Loosing Coolant? Your Peugeot 208 may Need a new Water Pump

At the heart of your Peugeot’s cooling system is the water pump. This car part is responsible for circulating the coolant between the radiator and the engine so the engine does not overheat. The water pump has a plastic or metal impeller inside it, mounted on a shaft. This impeller has blades that push water through the part.

Because the water pump is such an important Peugeot part, any failure can be a potential disaster. Diagnosing a problem and understanding what could happen if it breaks down is essential.

Common Problems With Water Pumps

Water Pump Leaks

Water pumps tend to fail in one of two ways. The first way is through a leak. When these Peugeot parts begin to leak, the entire cooling system will begin to lose coolant. It may not be a lot at first. In fact, you might not even notice it is happening. However, if you don’t find the leak quickly, there won’t be enough coolant reaching the engine, and it will overheat. As you might imagine, this can result in severe damage to the engine, which can cost thousands to fix.

Luckily, your car has a warning system to help you understand if the engine is beginning to overheat. You can view the status of your engine on your dashboard. If the temperature levels in the engine begin to rise, you’ll be able to see the needle rise as a result. If this occurs, it is essential that you stop the car as soon as it is safe to do so to avoid damaging the various car parts connected to the water pump, including the engine.

When the engine overheats, you may be tempted to use a cooling system cleaner to find and stop the leak from becoming an even bigger problem. However, it may not always be the best solution, or even one that will work if the leak is occurring in certain locations. After overheating, you need to check every part of the cooling system for leaks. This includes:

• The engine

• The radiator

• The hoses

• The water pump

Hoses can quickly be replaced. However, a leak that is occurring in the water pump vent hole or shaft is a much bigger problem. This calls for the replacement of the entire water pump. Unfortunately, the seal on the water pump shaft, which is responsible for preventing coolant leaks, often fails. These seals are worn down over time by rust and contaminants that circulate throughout the cooling system, hitching a ride on the coolant. This, combined with the constant and heavy load the shaft is under from the drive belt and the mechanical cooling fans in the Peugeot, put too much pressure on the seal.

So, it begins to leak. Even seals designed to last 100,000 miles or more can experience this type of failure. It isn’t the fault of the manufacturers or even the seals themselves. Outside influences simply get in the way of them performing to the best of their abilities.

One sure sign of an impending shaft seal failure is a loose or noise pump shaft. Even if you don’t see any leaks occurring, the entire water pump should be replaced because it is very close to failure.

Water Pump Impeller Blade Failure

The second cause of death for water pumps is often failed impeller blades. These blades are located inside the water pump and are responsible for pushing water through the part. Unfortunately, they can become corrupted by corrosion over time and fail internally. They can also become loose if a fan is out-of-balance because of metal fatigue. If the metal fatigue is severe or has occurred long enough, the shaft may even break away and become loose inside the water pump.

In some vehicles, plastic impellers are now used on some late-model vehicles to avoid the metal fatigue problem. However, this can cause a whole set of issues. Plastic wears down much more quickly than metal, especially if the coolant contains abrasives or is dirty. If the plastic impellers are worn down, the pump may not be able to circulate the right amount of coolant to keep the engine running at the right temperature. It may not leak, but that doesn’t mean it is working correctly.

Signs of Water Pump Failure

Worried your water pump may not be operating at its best? You could be right. Make sure you understand what to look for if it begins to fail.

• Noises- Believe it or not, your Peugeot isn’t going to just fail without giving you some clue as to why it is having trouble. It may even offer a noise or two to help. In the case of the water pump, you want to listen for a grinding noise that becomes louder and more obvious the faster you drive. This noise is coming from the bearings. As coolant leaks from your water pump, it can wash over the bearings, getting rid of the protective grease that covers them. When this happens, the bearings begin to overheat and make noise. If you fail to do anything, the bearings will eventually collapse and can hurt the engine.

• Steam- One of the most dangerous signs of a water pump failure is steam coming from under the bonnet of the car. If this happens, you’ve ignore the many systems of failing car parts too long and your Peugeot is officially overheating. This will most likely occur while you’re driving, so pulling over to a safe place as quickly as possible is important. Unfortunately, the only way to fix this problem is to replace the water pump. If it is leaking in one area, it is most likely leaking in others, and over time those leaks can become bigger.

• Spots in the Driveway- Before you get to the point of steam coming out from underneath your bonnet, you may notice some smaller, but visible signs of trouble in your driveway or even in the car park. If a leak is occurring, signs of it may be present under your car when you pull away. Even a small pool of liquid can become a large problem, so check for leaks right away. For safety reasons, always wait until the engine is completely cool before checking the water pump and other Peugeot parts for leaks.

Worried about your water pump? Make sure you understand what can go wrong with this car part and how to detect any problems so you can replace it quickly.