Current opinions on water pump as preventative maintenance?

[BMWGuy4852]

I'm strongly opposed to replacing parts just because you are afraid they'll fail. You can buy AAA towing or get something on your auto insurance policy to cover the either the inevitable or unpredictable depending upon your mind set.

Regarding insurance, I don't recommend buying it in most cases, but I did buy the BMW Gold Warranty. I broke even more or less on the repairs VS the cost of the policy. If I had done my own work, I might have come out ahead. I say "might" because some repairs were beyond my skill level or the contents of my tool box, LOL!

I buy expensive Michelin Tires, but I never buy the road hazard insurance. Over the years, I've only had one tire failure from hitting a pot hole, it was on the 135i!

Companies want to sell insurance on everything in the world to fix or service everything in your life. About the only thing you really need is health insurance.

[kb2wji]

I'm also following this thread. I have an '11 128i with 75k. My oil pan gasket is slightly leaking and I was shocked at how much of a pain it is to replace. I'm likely going to have that done along with the water pump in the next few months to a year. Most of my driving is local, but if the water pump is going to self destruct, it'll obviously do it during one of my infrequent longer distance drives. (Longer distance drives are usually in the '19 QX60.....I wonder which will explode first - my 128's water pump or the Infinity's appalling CVT transmission)

[BMWGuy4852]

Originally Posted by kb2wji

I'm also following this thread. I have an '11 128i with 75k. My oil pan gasket is slightly leaking and I was shocked at how much of a pain it is to replace. I'm likely going to have that done along with the water pump in the next few months to a year. Most of my driving is local, but if the water pump is going to self destruct, it'll obviously do it during one of my infrequent longer distance drives. (Longer distance drives are usually in the '19 QX60.....I wonder which will explode first - my 128's water pump or the Infinity's appalling CVT transmission)

As you already know, the subframe has to be removed to get to the oil pan. If it has a slight leak or drip, I wouldn't bother. It won't cause any problems beyond a bit of crud on your plastic underbody cover.

This repair is really expensive, because it involves a lot of hours of labor. Just about any old car will have at best minor leaks. Also about the time you decide to fix it, you might find yourself getting tired of the car and want to dump it!

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by BMWGuy4852

I'm strongly opposed to replacing parts just because you are afraid they'll fail. You can buy AAA towing or get something on your auto insurance policy to cover the either the inevitable or unpredictable depending upon your mind set.

Regarding insurance, I don't recommend buying it in most cases, but I did buy the BMW Gold Warranty. I broke even more or less on the repairs VS the cost of the policy. If I had done my own work, I might have come out ahead. I say "might" because some repairs were beyond my skill level or the contents of my tool box, LOL!

I buy expensive Michelin Tires, but I never buy the road hazard insurance. Over the years, I've only had one tire failure from hitting a pot hole, it was on the 135i!

Companies want to sell insurance on everything in the world to fix or service everything in your life. About the only thing you really need is health insurance.

Trouble is, it will fail at the least possibly convenient time and place. I have no problem doing preventative maintenance on a part that will strand me someday. I think 100K is fine for the water pump and thermostat on my 2011's. Of course, that might be 10-20 years in the future at the rate I put miles on these cars.

Extended warranties are like Vegas, the house always wins. I have literally not had a single repair on my 328i that would have been covered by any sort of extended warranty - because it hasn't had any AT ALL in the five years since the BMW warranty expired. Closest thing was the battery this past April, which cost me $100. The 128i might have made out better since it did have the oil pan gasket and coils replaced before 50K miles, and I guess the REALLY expensive warranties might cover brakes, which that car had all around just before I bought it (at the $tealer, ouch). But I do all my own work, and I have never heard of a warranty that will just buy you the parts.

Ultimately, insurance makes sense when you can pay hundreds per year to avoid the loss of tens to hundreds of thousands. Car insurance, homeowner's insurance, health insurance. It makes no sense to pay thousands to MAYBE save a couple thousand extra in repairs years in the future. Most of the time, at best you simply prepaid for the repairs. A few people win the lottery. Those of us who turn our own wrenches (and avoid n54s) just don't worry about it at all.

[BMWGuy4852]

My purchase of the Gold Warranty was done for convenience. I didn't get any hassle from the dealer concerning repairs, and it gave me some piece of mind.

Some older BMWs might have had sterling records of reliability, but the 135i doesn't enjoy that reputation. These cars can have issues costing thousands of dollars. For example, check out the repair costs of oil pan gasket replacement or problems with the DCT.

The cost of the warranty is nickels and dimes, and I would never buy any German Car without an extended warranty. These cars are overly complex and bound to eventually break.

In any case, my car will be 10 years old this coming July. I have 50K miles on it, and I hope to push it close to 100K before I dump it. After that, I'm going back to Mazda.

[BMWGuy4852]

There is another advantage to a BMW warranty. If the WP fails far from home, you'll likely find a BMW dealer nearby. BTW, the warranty will cover the tow to the dealer. As an added advantage, you'll get to enjoy a few nights in the local motel and an opportunity to explore the area's flora and fauna, LOL!

Also forget about preventative maintenance like changing the coolant. My car went into limp mode in front of the dealer, very handy, at 43K miles! When they change the WP, they put in fresh coolant!

Anyway, figuring how long the WP will last is a crap shoot. It just isn't worth the worry.

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by BMWGuy4852

My purchase of the Gold Warranty was done for convenience. I didn't get any hassle from the dealer concerning repairs, and it gave me some piece of mind.

Some older BMWs might have had sterling records of reliability, but the 135i doesn't enjoy that reputation. These cars can have issues costing thousands of dollars. For example, check out the repair costs of oil pan gasket replacement or problems with the DCT.

The cost of the warranty is nickels and dimes, and I would never buy any German Car without an extended warranty. These cars are overly complex and bound to eventually break.

In any case, my car will be 10 years old this coming July. I have 50K miles on it, and I hope to push it close to 100K before I dump it. After that, I'm going back to Mazda.

A car is only as reliable as the owner makes it. If you ignore things, you get bit in the butt. I prefer to work on cars on my schedule, not the car's schedule. And I much prefer having the money for an extended warranty in my bank account rather than the warranty company's - as I said, not a single repair that would have been covered in five years on my 328i.

Half the battle of course, is avoiding the stupid versions of the cars. Which is why both of my BMWs of this vintage lack turbochargers and have manual transmissions. I can easily change a clutch in my garage.