[DHE]

Hi, I got this message from the Porsche dealership today.

"We identified signs of coolant leak coming from the water pump, so we would advise the car will require a water pump also. This work can be carried out while your car is with us and the cost would be £1119.76inc vat".

The car is 4 years old but has only 9k miles. Is this a common problem? Is the price to fix it ok?

 

[MR69 ALB]

Engine out?
id have a full engine service done whilst its out plugs oil etc.
the cost if its an engine out job is not that expensive considering a water pump and coolant replacement parts alone will count for £275.00 of it + vat

 

[Semitone]

I would be surprised if replacing water pump is an engine out job. It hasn’t been on previous generations.

I live in the US so can’t directly address pricing but if I was told a dealer in the US wanted $1120 USD to replace a water pump, I wouldn’t bat an eye . ( of course, I usually take my cars to independents specifically because of this). IIRC, to flush the coolant in my old Boxster was close to $500-$600 US alone. Fluids not that much but they claimed getting rid of air is time consuming. In the US I would expect a quality independent to be ballpark 65-75% cost of dealer. ( and it seems like most things are more expensive in the U.K. than the US).

BTW...a leaking water pump on a 4 year, 9k car is just not right. I wouldn’t be happy about that but not sure what your options are regarding making a fuss.

 

[Big Benny]

Somewhere on Youtube I'm sure I saw a Boxster water pump changed from under the car...fiddly, but doable I think, but that describes just about everything when you work on a Boxster/Cayman

 

[MLJJ]

To answer the OP's question, water pump failure is not a problem reported at all on this forum. Have no idea about the cost. The few I've done myself are less than $200US for older model vehicles and haven't experienced the Porsche tax yet.

 

[vosadrian]

I have an Audi with a water pump leak. It is a common problem on this engine. I just top up the coolant once a month and have had no issues except a smell of coolant sometimes in the garage. It uses maybe 100mL every 2000km.

 

[Pocketrocket]

If it's literally just a weap I would live with it for the time being. It's not uncommon for the seal on a water pump shaft to let a little out. If its spurting out and making a big mess then of course needs immediate attention. But a slight drip now and again that would only leave localised evidence (that chalky residues that forms) is more cosmetic problem more than anything else.

 

[Pocketrocket]

To me "signs of coolant leak" and "advise" water pump replacement, Frankly means it's not a big issue and trying to maximise profit while the car is with them.

 

[dkmajm]

My 718S had a coolant leak from a failing water pump picked up under warranty (private dealer non cpo). Was similar price yes and engine didn’t need to come out


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[winter.zed]

The car is 4 years old but has only 9k miles. Is this a common problem?

I'm on my third water pump. Last one was put in before the car hit 3 years and had less than 50k Kms. Luckily they were all done under warranty.
Not looking forward to this summer when my warranty expires. Disappointed with the manufacturing quality of an otherwise great car.

 

[vosadrian]

I'm on my third water pump. Last one was put in before the car hit 3 years and had less than 50k Kms. Luckily they were all done under warranty.
Not looking forward to this summer when my warranty expires. Disappointed with the manufacturing quality of an otherwise great car.

What are the symptoms you experienced for a bad water pump? My car is coming out of warranty shortly. Not sure if I should check this more thoroughly.

 

[Big Benny]

Extended warranty sounds like a good idea if you are going to hang onto the car for a while...it's about $1600 a year here in Australia from memory and it is transferable to the next Owner ( but is voided if you trade it to a Dealership ).

 

[vosadrian]

Extended warranty sounds like a good idea if you are going to hang onto the car for a while...it's about $1600 a year here in Australia from memory and it is transferable to the next Owner ( but is voided if you trade it to a Dealership ).

I've been considering that, but I also want to make a few changes (a tune) to the car that would likely void much of the warranty. Not sure how it would effect the water pump.

 

[Big Benny]

I've been considering that, but I also want to make a few changes (a tune) to the car that would likely void much of the warranty. Not sure how it would effect the water pump.

I know what you mean. I'd also like to try another APR Stage 1 tune. It was great on my RS3. I would not extend the warranty obviously till I was at my third scheduled service, and had decided to keep the car, but $1600 or so every year is not too painful, going on the cost of some repairs if they had to be done out of pocket. I don't have to think too much about it till September 2023 luckily.

 

[worf]

I'm on my third water pump. Last one was put in before the car hit 3 years and had less than 50k Kms. Luckily they were all done under warranty.
Not looking forward to this summer when my warranty expires. Disappointed with the manufacturing quality of an otherwise great car.

That’s not manufacturing quality. That is the unfortunate side of a statistically small infant mortality rate with the original water pump and a bungled diagnosis and/or replacement. The probability that two correctly installed water pumps failed during the warranty period is very small. If this was not the case water pump replacement would have been on nightly news programs by now. If the third pump was installed by the same shop that installed the second pump then you may find out for sure. In any case keep all your paperwork should the third pump fail any time soon. If it does, get Porsche Corporate involved. PAG‘s curiosity seems to be able to be piqued by the third in-warranty (or just after) failure.

 

[winter.zed]

What are the symptoms you experienced for a bad water pump? My car is coming out of warranty shortly. Not sure if I should check this more thoroughly.

The first one - I did not even notice. It was done at the first oil change, very early in the car's life, just a few months after purchase (I drove a lot back then...)
The second one was bad actually.
I started loosing coolant suddenly, and after a few days it got to a point where I had to buy a 4L jug of coolant and keep some premixed in my trunk all the time.
Soon after that, I got an other warning that I don't have a picture of, but it said something like "...stop driving immediately..."
This happened on a highway, so I had it towed in, and there was a large puddle of coolant on the flatbed truck when they took the car. off the truck.
Within another couple of days of them replacing the water pump I got this:

As it turned out this last one was due to a hose that "knocked itself off it's connection". It was pure bad timing on the part of the hose to do this while the car was in service. (It still sucked to have it in the shop twice within a week)

 

[winter.zed]

The first one - I did not even notice. It was done at the first oil change, very early in the car's life, just a few months after purchase (I drove a lot back then...)

Forgot to mention - they noticed a small leak when they took the cover off. At first oil change.
I don't believe it was the case of them just wanting to do repair work, because for one thing - they are busy enough anyway, and on top of that - they had to keep my car for 3-4 days. That's how long it took them to find a part somewhere in the Eastern US. (I am in Canada).

 

[vosadrian]

It does sound like the subsequent work was done because of the first being replaced. I wonder if the second pump had been installed in an optimal way whether you would have had the subsequent work.

 

[Big Benny]

It does sound like the subsequent work was done because of the first being replaced. I wonder if the second pump had been installed in an optimal way whether you would have had the subsequent work.

Reminds me of the 4...yes, 4 in tank fuel pumps I had to have replaced in my Holden Ute under warranty. The car worked fine, but the original fault was a loud sound like a mosquito in the cabin..it was the pump making the noise and transmitting it through the body of the car. GM replaced 4 pumps till they eventually cured it. I have no idea if it was the pump or the way it was mounted. Then the starter system began playing up....I traded it back to them and bought another Ute. Sometimes you have to wonder is it sub standard parts, or people not replacing things as per direction ?

 

[GregW]

Sometimes you have to wonder is it sub standard parts, or people not replacing things as per direction ?

There's a photo somewhere here of the work done on riveting the supports in the froot (North America—frunk) (safety recall) where the two rivets actually overlap and weren't treated with the rust preventative.😡