My Electric water pump on my 2014 320i BMW runs constantly after shutdown. Drains the battery dead after about five hours. What
My Electric water pump on my 2014 320i BMW runs constantly after shutdown. Drains the battery dead after about five hours. What controls the water pump's on/off. I can temporarily shut the pump of by locking/unlocking the vehicle 30 seconds later the pump turns on again.
My car has 45000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
The electric water pump circuit uses both a temperature sensor and a relay to control it’s function. The temperature sensor tells the water pump there is a demand for it to circulate coolant based on engine temperature. The relay acts as the on/off switch to send power to the pump. Either of these can be at fault. The sensor may not be registering temperature correctly so it is constantly calling for the pump to run. The relay can be stuck in the On position as well, never turning power to the pump off. The pump itself can also have an internal short that is causing it to never turn off. Judging by the age and mileage of the vehicle, you may still be under warranty. The BMW factory warranty is 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. That applies to any owner and starts from the original sale date of the vehicle. If the vehicle is not longer under warranty, have one of our mobile techs come to you. They can inspect the electric water pump circuit and find the exact cause.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
Wear and Tear
The most common cause of water pump failure in BMW cars is simply from age and heavy use of the vehicle. Over time, most parts in a car start to break down through constant wear and tear. Since the water pump is made of plastic, it will slowly degrade over the lifetime of your vehicle.
A failed water pump will not only cause your car to overheat, but it can also cause additional engine damage such as cracked cylinder heads and head gaskets, for example. The longer you drive without the engine being cooled down, the more significant damage is done.
About Water Pump Replacement
A failing water pump can also leak causing further loss of coolant. Water pumps are designed to last at least 100,000 miles, however, if your water pump fails, you should replace it with a high-quality original-equipment level unit.
A pump failure is a mechanical or electrical problem that prevents a pump from functioning correctly. This can be caused by various issues, including a broken impeller, a loss of power, or a clogged filter.
You should replace the water pump after 60,000 to 100,000 miles for most modern vehicles.
Power Source If your pump has stopped working, or is not operating to the levels you expect, it could be a power issue. Look at the factory specifications for your pump and ensure that it is receiving the correct electrical power supply in order to work properly.
Unusual Noises: In addition to coolant leaks and engine overheating, another common symptom of water pump failure is strange noises coming from your vehicle`s engine. More specifically, a high-pitched sound coming from the pump may indicate that a water pump pulley has loosened or a bearing has started to wear down.
Common problems include overheating, leakage, low water pressure, noisy operation, and cavitation. These problems can be prevented or fixed by regular maintenance, inspection, and replacement of worn-out parts.
Pump impellers and seals may fail and foreign matter and debris from the tank can clog the pump internals. Low water levels in the tank can also cause run dry failure. If your pump/motor system stops running you may have an electrical fault or foreign matter seizure.
Most experts recommend that you should change your water pump when the timing belt is serviced. Water pumps are driven by the timing belt and usually last around 100,000-150,000 kilometres.
Generally, sump pumps can run for six to 24 hours continuously, depending on how heavy the rainfall is and the quality of your pump.
When a water pump completely fails, it is no longer able to move coolant through the engine; this causes it to overheat. If you see steam, pull over immediately and call your mechanic for assistance — continuing to drive with an overheated engine can damage it to the point that it will need to be completely replaced.
When water pumps go bad, it causes your engine to overheat—and that leads to all sorts of trouble. While water pumps are designed to last a vehicle`s lifetime, it`s entirely possible for them to fail before that mark.
One of the common signs of bad water pump functionality is overheating. The pump may not leak coolant, but the pump mechanism itself may have failed. Over time the fins of the pump can actually wear down to the point where they are no longer moving coolant.
Too Little Air in the Reservoir Tank
These tanks depend on air pressure within to regulate the pressure switch. If the inside air pressure drops, the tank will not trigger the pressure switch correctly, causing the pump to switch ON and OFF erroneously.
The average Water Pump uses 150 watts. Your devices wattage may be different depending on the brand, size, or other factors. You can generally find the wattage of your Water Pump in the user manual or on the device itself.
Try removing the tubing and blowing air through it. Check pressure switch tubing for leaks or clogging. Clean or replace the tubing. The clog could also be debris in the orifice on the bottom of the pressure switch sensor, or inside the sensor requiring that the switch be replaced.
So a minute on and a minute off has always been the minimum rule of thumb. Two minutes on and two minutes off is just that much better for the motor. With the old conventional pressure tank method, the pressure tank fills at the rate the pump can produce, less the amount of water being used at the time.
Electric water pumps can circulate coolant even after the engine is turned off, providing additional cooling to critical engine components and minimizing the risk of heat-related damage.
The best way of fixing a faulty water pump is to replace it with a new one. Depending on the extent of damage to the cooling system, replacing the thermostat, radiator cap, and gasket together with the water pump is usually recommended.
It is possible to drive your vehicle without a water pump, but not good to. Some people in the racing circuit or who drive racing vehicles purposefully remove their water pumps to obtain more horsepower to their engine. If you are driving a vehicle for everyday use though, a water pump is a must.
A squealing or chirping noise from the front of the engine can also be an indication of a failing water pump. It can sound very much like when a serpentine belt is making noise, and in many cases, that`s because it is.
The water pump is one of the vehicle components that may never require replacement if your vehicle is well-taken care of. You can own a car for over 15 years and never have to replace the water pump. That`s not to say that it can`t develop a problem.
