Word to the wise

[tico481]

Well here I am one day before I'm going on vacation and my car is at the shop. The mechanic has told me that the problem with my car overheating was most likely caused but the water pump going out. Now since the water pump went out, pressure built up and busted my radiator to hell, and warped my thermastat housing. If you haven't changed your water pump yet, DO IT BY ALL MEANS! You will end up pay twice as much as the pump costs cause it will damage other parts of your car.

[bigred318]

thanks for the advice im surte itll save lots of people some money in the end! i just changed mine so i am sitting pretty!

David

[komodo]

How much does a normal water pump cost? And how long for installation? <_<

[mmendell]

Is it true that at some point, this problem was fixed? I'm driving a '97 328I. Can anyone tell us for certain if, and when, metal pumps replaced the plastic ones?

Thanks

[steve 92 325is]

I replaced mine myself Paid $40 for metal pump and I believe "97's have the newer style pump already.

[BlantonG13]

I believe it was all e36s after 95 or 96 that had the metal impellors installed straight from the factory. Anytime before, had the plastic ones, but they easily busted and would have been replaced by metal ones...



Any Moderators or Admins care to back me or correct me just to be positive?

[Reedalicious]

Is there an apx. milage we should start to worry about this or just guess?

[wavewuver]

ghead

I have a 1995 and the water pump blew at 110,000. I bought the car a year ago and thought the previous owner had replaced it already. Not. I was lucky not much was damaged other than the pump.

[jllphan]

Many have said it before and I'll say it again....


BMW has a sore spot in that their coolant systems aren't great.

BMW recomends a replacement water pump every 60Kmiles. The pump with a metal pump can destroy itself just as the plastic one will, just in a different way.

[tico481]

Yeah, my plastic one completely melted. My car has 138k on it and the pump finally blew.

[007ben]

bimmerworld has a coolant overhaul kit. radiator, Thermostat, thermostat housing, water pump and belt, and coolant for around $320 after shipping... The water pump it came with was the newest style. Metal but not welded forged or molded.

anyways the overhaul kit took most of a day to do. But a friend and I did it.... Just remember the fan bold it reverse threaded.

[RedBeemer95]

My water pump was replaced by the previous owner at 63k when it blew out. Now i am having a water pump leakage at 71k. ghead

[komodo]

Okay, well I'm past the 96 year (97) so I'm guessing I have a metal one... should I assume I'm fine? =/

[007ben]

Originally posted by jllphan@Aug 6 2004, 05:09 PM
Many have said it before and I'll say it again....


BMW has a sore spot in that their coolant systems aren't great.

BMW recomends a replacement water pump every 60Kmiles. The pump with a metal pump can destroy itself just as the plastic one will, just in a different way.

if its metal change it. as jllphan says in his last pargraph sentance thing there.

[97alpineM3]

Yes... I just replaced mine.... the shaft inside the pump... that gets its power from the pulley sherred it self last week... 30 something for the pump... another 22 for the aluminum housing and 15 or so for another thermostat.... all from bimmerparts.com