cmf528xi

I have a 2008 e60 with about 57k miles. I read a lot about water pump failing. Should I be replacing it as preventative measure ? When ? Based on miles or age ?

Thanks.

tonyb635

Good question. Mine crapped at 80k but some have gone out well before and after. The sad part about a failure is that it never happens when you car is in your garage. Instead, it will happen when you're on your way to work, coming hone or leaving out for vacation. So probably better to change on your time... I would say you are getting kinda close.

txag_530i

I don't think that I'd do it until it starts to fail. The ECU will prevent engine damage if the coolant pump fails so there is very slim chance of engine damage- it just usually happens at a very inconvenient time. the water pump costs about $500 so it isn't cheap.

e6t.lab.rat

Water pumps very rarely fail instantaneously. They will slowly and gradually get worst, with the first sign of leaking at the weep hole then rattling/whirring noise. The leak means the seal has been compromised, which in turn can and will result in bearing failure. Until you notice any of these, I'd recommend you keep on driving like there is no tomorrow.

BTW, if you do decide to replace it go with brand new OEM (expensive) or do what I did - OEM rebuild.

tonyb635

On your LCI I'm not sure you will have much of a warning other than the yellow light that says you are overheating followed three seconds later with a red overheated light. The LCI didn't provide you with temperature monitoring system or gage and I'm not sure what kind of noise you would hear. I know I didn't hear any noises or see any wet spots and I had absolutely no warning at all. There was a recent post where one member did receive some signs and was able to change it out before it failed. The pump, thermostat, and bmw coolant will set you back ~ 400 or so if you DIY. Dealers charge upwards of 1300. Don't be fooled by limp mode. Sure it will enter this mode if you continue to drive, but if you do, chances are you will damage additional components such as the head. There is a lot of aluminum and plastics in our cars. You have to decide yourself if it's worth changing it early or just waiting. History seems to show that from 70 on seems to be common. I remember a posting the other year asking mileage at failure. Take a look at it and you can see the average miles.

mercutio

Mine went at 62K with no warning. My indy shop replaced it but what my guy said was that the BMW dealer had 8 of them in stock, that tells you all you need to know. If you intend keeping your current e60 for a while I'd say it's worth doing.

Car_Almond

Wonder if mine is about to go? 2007 530ix, I've had to add about a pint of coolant every other month now, low short trip miles too each day. (Total miles now are 102,000.) I'll look for seapage around the water pump seals. The dealer will want one million dollars to replace it I'm sure.

Kidduce

My 08 535 with 76k went with no warning. I wasn't far from home, so I limped home a few miles at a time.

Quarta2six

Would you say the Beck&Arnley Water pump is a deal breaker? I found it for about 75-80 i think on rock auto. I usually by parts from ECS but OEM is alot more. I dont cheap out on parts usually but some things are a toss up.

zach1328

I'd be surprised if you saw any warning signs before it went out. I was driving home on the freeway when my pump instantaneously failed without any warning. Red light immediately came on along with a message on the screen that said something along the lines of, "Engine Overheated; switch off engine & allow to cool. Do not open hood: scalding hazard!"
My 08 535i only had 51k miles at the time, so these pumps can really go out at any point. I've heard of some making it past 100k, but it seems quite rare.

My recommendation:
Wait until the pump breaks to get the new one. The car goes into Limp mode when it over-heats and will limit your speed and power as to not damage the engine. Regardless, when it starts overheating you should pull over for a few minutes at a time to let the engine cool.
Don't drive more than 5-10 miles like this. I don't like taking risks so I simply had my car towed; after all, Triple-A is free so why risk any additional damage?

*When it finally breaks, replace it with a water pump that uses a METAL impeller. The composite impellers BMW uses in their pumps are simply too weak and are prone to breaking.