All,
I have a 99 328I with 140,000 miles reasonably trouble free so far. Should I pre-emptively replace the water original pump and at what mileage? Otto at Bavarian Autosports thinks I should. Anyone out there has an opinion or recommendation, or some experience? I plan to keep the car until it dies because simply cannot afford to replace cars unless there is a very very good reason.
Thanks for all responses.
"carver audain" wrote
Water pumps do fail. Lots of people, including the Roundel tech guys, prefer to replace them at some interval (ranging from 60K to 100K miles.) However, when they do fail, it's usually not a big deal as the leak from the bearing is easily evident. Caveat: if you have one with a plastic impeller it can clog engine/other coolant passages and the engine will probably die.
Given all that, the radiator and especially the expansion tank can fail catastrophically and you'll probably lose the engine, unless you IMMEDIATELY stop it.
I've got a '01 330xi; I've changed the radiator, expansion tank, thermostat and hoses (at 100K) but still have the original pump. YMMV.
FloydR
Mike Miller, the tech guru for Roundel and Bimmer mag, suggests replacing the water pump at 60K. It's not that expensive unless you go with the Stewart aftermarket pump which allegedly is made to a much higher standard (roughly 3 times the cost).
R / John
isnt the 60k replace the case with the older plastic impeller's ? i think the metal ones will last to 100k + my old plastic one failed at 77k .luckily no pieces went into the engine.
Miller had no confidence in either the old plastic impeller nor new metal impeller pump. Only the mode of failure changed.
R / John
Thanks for the responses to my previous question. Now I have to ask a different to get to the answer I am seeking. The water pump will fail eventually, but what is the likelihood that it will also lead to engine damage due to plastic impeller pieces getting into the cooling system?
If the likelihood is small, it may not be worth it to change the pump now (at 140K miles). I inderstand that at the first sign of cooling system problems, I am to stop driving, and unless there is a visible leak, given the circumstances, I am to change the pump and see if there is still a problem.
Thanks again for your responses.
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