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Z3 Water pump failure-Fact or Fiction

46K views 76 replies 44 participants last post by  ic3man211 
#1 ·
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All

I am new to Z3's and the forum. I have 62K on my 2000 2.8 Z3 and all the threads about catastrophic water pump failure have me very nervous. I talked with the BMW service tech about proactive replacement of the pump et al and he said there is no need until it shows signs of failure. Fan wobble, water leaking, noise ect. So my questions are: Are you on your on your original pump, if so, how many miles and what year is your car. If you are not, at what mileage did it fail?
 
#2 · (Edited)
It's really up to you, if you want to spend the money and have peace of mind then just go for it man. There are guys on this board that have pumps with over 90k on them and they will just change them when they see failure signs. If thats in the back of your mind so much and you want to replace it just do it. That's my opinion.

Check this out, my mechanic told me last week not to worry till i see signs... like you I have concerns about my 2000 Z3 2.3 but he said relax and don't stress. My car has little over 35k on it so I figure I'm good for a very long time but i will surely keep an eye out for signs of failure.
 
#5 ·
z3 water pump

Bought my 2001 z3 coupe last July with 107000 miles on it. I am the 2nd owner, bought a spare metal impeller pump, themo and belts. Pump started to make brg. noise at 117400. Did not take a chance and changed it. Was one of the easiest ones i have ever changed. My 2 cents is change it.
 
#6 ·
The radiator neck is the other one that lets go without warning. About 100K or so is where they tend to let go.

But this, like the water pump, is not 100% failure rate, but enough people have had them go in the stated timeframes (mileage), that I would not plan on taking a long trip without changing mine. :)
 
#7 ·
Yep best bet is to change everything and hope the new ones don't fail..... better yet change the new ones too. Seriously keep a close eye, and ear, on things if something starts to act up change it. I for one check my cars every Sat when I'm driving them.
 
#8 ·
Most definitely is not fiction. I found out the hard way last (Memorial Day) weekend that the water pump on my 2002 M Coupe had decided to go. All at once, I hear the most ungodly screeching/clunking/gurgling sound, the battery light goes on, power steering dies, and smoke/steam come shooting out from under the hood--all in the middle of downtown San Francisco traffic.

When I finally got pulled over and opened up the hood, it looked like a bomb had gone off in there. Shards of fan blades, cut hoses, dangling belts, and fluid streaming out from under the car....This being a Saturday on a 3-day weekend, all the mechanics were closed, so I ended up waiting nearly a week to get everything fixed up and it ended up costing nearly $2000. Grrrrrrr.....
 
#9 ·
Preventative maintenance is not a bad thing. It can save lots of grief and money. If the car is more than 6 years old and has more than 75k miles, I would change it out. Water pumps are a part that eventually wears out on any vehicle. It's much nicer to schedule the change out than have it arrive as a sudden emergency on a 3 day weekend when you want to go somewhere.
 
#10 ·
Hey Mike,

I most definitely agree! I thought I had done pretty comprehensive research before buying my M 2 years ago, but I somehow missed the water-pump issue. I see that you used to have a 2000 M roadster--did you find it to be pretty reliable or did you encounter any significant problems with it? I'm at around 44,000 miles right now and I'd definitely like to prevent any more nasty surprises.

Thanks,

P
 
#11 ·
Z-3-Wow! Now I/m worried about my radiator!

I replaced my water pump at 93k, but with 103k now, must be time for a new radiator. Arggh! Any checks a mechanic can do in advance? Any suggestions on a decent source for a radiator?
Dave
 
#13 · (Edited)
#12 ·
Mine was replaced at 90k. Broke down on way to Keys. Towed it home from Miami :mad:
While you are in there think about mods.
I replaced stock pump w/ warner pump
Replaced expansion tank I highly recomend as these dry out & crack (read up on these devils)
Replaced radiator w/ Zionville
install underdrive pullys
replaced belt tensioner & belts
replaced large washer fluid tank w/ smaller Euro tank
fan clutch & fan
and of course replaced phonolic thermostat housing w/ aluminum one
 
#15 · (Edited)
phrajao, my roadster has also 44k miles on it now, and i am concerned. What exactly did happen> Did the pump seize up? What would cause the fan to break off the blades and shred everything?

I replaced the clutch fan just recently, including the new plastic blades, I don't want to replace that again.
 
#16 ·
For my education, what does the water pump bearing noise sound like when it's starting to fail? My 76k 01 M Coupe has no water leaks, fan wobble or cooling issue (and it's summer in Vegas), but every second or third time I start it it makes a repetetive chirping like a noisy fan belt. The noise eventually goes away once the engine warms a little. Anyone think this is impending water pump failure? Thanks in advance for your expertise and opinion.
 
#17 ·
The S54 water pump in the 2001 and 2002 M Roadsters and M Coupes is a different animal -- but it can also fail, but in different ways.

