Water Pumps for Toyota Tacoma

Toyota Tacoma Water Pumps

The water pump in your Toyota Tacoma is responsible for pushing coolant through the trucks engine and related systems. This takes heat away from your Tacomas engine and keeps it off, allowing the pickup to continue functioning at peak efficiency even off-road. As the water pump is a small yet vital part of your Tacomas mechanical system, it is useful to know how it functions, how to maintain it, and what signs to look for that point to the failure of the pump.

Your Tacomas water pump uses the crankshaft pulley or crankshaft of your truck to create the driving force it needs to function. The pump uses suction to draw coolant into its mechanism, which is then dispersed outward using centrifugal force, thus traveling throughout the entire engine block.

The combustion process of your Toyotas engine produces a large amount of heat, and that heat can build to damaging levels if it is not given a way to escape the trucks system. Cooling your Tacomas engine and diverting heat away from it and other sensitive parts are the primary functions of the water pump.

There are two main types of coolant pumps in most vehicles, including the Toyota Tacoma. Each pump type will perform the same basic function and provide you with a number of benefits depending on your situation or preferences. Familiarizing yourself with the two pump variants and their features can give you a better understanding of how they work and how to address maintenance issues down the road.

• Mechanical water pumps are the common model used by most manufacturers, including Toyota. These pumps ease the strain on your Tacomas alternator and other components. They are also quick and easy to install should you require a replacement model.
• Electric pumps are adept at compensating for outdoor weather conditions and will typically adjust coolant flow rates to match these changes. This allows the water pumps to increase not only their own efficiency but the mileage efficiency of your Toyota Tacoma as well, since the vehicle will require less energy to run the pump.

A defective pump can lead to potentially dangerous levels of heat that could cause severe damage to your Toyota Tacoma over time. Since the water pump uses coolant to keep your Toyotas engine running smoothly, its essential that you maintain it or replace it in the event of failure. Recognizing some common signs of water pump failure can help you avoid damaging or costly problems later. These signs include:

• Coolant leaking onto the truck, particularly the front-center area.
• Strong puffs of steam coming from the Toyotas radiator.
• High-pitched noises from the front of your motor, which indicate a loose pulley.
• An engine temperature gauge that is constantly in the red range.