Signs of a Bad Air Pump

The air pump is a key component of your car’s emission control system. The emission control system is very important for minimizing your car’s pollutants, as well as keeping it running efficiently. Your air pump needs to be in good operating condition at all times.

The air pump was first used on cars in the mid-1960s, during the early days of emissions regulation. It was created to add additional air to the fuel-air mixture, right after it was burned in the cylinders. Back in those days, most cars used carburetors to meter the amount of fuel and air going into the engine’s cylinders, where it is burned to produce power. Carburetors were much less precise and controllable than the fuel injection systems that have become commonplace on today’s vehicles. As a result, the exhaust gases from a carbureted engine normally contained a high proportion of unburned gasoline.

The air pump was used to add more air into the exhaust stream. This air would then combine with the unburned gasoline, causing it to ignite before it could come out of the end of the car’s tailpipe and create smog in the atmosphere. The air pump greatly reduced these older cars’ emissions.

As fuel injection became widespread, catalytic converters were added to exhaust systems, and computer controls were used to regulate our cars’ engines, the amount of unburned fuel in the average car’s exhaust was greatly reduced. The air pump’s purpose became a secondary but still important one, assisting the catalytic converter to warm up quickly when cold, and adding air when needed for the optimal performance of the catalyst.

An air pump (also known as a smog pump) can either be electrically operated, or it can be powered by an engine-driven belt.

Symptoms of a bad air pump

A problem with your air pump can be a serious issue. Because your air pump is part of your car’s emission control system, your ability to keep your vehicle smog-legal and running smoothly can be affected.

A bad air pump can make it difficult to drive your car safely. It could also cause your vehicle to fail a smog test. Many factors can cause a bad air pump. Here are some of the warning signs of a bad air pump: - Check Engine Light illuminates - Vehicle fails its emission inspection - Engine runs rough, stalls, hesitates, or idles too low - You experience reduced engine power, poor acceleration - You hear a strange howling noise

Repairing a bad air pump

While failing a smog test is a serious enough problem, the real danger from a bad air pump is the possibility that reduced engine performance and driveability could cause be hazardous to your driving safety.

Your mechanic will thoroughly inspect the air pump, along with the belts and hoses connected to it. If the Check Engine Light has lit up and thrown a trouble code, a diagnostic check with a code scanner can pinpoint the general cause of the problem.

If the cause is a bad air pump, the bad one can be removed from your car, and then replaced with a new air pump. Based on the condition of the related belts and hoses, your mechanic may also recommend replacing these items as well. Once repairs are made, another scan with the code reader should verify that the problem has been solved.

Repairing an air pump can be tricky

Unless you have had extensive experience in working with automotive emission control systems, leave this to the professionals! The proper repair of a bad air pump involves a thorough understanding of how the various computer controlled and monitored components interact with each other. A thorough knowledge of diagnosing this system with a scan tool is also necessary – a trouble code can be just the beginning of figuring out the precise cause of an emissions-related problem!

If you replace the air pump and the code comes back, what will you do next? If you don’t have a good answer, don’t go down this rabbit hole! Your mechanic has the experience, the proper tools, and the diagnostic equipment to replace your air pump safely and cost-effectively.