Mine started spraying a tiny amount of coolant onto the hood blanket and shields near the fan at about 40,000 miles or so. I replaced it, and the fix has been good for nearly another 35,000 miles now.

The S54 water pumps are specific to the M Roadster and M Coupe, and the US inventory is often quite low (like 1 or 2 in the US). So, if you see a problem developing, plan ahead or you may be spending a week waiting for a part.
 
#18 ·
I considered a $45 waterpump cheap insurance. Come to think of it, now that I'm up around 130k, I should replace it again. I went with the Zionsville radiator back when I replaced everything the first time. I like the peace of mind. This time around I'll just do waterpump coolant, hoses, belts.
 
#19 ·
Mine went out this week. It also took out the shroud, the fan, and all of the coolant. The pump was cheap compared to all of the parts I had to replace! Still waiting on parts. The car has 74 k miles. Hope the engine is ok my wife drove the car several mile before stopping!
 
#23 ·
My experience (at about 69K miles) was that the plastic impeller sheered off; no dramatic bomb going off under my hood, just an immediate and total stop to the flow of coolant. There is no warning for this kind of failure; you cannot listen for any tell-tale signs. Considering the cost of the repair vs. the cost of the eventual tow (let alone repair costs), I'd recommend being proactive. Be sure to replace it with the stainless steel impeller version. Even these have reported issues; the bearings eventually go out. If I hadn't been stranded and at the mercy of the shop I got towed to, I would have invested in an aftermarket water pump.
 
#25 · (Edited)
My water pump blew out on my M3 on Christmas Day of all times. The worst day to have a total breakdown.

Radiator, water pump, thermostat housing, hoses, etc. Full cooling system replacement basically.

Its not that hard to replace the water pump, just takes time. I would go with a stewart warner pump and an S54 radiator just for the peace of mind.

I bet you wouldn't have to worry about replacing it for a long time after that. Its not very complicated though, I would just jump into it and get it done one weekend.

Or you can just wait till the coolant runs up your hood and sprays your windshield, thats a good indication that the system needs service.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Water pump weeping at 68,000 miles...

I hadn't seen this thread until today when it was revived, but I just discovered that mine was weeping yesterday at 68K miles.

I have been chasing down a very slight coolant loss for a couple of years now, replaced a leaking expansion tank cap and a thermostat that was leaking and not allowing the car to warm up completely (electronic, leaking at the connector) when I first got the car at 48K.

I kept having to add a very slight amount of coolant every 3-4 months and for the life of me couldn't find the source of the leak. Finally smelled coolant at the front of the engine after a run yesterday and it finally leaked enough for me to pinpoint it to the water pump bearing based on the white film around the area.

Because this is a common occurence I religiously check the fan for wobble whenever I'm fooling around under the hood and it is still very solid, no play at all. Lucklily I was planning a coolant change this week anyway and I have a new pump on hand since I was expecting this sooner or later.

Moral of the story: Make stock water pump replacement a standard 60K maintenance item, and I'm thinking that 90K will be my interval for radiator, expansion tank and hose replacement unless it rears its head sooner.

ETA: Fan nut was on VERY tightly, cracked the pulley trying to remove it by wedging a screwdriver between the pulley bolts, too much flex in the screwdriver shaft to work effectively, fabricated a pulley holder and got it off after 3-4 sharp whacks with a hammer, replaced with an aluminum pulley from eBay ($28 shipped). My OEM pump had the metal impeller. That model pump has a reputation for pump bearings wearing quickly and I did find a slight amount of play in the bearings once I had the fan off, replaced with OEM pump w/composite impeller. Had a noisy belt tensioner bearing as well so replaced the tensioners and belts while I was in there.
 
#28 ·
Don't wait for the inevitable.
Mine went @ 65K kilometers.
This is a Weekender, so I noticed a small amount of coolant in the engine bay being spread out over the hood lining.
I knew about the problems these cars had with water pumps.
So I purchased everything I needed.
Stewart Pump, hoses, thermostat, belts & of course coolant.
I put aside the Saturday after I received all the parts to do the install.
The friday before that, it was a glorious day, so I took her out for a spin. 1 block away from home the pump bearing disintergrated.
Took out my fan, fan shroud, & rad., but fortunately not the hood.
I was without the car for about a week, while I waited on the additional items to be delivered.
The whole operation of removing the old and replacing it with new, took me about 3 hours.
So a word from the wise, If the boys on these and other forums say change the pump around 60K then do so.
Mine is a 2001 3.0 roadster, it is 10 years old. only 65K kilometers.
This spring it's Lube time. Tranny, Diff, Brake fluid and Power steering fluid flush time.

BTW If you are going to get into the front of the engine, then do the Thermostat, hoses & belts as well.
It's good insurance, and easy to do while working there.

Just my 2cents.
 
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