Mechanical & Electric Water Pumps Explained • Cars Simplified: Cooling System
Mechanical water pumps have been a vital part of most automotive cooling systems throughout most of the history of the automobile. More recently, electric water pumps have been appearing, and there are even some cars that use both! This video explains how mechanical water pumps work, followed by electrical water pumps, and then discusses the pros and cons of each design.
Mechanical water pumps run off of the engine's rotational effort by having the impeller spun by the crankshaft by means of two pulleys and a belt, or by other means within the engine, like off of a timing chain/belt, or driven by the camshaft. This limits where the water pump can be placed, since it has to be placed near one of these sources of rotation.
An electronic water pump doesn't need to be placed near a mechanical source like that. It only needs to be in-line with a coolant pipe/hose, which can be easily routed wherever there is space under the hood, and it needs to be supplied with power, which can be wired from almost anywhere. An electronic water pump can be controlled by the ECU, making it possible to turn the pump off when it isn't needed, or spin it faster than the engine would allow if there is demand for that.
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