water pump life

P

petrocelli

Member
I have seen a nice Z4 Coupe that could be of interest ,it's manual not auto (as preferred) which is why I am not rushing.
Service history is good but no mention of water pump being replaced.It has done 90 K.
There seems to be mixed bag of opinion as to whether you let the pump die and rely on your breakdown cover to get you home or replace it as
an expensive maintenance item when it gets around 100k .
This engine (N52 ?) will be like a new baby to me ie no idea what to expect ( and hopefully without those sleepless nights!) so can any of you
gurus familiar with this engine give me your thoughts on the life and times of the N52 water pump and your experiences.
Thanks
 
Funnily enough, just had a discussion on that over on the Project Spa thread.
I have just sourced a genuine Pierburg pump, Mahle thermostat and replacement bolts, plus coolant for under £300.
Sounds a lot, but if it fails you have very little time to stop the engine before it overheats.
I've heard horror stories on prices of pumps from BMW, even before you factor in fitting etc.

For me the whole job is about 2 hours, including getting it up on ramps, undertray off, and grovelling around on my gravel drive.

On 90k I would be looking at changing it, so factor in a minimum of £500 off the asking price.
 
That was quick enuff _ zed, I think you have confirmed my thoughts.
When I pointed this out to the dealer he rolled his eyes as if to say "another amateur know it all " and it was obvious nothing was coming off the price.His view was that the pump will probably last another 90k at which point I left.
It looks a rotten job which involves jacking up the engine separately to clear enough space to get the pump out.
I am getting a bit long in the tooth for that stuff so would probably get it done at the indie that does my VW so will have to factor in labour cost as well.
The car was reasonably priced at just under 8k so I am going to mull this over.
 
petrocelli said:
That was quick enuff _ zed, I think you have confirmed my thoughts.
When I pointed this out to the dealer he rolled his eyes as if to say "another amateur know it all " and it was obvious nothing was coming off the price.His view was that the pump will probably last another 90k at which point I left.
It looks a rotten job which involves jacking up the engine separately to clear enough space to get the pump out.
I am getting a bit long in the tooth for that stuff so would probably get it done at the indie that does my VW so will have to factor in labour cost as well.
The car was reasonably priced at just under 8k so I am going to mull this over.
Click to expand...
I think you've done the right thing tbh.
But no engine jacking involved.
I did my first one a month or two back. That car had no undertray and I had the pump swapped in 45 minutes, then did the bleeding.
I'd suggest when you find one, get a quote from the Indy for doing it, subtract say £350 for me to do it for you and if the figure left is greater than the fuel cost to Norfolk and back, give me a call. :wink:
 
It’s not a difficult pump to change you certainly don’t need to jack the engine up, if you don’t have a car lift a pair of wheel ramps will give you enough room to work, there is a special bleeding programme when you refill the system, it runs the pump without starting the engine.
 
Water pump life seems to be pretty variable. My first Z4 needed a new one at 60K miles but my second seemed to be on the original when I sold it on 91K. My 325i with the same engine needed a new one at 135K, but it might have been its second.

They overheat in about a mile when the pump dies so getting it done makes sense to avoid waiting for the RAC IME!

Definitely don't buy one from BMW. My Indy did in 2016 and it cost just over £500 back then. :o
 
Thanks to all.
If you don't need to jack the engine up separately it may be something I can tackle at home.
My ramps will get the front of the car up about 10 inches which gives enough room for most stuff
 
petrocelli said:
Thanks to all.
If you don't need to jack the engine up separately it may be something I can tackle at home.
My ramps will get the front of the car up about 10 inches which gives enough room for most stuff
Click to expand...
That'll do. That's what I do.
 
It is a difficult one, as mileage varies, I have heard of some going at sub 50,000 miles, and have known of other cars with huge mileage. Personally if the car you looked up added up in every other aspect than it maybe worth going for? You cannot always expect someone to reduce a car price on an item that may go wrong..
 