An electric water pump is far more in tune with your engine`s specific cooling needs. By utilizing a controller, it can determine how much coolant circulates through the engine at given temperature ranges and maintain a target temperature. This prevents inadequate or excessive cooling.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
My Electric water pump on my 2014 320i BMW runs constantly after shutdown. Drains the battery dead after about five hours. What
ANSWER : The electric water pump circuit uses both a temperature sensor and a relay to control it’s function. The temperature sensor tells the water pump there is a demand for it to circulate coolant based on engine temperature. The relay acts as the on/off switch to send power to the pump. Either of these can be at fault. The sensor may not be registering temperature correctly so it is constantly calling for the pump to run. The relay can be stuck in the On position as well, never turning power to the pump off. The pump itself can also have an internal short that is causing it to never turn off. Judging by the age and mileage of the vehicle, you may still be under warranty. The BMW factory warranty is 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. That applies to any owner and starts from the original sale date of the vehicle. If the vehicle is not longer under warranty, have one of our mobile techs come to you. They can inspect the electric water pump circuit and find the exact cause.
New battery & fuel pump. Hours later car starts and shuts down 3X in a row. Finally it starts, 48 hours later, won’t start at all
ANSWER : Checking all the fuses was a good move. I would also want to put a scan tool on it and check for diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) as well as seeing the data that the computer is seeing.
A fuel pressure test would be a good idea to verify correct pressure and so that you’d be able to eliminate that possibility. It should be 58psi on your Magnum.
I also recommend getting your battery tested (I know, it’s new, have it tested anyway) and be sure it’s charged to at least 75%. And yes, loose battery cable connections can result in electrical problems.
If you need some assistance with this, consider enlisting a certified mechanic who can perform the checks I’ve mentioned and diagnose your starting issue firsthand. The mechanic can then perform the necessary repairs once the problem has been isolated. Good luck.
Can a jeep run and drive without a water pump??
ANSWER : Driving or running the engine without the water pump working to circulate the coolant through the motor will cause the motor to overheat and may damage the engine costing thousands of dollars versus using a tow truck to take the vehicle to the shop that will cost a lot less. I would not recommend running the engine more than a few minutes at a time or you will overheat it.
My water pump is leaking but I replaced timing belt and pump a year ago. Can I just replace the water pump this time?
ANSWER : Hello. You can just replace the water pump in this case. Although, the cost of just the timing belt is fairly negligible in comparison to the total labor of the job. My estimator says the water pump is a 6.5 hour job. Multiply that by whatever the shop rate is and you have the total labor without parts. You end up saving about $100 or less on parts if you only replace the pump.
The deciding factor will be the condition of the timing belt. If it has problems, you won’t be saving yourself any money by reusing it. In addition, there are seals and pulleys that may need to be replaced as well.
Assuming all the related parts were replaced the first time around, there isn’t a reason you can’t reuse them. I would say you should weigh the savings of reusing them against the actual condition of the parts. This is best determined after a complete disassembly. Keep in mind, time estimates will vary a bit depending on many factors. Either way, the labor is the largest cost.
If you would like to have the water pump replaced, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to perform this service at your convenience.
Cranks and runs rough have to keep foot in gas to keep running. Has new fuel pump and died while driving after pump was changed
ANSWER : Check fuel pressure. There are only three possible explanations: a fault in fuel supply (plugged filter, injectors, etc.); ignition system problems; and air induction including the idle air control valve, throttle position sensor, mass air flow sensor and vacuum leaks including the PCV and EGR systems. If obvious, and easy to check, possibilities do not reveal the fault, the recommended service to request is a rough running diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will travel right to your location and get this diagnosed and resolved for you. It is also possible that diagnostic trouble codes have set and the mechanic will attempt to retrieve those using an appropriate scan tool. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic.
Battery drains quickly, New battery,Heavy drain, Replaced alternator , drain still there,goes away when bat. main 2 fuse is pulled
ANSWER : Hi there. It’s quite possible that you have one of two things causing the drain to the battery. First, you have a bad ground somewhere in the main relay or fuse box or an exposed wire somewhere that is not allowing the circuit to complete from the alternator to the battery. This can cause a battery draining issue as you’re describing, but it could also be one of multiple other electrical problems. The best way to pinpoint the exact source is to have a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete a battery will not hold a charge inspection.
After sitting without running for a long while, sometimes in-tank electric fuel pumps won’t start.
ANSWER : Check the power supply to the fuel pump, at the fuel pump terminals (as close as you can get) to be sure that the circuit actually functions. If there is power to the pump, but no operation, it is possible the fuel has oxidized, turned to varnish and other compounds, and basically glued the pump "shut". Also, it is not just a matter of air in the tank (oxidizing the fuel) but also moisture in the tank. Over so many years, the pump could be sitting in water simply due to accumulated water from condensation. If the tank has lots of water at the bottom, if it is a metal tank you might even need a new tank due to the possibility of internal corrosion. Although I suppose you could figure out a way to "unstick" a fuel pump that has sat in oxidizing fuel, and possibly water, for so many years, it is not worth it on account of safety and reliability considerations. If there is power and the pump doesn’t work, I would install a brand new pump and of course very carefully inspect the interior of the tank being mindful not to blow it up. Use a low power LED light…don’t use a 120 volt trouble light around fuel or, much worse, around fuel vapors. If you desire that the pump be replaced by a certified mechanic and the tank be inspected, simply request a fuel pump replacement. If you have additional concerns or questions, by all means please let us know.
Water was spilled in the trunk which soaked the car battery. Car won’t start now. Does water destroy a car battery?
ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in about the concern with the BMW 320i. If the battery was submerged in water then it’s completely possible for the battery to short out and die. Your friend will need to have the battery replaced. Also be sure to get all of the water out of the trunk. Have a certified technician, like one from YourMechanic, help you guys out if you need assistance with replacing the battery. Good luck.
