5 Symptoms of a Bad Car Oil Pump in your Car

Last Updated on November 20, 2019 by themechanic

The car oil pump is responsible for pumping and circulating oil inside the internal combustion engine. All the moving components and parts of the engine generate heat very quickly. If they are not cooled down and lubricated, the heat will cause these parts to get damaged and malfunction. The only way to stop this from happening is for oil to lubricate the components and keep them working smoothly and steadily. Oil also helps cool the engine down too.

The oil pump creates the pressure needed to move the oil and keep it circulating. It is important for the pressure to be precise or else it could throw off the entire lubrication process. When the oil pump goes bad, an improper amount of pressure is generated. In situations, there is hardly any pressure generated at all. This can have devasting effects on your vehicle and your ability to drive.

5 Bad Symptoms

If you have a bad car oil pump, it won’t take long before you notice symptoms which will become quite apparent. Some of these symptoms are quite serious and must be considered immediately. Other symptoms involving strange sounds should also be taken seriously because they could lead to much worse problems if they’re not addressed promptly.

Below are the top 5 symptoms of a bad car oil pump in your car.

1) Overheated Engine

This is the symptom that you’ll never want to happen. However, it is the symptom that you’ll likely face if you have a bad oil pump and fail to replace it in time. Pay attention to the temperature gauge on the dashboard. If you see the needle moving toward the hot zone, have a mechanic check out your vehicle immediately. Don’t wait until it gets to the hot zone because your engine might get damaged. Then you’re looking at very expensive repairs.

2) Hydraulic Lifter Makes Noises

Hydraulic lifters are some of the components of an engine which depend on oil lubrication. The lifters manage the valve-train and ensure they function the way they’re supposed to. But if the oil pump is bad, then the hydraulic lifters won’t receive their needed lubrication. The first sign of this will be strange noises coming from the hydraulic lifters as they try to do their job.

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3) Valve-Train Noises

The valve-train is comprised of several valves, seals, and pushrods. These components are constantly in operation when the engine is running. They require oil lubrication to keep running smoothly. But this cannot happen if the oil pump has gone bad because the oil won’t circulate properly through the valve-train. The result will be strange noises coming from the valve-train.

4) Whining Noises

In addition to all the noises which come from these other components that rely on oil, you will also hear noises coming from the oil pump itself when it goes bad. These will be whining noises that are nonstop and never go away. You’ll hear them when the engine is idle, and you’ll hear them when you are driving. The only solution here is to replace the oil pump to get the noises to go away.

5) Weak Oil Pressure

A faulty oil pump creates less oil pressure than is needed to circulate the oil throughout the engine properly. Whenever you have weak oil pressure, you have an engine that is at risk. Some vehicles have an oil pressure warning light, while others will just illuminate the Check Engine warning light. It is best to have a mechanic conduct an oil pressure test to see if that’s the problem. If it is the problem, then your oil pump is likely to blame.

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