Water pump costs a fortune in labor?

Gee, I wonder what you say about GM parts and service.

You are lucky to have that relationship. My dealer wont even let anyone in repair area. He said I needed many things I just had done elsewhere, then tries to sell me an alloy rim instead of pulling out the nail. Some are good, but you only hear of the bad ones.

Actually lots of vehicles use the timing belt to drive the water pump. It is probably a good idea to have the water pump replaced when you have the timing belt changed or in this case to have the timing belt changed when you have the water pump replaced.

I don't think this is a bad design. The thing lasted 16 years and 173k miles......The crap Toyota I owned needed one in less than 50k miles, but it was easy to replace...

$500 seems like a lot, but just think if you were buying a new car..that would be two or three months worth of payments.

Ed

The problem is, it's starting to add up. I'm beginning to wonder; Am I working to support myself or the car?

Right, the 4A seres engine has a mount, but it's for the pulley for the crank.

PIcture > There is no fan bolted to the water pump on the water pump. =A0Since the

Yeah, Autozone only lists both 1.6 and 1.8 in the 4A series. Not the

The unfortunate truth is nothing lasts forever. The car is 16 years old and has 173k miles. The age is worse than the mileage. Rubber, plastic, and paint shrink, crack, just fall apart as they get old. Even Toyota can't stop time - I might even say, especially Toyota can't stop time. I'd take a 5 year old car with 120k miles over a 16 year old car with 75k miles any time. If you need to depend on the car, now would be a good time to look at a new one.

Ed

Sell the car and take the bus. Then you'd be working to support the bus.

Sell the car and take a taxi. Then you'd be working to support the taxi.

Sell the car and ride a horse. Then you'd be working to support the horse.

Sell the car and ride a bicycle. Then you'd be working to support the bicycle.

Sell the car and walk. Then you'd be working to support the shoe store.

Transportation isn't free.

I wish I knew your secret. The little old lady two doors down from me has a mid '90 Corolla. It doesn't even have 70k miles, but looks like crap. Paint faded, interior faded. It drives like crap too. It smokes when she starts it (despite having the oil changed regualrly at the Toyota dealer). The exhaust syystem leaks. She had to have the alternator replaced. It seems to be nickel and diming her to death besides. Nothing major goes wrong, just irritating little things (alternator quit charging - corroded connection, small coolant leak - new hose, smokes a little on startup - without any major oil use, headlights fogged over, a squeak in the front suspension, etc., etc.). I can count on her knocking on my door once a month or so to do something to the car. Last time it wouldn't start - it's an automatic and jiggling the shifter fixed that. My SO had a late 80's Camry Wagon that she loved, but after 10 years and 200k miles it was junk. Paint faded, interior crappy, paint falling off the hood and roof (silver - yuck). Oil leaking from everywhere (so much from the transmission it was killing the grass where she parked - she would not park on the driveway becasue it left an oil puddle on the concrete). Still she loves Toyotas....

Ed

It gets down to the cost benefit ratio. If you just happen to love the car, fine, but when a car is worth $1500 in the blue book and costs you $1500 a year to repair, it gets tedious.

And let's face it, I can get a 2002 for under $7500, which is 5 years of repairs on this one.

Not as reliable as they used to be?

I didn't know that.