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      11-19-2017, 02:09 PM   #1
thatoneguy...
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Preemptive water pump replacement?

Hello all!

Got a ~2k mile road trip coming up for the holidays and am wondering if it makes sense for me to do the waterpump/thermostat before departing. I'm currently sitting at 65k on the clock on my N54 and it's been running fine so far. I am not sure if there is any way to test the integrity of my current water pump or if there are any warning signs, but I'd rather not get stranded halfway there and have to deal with it then. I'm erring on the side of caution, but if there are a few checks I can run to verify that it's fine, that'd be sweet! Thank you!
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      11-19-2017, 05:38 PM   #2
04mazdaspeed
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If you want to be pre-emptive about it sure, go ahead and change it. There's really no way to say when its going to go. Hell your motor could pop on the way down there and theres nothing you could have done to prevent it. I hope that doesn't happen in either case but just another reason why I prefer to rent a car if I'm traveling that much. If shit breaks down, its on them and I get another rental to me asap.
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      11-20-2017, 07:57 PM   #3
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Normally there are no warning signs. Have been through two n5x wps. 60-70k is very prime territory for N54 pump failure. My 135i went at 69k and my old 335i at 71k. My buddies 335xi also went around 65k iirc. I'd go ahead and do it if you know its the factory original part.
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      05-15-2018, 12:19 PM   #4
xhasasinx
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My local BMW certified technician won't let me bring my car in until after 80,000 miles! I have called him twice now (once at 64,000 and again at 74,000) for unrelated issues and just suggested that I have the pump changed. He keeps telling me they change the pumps all the time, but they haven't had one yet that went before 80,000 miles. If he's turned down my money twice, I'd say it's a good sign not to bother touching your pump until after 80,000. If you watch Justin Buice (sp?) on youtube, he provided some info about the Carly monitoring app. Apparently you can monitor the performance of the pump and keep mental notes if the performance changes. I am still on the fence about getting the dongle and app, they're not cheap, but they do offer a lot of information for the money.
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      05-26-2018, 10:51 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xhasasinx View Post
My local BMW certified technician won't let me bring my car in until after 80,000 miles! I have called him twice now (once at 64,000 and again at 74,000) for unrelated issues and just suggested that I have the pump changed. He keeps telling me they change the pumps all the time, but they haven't had one yet that went before 80,000 miles. If he's turned down my money twice, I'd say it's a good sign not to bother touching your pump until after 80,000. If you watch Justin Buice (sp?) on youtube, he provided some info about the Carly monitoring app. Apparently you can monitor the performance of the pump and keep mental notes if the performance changes. I am still on the fence about getting the dongle and app, they're not cheap, but they do offer a lot of information for the money.
I just had my SECOND water pump replaced and I'm just under 79,000 miles. First one went out at 55,000 miles. Anyone know why the water pumps seem to be so fragile?
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      06-16-2018, 07:45 PM   #6
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My water pump went out at 70k. Buy one, keep it in the trunk, and some cash for the tow truck to the nearest dealer.
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      06-17-2018, 12:59 AM   #7
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You would be extremely wise to do the pump preemptively. And the thermostat, because it's cheap, behind the pump, and not terribly long lived.

Quote:
Originally Posted by xxfocus11xx View Post
My water pump went out at 70k. Buy one, keep it in the trunk, and some cash for the tow truck to the nearest dealer.
That is a really bad idea as not only do you pay the bulk (or entirety depending on who you buy the pump from) of what you would have paid in the first place PLUS you're inconvenienced hugely at a time NOT of your choosing. Versus a minor inconvenience of putting the thing in on your own schedule beforehand.

You can change the pump yourself but it really sucks even if you have small hands. Pay someone else unless you like a challenge or short on money.
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      06-17-2018, 03:04 AM   #8
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thatoneguy... I'd replace your water pump before your trip just for peace of mind. When the pump goes out... there is no warning. Also replace the e-thermostat and the U-shaped hose that connects the two units. On my car the thermostat housing cracked and was leaking coolant. Not a drop on the garage floor... but IF you looked down the radiator fan... you could see coolant collecting inside the belly pan. Go look at my water pump poll... lots of forum members pumps failed way before 80K.

I would also bring along a spare tire in case you get a flat. Toss one of your snow tires in the trunk IF you have snows.

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      06-29-2018, 06:10 PM   #9
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I haven't checked the prices recently but after one of the guys at the local club lost his water pump (at over 100K) I looked at sources and found a huge range of prices. I also paid almost $600 for an alternator this week when I see other sources less than $300. If that sort of range is true for the water pump, I think it may make sense to buy the parts from a low cost source first, then figure out when you replace.

Replacing it before the trip is partially a function of how much of a deal it would be to be without the car for a couple days. I am not a fan of replacing parts early that may or may not fail but I'm not sure if that fits a water pump in a boosted bimmer. But I know of one that went over 100K.
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      06-29-2018, 07:55 PM   #10
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Pump thermostat and coolant are like $450 for the parts. The job is..."challenging".
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