Parts you won't pay attention to during maintenance: inflator pumps

The pump is the source of air pressure for the entire vehicle. One of the areas that is easily overlooked in routine maintenance is the inflator pump.

If you don't pay attention to maintenance in general, the pump is prone to abnormal wear and tear, stringing of oil, as well as consuming oil, and in the worst case, moisture or oil in the airway, affecting the performance of the vehicle's brakes.

Today's inflator pumps basically take air from the intake line and compress it into the reservoir. When an inferior air filter is used or the intake line of the inflator pump is left to work alone, it is easy for debris to get into the inflator pump and cause it to wear out abnormally.

Unusual wear on a pump occurs primarily on the pump's cylinder and piston rings, as well as on the pump's rotor shingles.

Long-term use of impure air can lead to severe cylinder wear, enlargement of diameter, thinning of piston rings, and inadequate lubrication of engine oil.

Wear and tear on the pump will cause the pump to string oil, which is compressed by the pump and enters the reservoir, thus affecting the performance of the brakes and consuming oil. Excessive wear of the pump will also affect the pumping speed and pressure.

Some pumps are water-cooled, antifreeze is recommended

Some pumps use engine circulating water for cooling, in a manner similar to the engine block. Some drivers use water instead of antifreeze in their daily use, resulting in scale inside the pump, clogging waterways and affecting the pump's heat dissipation.

Long-term use of water instead of antifreeze will not only clog the waterway of the pump, but more seriously, long-term use of water will corrode the engine cylinder liner, causing irreparable consequences.

The pump is not emphasized in our daily maintenance, and some people even never pay attention to this component at all, which often results in damage to the pump. Long-term lack of attention is very likely to allow oil or moisture to enter the air reservoir, drying tank, affecting brake performance.