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A faulty water pump would certainly cause different unusual signs as you drive; it could cause overheating, belt damage, and also affect the components installed in the engine. But can a bad water pump cause rough idle?
Yes, a bad water pump can cause engine rough idle; this happens because a faulty water pump would fail to deliver coolant to the engine blocks, which would cause overheating and subsequently damage some parts of the engine, and then cause the car to rough idle.
Well, there are pretty many other causes of rough idling. However, this article explains how a bad water pump could be the reason why your car is idling rough.
Let’s get started!
What is Rough Idling?
Rough idling simply refers to the shakes or vibrations that occur on your car when it’s not moving. In simple terms, rough idling is a situation whereby your car shakes slightly when you park/stop – probably in traffic.
Whenever you notice that your car rough idles, it’s a sign that something is faulty in the engine bay or drivetrain, and it’s advisable to troubleshoot the issue as soon as possible.
There are many causes of car engine rough idling!
Can a Bad Water Pump Cause Rough Idle?
Sadly, a bad water pump would cause rough idle if not fixed over a long time. At first, when the water pump goes bad, it won’t immediately cause rough idle. Mainly, the first sign of a bad water pump is seeing the coolant liquid leak out from under the engine bay.
Another early sign of a bad water pump is that the temperature gauge would always stay in the “Hot” regions. You may also notice hot, white steams come out from the engine bay after you’ve driven for a long while.
If these early signs are ignored, the issue could escalate, as other components surrounding the water pump and engine blocks would start getting affected. Rough idling occurs when the effects of the faulty water pump have started affecting other crucial components in the engine bay.
At this time, it’d be a bit costly to fix the issue because you may not only be changing the bad water pump; you might as well change the already affected components, which could be even more expensive than the water pump.
It is also important to note that a bad water pump could wreck an engine; yes, such a scenario could occur as a result of excessive overheating – since the water pump is unable to keep the engine blocks cool. In essence, a bad water pump is pretty a crucial issue that needs you to act quickly.
Summary
Conclusively, can a bad water pump cause rough idle? The simple answer is YES; however, rough idling doesn’t happen immediately after the water pump goes bad; you’d first experience some water pump failure symptoms.
Rough idling would then occur if you ignored the signs/symptoms. Replacing or fixing a bad water pump costs around $350 – $500+ depending on what needs to be replaced and the mechanic workshop where you got the job done.
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