What are the symptoms of a faulty water pump in a Chery QQ?
2 Answers
The symptoms of a faulty water pump in a Chery QQ include: Unstable idling: A faulty water pump can increase the resistance of the pump's rotation. Since the water pump is connected to the timing belt, increased resistance in the pump's rotation can directly affect the engine's operation. At idle, this manifests as fluctuations in RPM after starting, which is more noticeable in winter and can even cause the engine to stall. Noise from the engine area: This noise is a rotational friction sound, similar to a "grinding" noise. The sound can increase with the engine's RPM and vary in volume. Generally, this noise becomes more pronounced as the fault worsens.
It's a real headache when the Chery QQ's water pump fails – I experienced it myself last time. The most obvious sign was the coolant temperature gauge shooting up rapidly, reaching the red zone within minutes. I was stuck in highway traffic at that moment, sweating bullets from anxiety. Then suddenly the AC stopped blowing hot air, accompanied by grinding noises from the engine bay – the metallic scraping sound of rusty bearings rotating was audible even with windows down. Upon inspection, I found coolant leaking everywhere, especially around the water pump area which was completely soaked. The repair shop later explained it was caused by broken water pump impeller preventing coolant circulation. My advice? Shut off the engine immediately and wait for a tow truck. Never attempt to drive it – otherwise you risk engine cylinder scoring that could cost thousands to fix!