True enough Z450.
However,what annoyed me was the rolling eyes and sigh that was meant to tell me that I really don't know what I am talking about.
My first rule of business and something I impressed on all around me is the customer is always right.When the customer is wrong you find a
diplomatic way of putting them right.
After 60 years of playing around with cars and an engineering background I was not amused to have some 25 year old car salesman telling me that a water pump will last another 90 K.
Perhaps I have turned into Victor and am just a grumpy old man.
 
petrocelli said:
After 60 years of playing around with cars and an engineering background I was not amused to have some 25 year old car salesman telling me that a water pump will last another 90 K.
Click to expand...

Well I suppose it might just last another 90K, but probably not! Then again a 25 year old salesperson really won't know, especially as electric water pumps are fairly unusual on brands other than BMWs.

I think Z450 is right saying you won't get money off for it, but you need to factor it into your thinking when considering the price of the car. If you found one that had had a new pump that would make it worth a bit more to me.

I'm playing water pump roulette with my current 330i as I've no idea if it has had one. I bought it on 107K and it's now at nearly 125K. Just keep the phone charged and my RAC card handy!

Anyway welcome to the grumpy old man club! :lol: :thumbsup:
 
enuff_zed said:
Funnily enough, just had a discussion on that over on the Project Spa thread.
I have just sourced a genuine Pierburg pump, Mahle thermostat and replacement bolts, plus coolant for under £300.
Sounds a lot, but if it fails you have very little time to stop the engine before it overheats.
I've heard horror stories on prices of pumps from BMW, even before you factor in fitting etc.

For me the whole job is about 2 hours, including getting it up on ramps, undertray off, and grovelling around on my gravel drive.

On 90k I would be looking at changing it, so factor in a minimum of £500 off the asking price.
Click to expand...
Hi Enuff_zed,
Could you tell me:
a) How many aluminium screws are needed for the thermostat and
b) Are they the same as for the Pierburg water pump? Real OEM seems to say that they are.
I'm about to order from Autodoc a Pierburg pump which includes the screws and a thermostat which doesn't.
Thanks,
Robert.
 
petrocelli said:
True enough Z450.
However,what annoyed me was the rolling eyes and sigh that was meant to tell me that I really don't know what I am talking about.
My first rule of business and something I impressed on all around me is the customer is always right.When the customer is wrong you find a
diplomatic way of putting them right.
After 60 years of playing around with cars and an engineering background I was not amused to have some 25 year old car salesman telling me that a water pump will last another 90 K.
Perhaps I have turned into Victor and am just a grumpy old man.
Click to expand...

That’s a shame and I agree with you, that is rude and not needed. Shame for them as they potentially lost a sale. Hopefully you can find a seller/ dealer where you can have a sensible conversation without rudeness!
 
If a pump fails what happens apart from the temp gauge increasing? Do you get a bong and specific warning? Does the car go into limp mode?
I guess best to stop immediately to avoid serious damage?
 
Roberltd2 said:
enuff_zed said:
Funnily enough, just had a discussion on that over on the Project Spa thread.
I have just sourced a genuine Pierburg pump, Mahle thermostat and replacement bolts, plus coolant for under £300.
Sounds a lot, but if it fails you have very little time to stop the engine before it overheats.
I've heard horror stories on prices of pumps from BMW, even before you factor in fitting etc.

For me the whole job is about 2 hours, including getting it up on ramps, undertray off, and grovelling around on my gravel drive.

On 90k I would be looking at changing it, so factor in a minimum of £500 off the asking price.
Click to expand...
Hi Enuff_zed,
Could you tell me:
a) How many aluminium screws are needed for the thermostat and
b) Are they the same as for the Pierburg water pump? Real OEM seems to say that they are.
I'm about to order from Autodoc a Pierburg pump which includes the screws and a thermostat which doesn't.
Thanks,
Robert.
Click to expand...
There are a total of three screws that secure both.
Have you checked out the eBay seller in Germany that sells the full kit for £255?
 
Mine came from EU at around £255 BUT I got a bill for Customs and VAT some months later. If it’s any consolation parts from US is even more expensive
 
Thanks for the info.
No, I wasn't aware of the the £255 seller. I was about to use Autodoc which would come to £363.72.
 
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