Water Pump Renew - precautionary move ?

[GOOFY]

Hi
What is the consensus on replacing water pumps as a precautionary move ?

I am in the process of replacing the steering pump/ water pump drive belt , and with the car now over 10 years old and just under 40k on the clock , and having read on forums about water pump failure and the damage it can cause due to immediate overheating, wondered if it would be a good move to replace the above.

I know that on VW's, the recommendation has always been to replace at 50k miles or 4 years, in line with the cam belt change. Indeed my Golf suffered a water pump failure almost exactly at this mileage. Presumably these pumps are the same design as the Boxster.

Should we be doing this as a matter of course on Boxsters ?
Is there any other method to check the pump is ok and not on its way out ?

Thoughts much appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

 

[spyderman]

Certainly worth a wiggle of the pulley once you've taken the serpentine belt off. My 986 has just turned 40k Miles in 9 years but I wouldn't consider replacing it unless there was a hint it was on the way out.

 

[BartyB]

I agree with you Chris. Take the belt off wiggle the pump pulley and if you've got any perceptible lateral movement on the shaft then consider a replacement. Usually though, water pumps starts to get noisy if they're on their way out.

 

[pjwakefield]

40k on the clock for a 9 year old german car is nothing, you see ones that have done 5 times that and not need things like that replacing

 

[BartyB]

Paul makes a good point. German tin is mostly reliable when it comes to water pumps. Out of 10 Germans I've driven (Audis, BMWs, Mercs and Porsches) I have only experienced water pump failure on two of them. One was a W123 280e which had an impellor disintegrate at 45k on the Autobahn near Cologne. As it was an engine out job to replace it and we had a ferry to catch, we ploughed on refilling the coolant every 50Km, all the way to Calais. There was no engine damage. The other time was on a C Class Mercedes-Benz at 170,000 miles. The pump was squeaking due to the bearing going but otherwise did not leak, was still circulating coolant and there was no noticeable increase in coolant temperature. There was plenty of warning and it was run for about 6 weeks like that. My other high miler, an Audi, went to 180,000 miles in 4 years without ever needing a new pump. I too doubt that replacing the water pump which shows no signs of failure on a Boxster at 40k is necessary. Replacing a Moll battery yes, but a water pump I don't think so.

 

[stonedagain]

The water pump on my Boxster failed last year at 84k

 

[GOOFY]

Cheers for the assurance guys- just did not want to be left stranded or cause long lasting engine damage (with water pump debris blocking coolant channels).

 

[loc944]

My waterpump went at 51k. I was on track at Oulton Park at the time, the first I knew of it was when I spun off on a left hander as all the coolant sprayed over my back right tyre. I limped to the pits. Ninemeister replaced the pump the next day and advised around 50k is time to replace. They reckoned I was lucky to be on track at the time as had I been on the Motorway I wouldn't have spun, so no warning and could have cooked the engine.

The car suffered no damage in the spin, which on a twisty country road I would have been in the hedge,wall or field.

The pump had no impeller's left, just a spinning disc.

Alan.