Thread: How to test a water pump?

Best fix is pull it again, repair/ replace damaged drive bits, reassemble, peace of mind. The TD5 cooling system( well any cooling system really!) is not to be trifled with, any substandard bit WILL bring grief at a later stage!
Your call but sitting on the side of the road in the midday sun with a stuffed motor is not my idea of fun!
Cheers Scott

what about just undoing the bleed screw on the top hose, if you get flow then the pump must be working?
or i may be wrong and someone with a better idea will be along shortly.

Originally Posted by Wil2k

Any thoughts? Just replaced mine in a TD5. Due to damage to the keyed joint between PAS and water pump I'm not 100% sure it's actually turning.

My first thought was to loosen a hose, but that's not a very solid diagnosis.

Take the cap off the coolant reservoir, check that the radiator bleed pipe, coming from the top of the radiator to the top of the plastic reservoir is discharging coolant. However, I agree with having another look at the keyed joint if you are uncertain. Even if the pump is pumping, the keyed joint could be a potential failure. Not worth taking chances, I think, Bob

As above, undo the bleeds crew and check the flow into the header tank.

Otherwise I'd just slip the power steering pump off the front and see if you can turn it with something else and spot a flow into the tank.

You'd be unlucky if a new one failed in such a short time.

Thanks all.

Two questions:
- can anyone describe the amount and location of flow to the overflow reservoir? I get a steady trickle in from the thin black line from the radiator.

- what is the relatable part with the other side of the keyed joint that the water pump connects to. It was very hard to get at (I followed Urban Panzer's method) for a closer look.

The other half of the keyed drive is the power steering pump shaft, driven by the serpentine belt.