a mechanical water pump, you might have noticed that the water pump is powered by the timing belt. Consequently, in order for BMW to produce more powerful engines, in 2007, it replaced mechanical water pumps to maximize the horsepower that could go to your wheels and at the same time increase fuel efficiency.
Since BMW’s electric water pumps get their power from the car battery, they don’t affect the engine’s horsepower and fuel economy. Initially, electric water pumps were used in racing cars, but BMW included them in their cars to provide BMW drivers with the extra power they have come to expect from the BMW brand. In fact, now there are numerous car manufacturers who are also designing engines with electric water pumps.
Why BMW Water Pumps Fail
Most BMW owners decided to purchase a BMW vehicle because they are truly one of the best and most respected automotive brands, but just like any other vehicle, they still have issues and require constant care and maintenance in order to perform optimally. If you neglect your BMW, its performance will drop and may begin to require extensive repairs.
It takes highly qualified experts, like the Red Seal Certified mechanics at Supertech Auto Repair North Vancouver, to repair BMW engine problems and maintain their performance level high. If your BMW engine is well-maintained and serviced, when there is an engine issue, you’ll most likely notice a drop in performance. BMW water pumps usually fail after 120,000 kms.
It should be noted that your BMW water pump contains plastic blades. As a result, the temperature changes from hot to cold over time will cause the plastic to become brittle and begin cracking and corroding. Additionally, your water pumps could also have issues with the bearing or the impeller pieces. Even though electric water pumps provide better performance than mechanical, belt-driven pumps, they may fail even sooner.
Warning Signs of Water Pump Failure
Unfortunately, often water pumps will fail without any warning. However, there are some warning signs that could alert you. For example, if you notice your BMW’s engine overheating, you need to act fast to address this as it can cause serious damage to your engine like warping, cracking, and shutting down the engine which may cost you thousands to repair or even replace the engine.
Moreover, if you start to hear unusual noises coming from the engine like a high-pitched sound, it could be a sign that a water pump pulley has become loose or a bearing has started to wear down. If you ignore this, it can result in the total failure of your BMW’s water pump which means it must be replaced before it causes further damage to your engine.
Leaking coolant and radiator steam are also warning signs you need to investigate as soon as possible. A coolant leak is usually caused by corrosion of the seal between the pump and the engine block causing coolant to leak out of the space around the seal. Likewise, if you notice steam coming from your radiator it’s a good indication that the water pump is failing to supply the radiator with enough water.
Solutions for Your Water Pump
First of all, it’s best to follow your routine preventative maintenance schedule and have your water pump serviced at the appropriate time frame. If your BMW has travelled over 100,000 kms or if you believe that there is an issue with your cooling system and want to avoid a water pump failure, it’s important to have an experienced and qualified repair shop like Supertech Auto Repair North Vancouver to evaluate your water pump. Putting off this issue will only lead to more expensive repairs if your water pump is malfunctioning. Obviously, the only option, if the water pump is failing, is to replace it with a part that meets or exceeds OEM parts in quality.
Why Trust Supertech Auto for Your BMW Repairs
Your BMW water pump service and repairs are always performed using the same computers and modules that technicians at your local BMW authorized dealer would use. What’s more, at Supertech Auto, we replace your vehicle parts with genuine OEM parts and your vehicle’s manufacturer-authorized fluids to ensure your factory warranty is kept current. Additionally, we back up our work with our 3-year/60, 000 Km Nationwide Warranties.
Visit Supertech Auto Repair North Vancouver for Your Next BMW Service and Repairs
If you haven’t serviced your BMW vehicle for some time, we recommend that you visit Supertech Auto Repair North Vancouver. Our Red Seal Certified mechanics will use the latest diagnostic tools to determine the condition of your BMW vehicle and inform you about any potential issues that may lead to more serious and costlier problems. Schedule your BMW for regular maintenance and trusted repairs at competitive prices. By entrusting us with your BMW, you can be sure that it will perform like new for many years. For exceptional BMW service and repairs, contact us online or call us at 604-980-9801 to book your appointment. We’ve built our company by removing the frustration from auto repair.