Can You Drive a Car Without a Water Pump? (Answered)

Do you have a faulty water pump in your car? Are you wondering whether or not you can drive a car without a water pump? Are you also wondering how long you can drive a car without the help of a water pump?

Can you drive a car without a water pump?

Although you can drive a car without the water pump for a trivial amount of time, it is still highly advisable for you to not drive a car without a water pump, or with a faulty water pump. Driving a car without one can cause the car to overheat and can cause damage to the engine.

A water pump in a vehicle is like the most integral part of a car and without it, you can face a lot of difficulties while driving your car.

Therefore, it is always advisable for you to drive a car with a water pump which will help to remove all the unnecessary incidents. 

Ensures Coolant Flow:

It is the duty of the water pump to evenly flow the coolant with the help of the water pump or with the water pump belt. 

Moreover, this will eventually lead to the maintenance of the balanced temperature of the car. 

Ensures Even Temperature: 

One of the reasons why you should not drive a car without a water pump is because water pumps help to ensure even temperature for your car which results in prolonging the longevity of your engine. 

In addition, whether it is a scorching hot temperature or freezing temperature, nothing can be more useful than having a water pump that will ensure even temperature flow.

Ensures the Health of the Engine: 

With the help of a water pump, it is very easy to ensure the health of the engine. A water pump will take care of the radiator, piston, head gasket and all these will eventually maintain the longevity of the engine. 

How long and how far can you drive a car without a water pump?

Technically, you can drive a car without a water pump but the ideal situation for avoiding any unwanted accidents is that you should always drive a car with a water pump. 

In addition, depending on the engine’s load, you can drive almost 300 miles for 90 minutes without a water pump but it is highly advisable not to.

Moreover, how long and how far a car can be driven without a water pump depend highly on the coolant, timing belt, and temperature of the engine.

Can you drive a car with a bad, broken, blown or leaking water pump?

You should not drive a car with a bad, broken, blown, or leaking water pump because this can cause a lot of damage to the engine and the well-being of the car.

Moreover, a car with a bad, broken, blown, or leaking water pump can seriously damage the engine to such a point that it may defy to work properly and this will also cause material build-up in the engine which can cause overheating.

What problems can a bad water pump cause?

The water pump is a very integral part of the engine and when the water pump goes bad, it can cause a lot of severe consequences.

Therefore, being aware of the bad consequences can help you to mold your decisions properly and help to prevent any unwanted incidents.

Overheating: 

One of the major problems that can be caused by a bad water pump is that it can lead to overheating of the engine. 

In addition, when the bad state of the water pump is unable to cause an even circulation of the coolant throughout the engine, the engine of the car will be prone to unregular overheating.

Therefore, it can result in the burning of the piston, in the deteriorating of the head gasket, and also can cause damage to the cylinders. 

Insufficient Coolant: 

Coolant is very important for an engine to work properly and it is the job of the engine’s water pump to fully operate the coolant throughout so that the movement of the engine is smooth.

In addition, the shaft seal that is in between the water pump and the engine needs the coolant from the water pump to work properly.

Eventually, due to the lack of sufficient coolant, the seal will dry out or wear out which will cause the engine to slowly deteriorate. 

Radiator Steam: 

When the water pump is unable to regulate its temperature effectively, it can result in black or white smoke coming out of the radiator.

In addition, as a consequence of this, the radiator will eventually be unable to work as a route for the water pump to evenly spread the coolant. 

Can you drive a car without a water pump belt?

Although you may be able to drive your car without a water pump belt, it is highly advisable not to do this as it will result in severe consequences. 

Moreover, if the water pump belt is loosed or if it got snapped, it will not be able to generate the coolant and regulate the temperature properly which will eventually result in faulty acceleration. 

How to tell if water pump is bad on car?

The last thing you want for your water pump is to fail or to go bad. In such cases, you want to be aware of the signs and symptoms that may indicate that your car’s water pump is going bad.

Therefore, being aware of the consequences will help you to prevent any unnecessary accidents that may befall you. 

Discharging of Smoke: 

When your car’s water pump is not working properly chances are there will be smoke coming out of the radiator.

The smoke’s color may be black or white in color but whatever the color may be, the smoke coming out of the radiator is an indicator of the idea that your car’s water pump may not be working properly.

In addition, in such circumstances, you should not restart your engine at any cost rather you should wait for the engine to cool off. 

Coolant Leak:

Another way of telling whether your car’s water pump is bad or not is by looking for any potential coolant leaks that may be witnessed in the middle of your car.

In addition, a car’s water pump has a lot of seals in it that contain the coolant, and this coolant is very important as it ensures that the coolant runs smoothly from the radiator to the engine.

However, with the heavy usage and with time, the seals and the gaskets develop leaks, and sometimes, seals dry out. 

This will eventually cause the water pump to leak and if you happen to see this leakage in your car’s engine, this is a good indication of the fact that your car’s water pump has gone bad. 

High Pitched Sounds:

Another very effective way of diagnosing that your car’s water pump has gone bad is by detecting the high-pitched wail sound that may come from the car’s engine. 

In addition, the reason for this weird sound to come out of your car’s water pump is because the water pump’s belt that is used for its acceleration has been loosed.

Accordingly, this loose belt is the indication that the bearings in the engine’s water pump are not workable which will eventually cause the whole system to deteriorate. 

Overheating of the Engine:

The temperature gauge is a very important thing for a car’s engine. A faulty and bad water pump will lead to the overheating of the engine of the car. 

Additionally, when the temperature gauge is in its rising position, then it is a firm indication that your water pump has gone bad. 

Accordingly, it is an engine’s water pump that ensures the even flow of coolant throughout the engine which then ensures the engine’s even temperature. 

However, when the water pump has gone bad, the engine can overheat. This will eventually cause the cylinder to burst and will also cause damage to the head gasket or to the pistons.

How much does a water pump cost and water pump replacement cost for a car?

Being a vital element of the engine, it should not come across as a surprise that it may cost you a fortune to do a water pump replacement.

Additionally, the general cost to do a water pump replacement can range from 450 dollars to 630 dollars including the labor cost.

Moreover, this replacement cost will also vary according to the state of the water pump, the model of the car, and on the repair shop. 

Final Thoughts

If you do not want black or white smoke coming out of the car’s radiator, your car to overheat, or if you do not want your car’s engine to be damaged, the best thing for you to do is to never drive a car without an engine’s water pump. Otherwise, you will risk harming your car. But you can drive.