My Story - Replacing Water Pump

lobsterlu · #1 10-01-2009, 10:09 AM

So as most of you know, i have major trouble with the X5 here and there. You've seen my post but now really i want to post and reflect on my progress.

Left front wheel, still shaking after replacing the bushing for the tension rod, (which had to be done) and also the Lower Control arm. I know for a fact its now the wheel bearing.

Now, for awhile coolant has been dripping from the bottom and i almost want to cry when i get into this car b/c i owe, and have no warranty left.

Now, down to the gritty. i took the car to midas and got it checked. they said water pump is dead. =( how much i ask.. 900$. WHAT!?
yeah well its low, but right now i am getting married (need to save money) and also just cant see myself spending that much.

I got the water pump, Temp, gaskets... and replaced it myself. Took 6 hrs. Took a time out here and there..

SO, really guys, get all the tools u need. the fan clutch is not easy to get off. Get the tool for it and a 1, 1/4 wrench. once all this is taken off, remember to either a, take out the bleeder screw to the radiator, or screw it back in. i lost it while taking the radiator off. but found a replacement. that took almost 1 hr there.

take off the aluminum line that goes from the left side to the right side. i am now sure what this does but looks like a vacuum line. be careful to drop any screws!

once u have the belt off, the fan off.. everything else is very easy. after some cuts, blood dripping, coolant burning my hands and friends as well.. it was a success. the gasket for the old pump was DEAD. but i replaced everything. the impeller was making noises towards the end, and the wheel instead of moving in a circle , it also move side to side. not a good sign. also guys, the new pump is metal in the inside, the one on the car was plastic! once you have everything, clean the old gasket off the car. there wasnt much left thou, but still. either a brillow pad, or a razor blade.

put everything on, but not 100%, leave the radiator etc loose. but CHECK ALL THE TUBES! when we filled it back up, we forgot a small hose on the bottom back left part of the pump. spilled maybe 2 cups worth of coolant. once we got it on,turn car on and added coolant and water as we went. screw it all back together and your good to go. also DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE BOLTS!!!! to the pump. they will snap!. the top middle long screw snapped. it doesnt really hurt thou, the other bolts hold the whole pump in place very well. (crossing fingers).

i would suggest, get all your tools, get atleast 2 of your friends to help. the lifting of the radiator is not fun.. its easy to do all this. i would recommend it.. with friends everything is fun. just make sure you have lots of time..

-luis
fyi, does anyone in miami know how to replace the bearing? i need some help on it. its pressed into the hub so i need to take it out and then place the new one in. is there a DIY that i missed?
2002, x5 4.4i

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cavx5 · #2 10-01-2009, 11:27 AM

these are great cars but you cant keep them for the long haul..i am very disappointed with bmw as a whole...thye are great if you lease new and give it back after 3 yrs..i have a 2005 4,4 with cpo till 2011 and it will go by 2011...some may disagree with me but that is my opinion..rob

generx · #3 10-01-2009, 01:21 PM

cavx5, I totally agree.

They're great when new, too bad they can't go very far without something inevitably breaking. Yes, their engines are fantastic and the driving experience unparalleled. And yes, I know things break eventually but even under warranty, getting things fixed takes time and my time is valuable. Most people who rave about them often have never turned a wrench or have kept their cars very long.

With that said, I would still buy another BMW over a Benz or an Audi. Not as a family hauler though, next time I'm going for reliability and getting a Lexus for peace of mind.

I'll probably always keep a BMW (car) for my weekend projects but never going to buy another "SAV"

Werewolf · #4 10-01-2009, 03:28 PM

BMW cheaping out on water pump impeller is a real issue. Surprised that the company didn't get a class action suit from the poor folks whose engines siezed

Werewolf · #5 10-01-2009, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by generx

cavx5, I totally agree.

They're great when new, too bad they can't go very far without something inevitably breaking. Yes, their engines are fantastic and the driving experience unparalleled. And yes, I know things break eventually but even under warranty, getting things fixed takes time and my time is valuable. Most people who rave about them often have never turned a wrench or have kept their cars very long.

With that said, I would still buy another BMW over a Benz or an Audi. Not as a family hauler though, next time I'm going for reliability and getting a Lexus for peace of mind.

I'll probably always keep a BMW (car) for my weekend projects but never going to buy another "SAV"

MBenz has made some real strides in reliability for certain models. Worth a look again.

Ghost-Flame · #6 10-01-2009, 07:09 PM

Yeah, I know what you mean 2002 with 95,000 miles ... I am enjoying the BMW experience. I do all my own work. The car is definitly a drivers car but a real PITA to work on. But, I am getting used to it.

generx · #7 10-01-2009, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lobsterlu

-luis
fyi, does anyone in miami know how to replace the bearing? i need some help on it. its pressed into the hub so i need to take it out and then place the new one in. is there a DIY that i missed?
2002, x5 4.4i

Sorry Luis, went off on a rant. Can you tell my Ultimate Broken Machine is acting up again? The water pump BTW is super easy on the I-6 vs. the V8.

You'll need to press the bearing out of the hub, it's easy to damage the seals/dust shield so be careful, there is more than one way to do it.. Otherwise bring the whole thing into a shop to have it done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Werewolf

BMW cheaping out on water pump impeller is a real issue. Surprised that the company didn't get a class action suit from the poor folks whose engines siezed

At least they've fixed those, have not had a problem with the newer composite impellers...yet. I have a problem with the fact that to this day, even on the most recent models made within the last 3 years, the window regulators still snap like they are made of the cheapest material known to man.

For no reason. Overuse. Lack of use. Old. New. It doesn't matter, they just snap-crackle-and-pop at the worst possible time. This is a lot of fun when your new Bimmer is stuck with a window open during a rainstorm. Most seasoned BMW owners know to carry a garbage bag and duct tape in the trunk and that's a sad reality.

That's just one example of a long list of other known common failures that seem to keep popping up over and over. I'm all for innovation and R&D but at some point in time some of that budget should be allocated to quality control and either changing suppliers or fixing/redesigning the failure parts.

Zucco · #8 10-02-2009, 09:24 AM

Before you replace the wheel bearing drive it and see if one of the front rotors is getting HOT, one more than the other , I had a dragging caliper and it was causing a front end vibration. Also the brake dust will be more on the side with the dragging caliper … dealer replaced under CPO and then the same thing happened 2 moths later on the other side. I have a 03 X5 with 80K on it … if one of the brake calipers is hanging up a little it heats up the rotor and slows that wheel down witch in turn causes a front end vibration, worth looking in to …

phildg2000 · #9 10-02-2009, 12:02 PM

I have a new to me 2005 4.8is with 47.5K miles. Whenshould I replace the water pump as preventive maintenance?

Thanks,
Philip

generx · #10 10-02-2009, 01:56 PM

Kamusta Philip,

Nice, a 4.8is, that's gotta be pretty rare if you're over there in the islands, hopefully you're away from the floods. Crazy monsoon I guess this year.

Personally, I like to do my cooling system preventive maintenance at around the 60K mark, some people do it around 75K so I think a lot of it depends on how the vehicle is driven, climate, etc. In my experience, the T-stat often starts to fail at around the 60K mark (sometimes earlier) so I just go ahead and do the pump and belts while I'm in there. I often will just inspect the hoses and expansion tank, the condition of these items can vary widely depending on climate, if the car is garaged, etc. etc. You're in a pretty hot climate so it's doubly important to make sure the cooling system is up to par.

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