Q: My water pump pulley won't spin, making the serpentine belt squeak & start smoking. Do I replace the water pump or just the pulley?

asked by on October 21, 2016

My car started squeaking and making loud noises and soon after my serpentine belt snapped and i replaced it but when i cranked the car it ran fine for about 10 secs then started squeaking again and smoking. After a few times i noticed the water pump pulley was not spinning causing friction on the belt which caused the smoke. So do i just replace the water pump pulley or just go ahead and replace the water pump? Also if i replace the water pump is it necessary to replace the water pump pulley as well or can i use the same one ?
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hi. Usually there is nothing wrong with the actual pulley when this happens. In most cases, the water pump is binding up, causing the pulley to stop spinning. Replacement of the water pump will fix your problem. The pulley will need to be replaced if there is damage from the belt on it. If there is no damage, then the pulley can be reused.

I suggest you have a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, come and replace your water pump and check for any additional damage.

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

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