Electric Versus Belt-Driven Water Pump Pros & Cons

[Fred]

The of of this thread is to document and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of running an electric water pump in place of a standard belt-driven pump.

Advantages:

Keeping feet warm without idling the engine

Disadvantages:

More alternator load

Feel free to join in and add knowledge to this thread in the hope of building an authoritative reference on the subject.

Fred.

[DonTZ125]

Reduced parasitic load (total loss only)
Improved coolant temperature control vs full pump flow and thermostat

[Fred]

I'd keep the tstat regardless to create a pressure differential within the system.

BMWs and possibly others circulate full time to keep head temps even and only bring cold water into the circulating mix as required using their tstats. This is another option.

[molak]

I'd keep the tstat regardless to create a pressure differential within the system.

BMWs and possibly others circulate full time to keep head temps even and only bring cold water into the circulating mix as required using their tstats. This is another option.

99.9% of VW and many fords... circulate full time. They have a "3-way" thermostat that divert the water from a the small circuit (pump>> block >>head) to a the big circuit (pump >> block >> head >> radiator).

VW's 1.8t and 2.0t engines have both pumps... a small electric one and a regular belt driven. The electric pump is used to keep the water flowing to the water-cooled turbo after stoping the engine ...


I don't like to thrust the cooling of and engine completely on a electric pump, To many thing can go wrong .. A belt drive pump is simple and reliable.

[Fred]