Does any one have any suggestions on a reputable waterpump for 99 540i...I wanted to go with stuart but not available for this model....Thanks.....(p.s I believe it needs to be replaced at 60,000 as a preventative maintnance.)
I wont hurt to replace but it should last longer than 60k. If it's cheap like the E36 pumps and you are already there then by all means replace it. Stewart's are works of art and work great I'm sure but not worth the extra money. Certainly not worth it in a street car. Just get a name brand pump from an OEM manufacturer. p.s. I had to look and your pump is about $130. Pelican sells Graf with a metal impeller and an OEM with a plastic one for $10 more. I would leave it until it breaks at that price. Or wait until the radiator or reservoir cracks and do a who "while you're in there" cooling system replacement.
Are you seriously suggesting he waits for something to break? That completely defeats the purpose of preventative maintenance.
Yes, I am. I suppose it does defeat the purpose of preventive maintenance but theres a gray line. You have to balance the money wasted replacing good parts with the inconvenience of making an unexpected repair. For instance, I would never replace a battery until it showed signs of failure because they can be had at any Walmart or auto parts store and in most cases a jump start will get you home. New parts fail. You cant replace everything before it breaks. Doing any work on your car can break things or stress things causing them to break sooner. My advice, again, is wait until your radiator starts leaking, reservoir cracks, fan goes out etc then replace anything you are concerned about in one combined job.
I would agree about not waiting! If he is doing the work himself the cost of the parts is the same as a tow trip. So in other words, a little preventative maintenance will prevent a big headache down the road! If one of these components of the system goes it could end causing more damage than just that component. I have a stuart in my E36, it cost more, but at least I don't have to worry about it! GR
There are a hundred things on your car that can fail and leave you stranded. It's like the lottery. What else are you gonna do while you are in there: belts pulleys deflectors tensioners thermostat upper hose lower hose return hose bleeder hose 2 throttle body hoses 4 heater core hoses fan clutch fan blades radiator reservoir reservoir cap coolant That covers the cooling system, at least 90% anyway. Then you have to worry about fuel, intake, exhaust, driveline and electrical. Electrical is a real killer. Replace the stuff you are already removing or can be replaced easily during a job. Keep the old good parts to help your fellow BMWCCAers out in a jam. Inspect what you can. Keep some money saved up for unexpected repairs. It's what you do when you own a car out of warranty.
I am just saying there are some parts that are known to fail on BMWs around certain mileages, so it is a good idea to replace those when you have the chance. I am fully aware that anything on the car can fail at any time. Trust me I know, my daily driver is a 28 year old car! But guess what, it has never let me stranded, ever. I give it proper maintenance and it has been reliable. Once the exhaust did separate itself on a trip, I pulled over, disassembled it along side of the road, waited for it to cool, put it in my trunk and off I went sounding like NASCAR. Newer BMWs are known to have radiator, expansion tank, and water pump failures. I think it is prudent to replace these items around their known failure mileages. 60K for water pumps and 90K for radiators and expansions tanks. When these fail, if the car is not shut down right away, it can cause much more damage. That is all I am saying. GR
I agree with all of that. I think water pumps last much longer than 60k, except the design flawed ones of the early 90's. Yes, a failed water pump is serious business because it can go unnoticed for a few minutes and cause big damage. (How's that for arguing the other side.) The radiator and reservoir however usually fail very noticeably. Either quickly with lots of stream or slowly with puddles of water over several weeks. Hopefully our discussion helps the OP with his decision.
Much agreed! I am very maintenance minded, not to mention I love working on my car. So I am always looking for a project! GR
Would you guys think @ 121K miles I would have the original water pump in my E39? I got it with 79K and changed the hoses, coolant and thermostat a while ago. Stupid me for not getting the water pump too. The temp gauge has never passed the center mark. It has even went towards the blue at times when I have the heat on and I'm cruising about 80 on the highway. My radiator, expansion tank and fan clutch look in good shape, but I know things happen from the inside out. No leaks at all. I plan on ordering a new water pump soon anyways.....
Chris: If your temp gauge is going towards the blue/cool side of the temp gauge after the car has warmed up, like on a long downhill in cool weather, than your thermostat is probably stuck open (failed in the open position). Which is much better than stuck closed! So you probably need a new one. You can verify by pulling it and testing it in a pot on your stove. No joke! The bentley manual tells you how to test it this way. At least the bentley for my E30s does. At that Mileage I doubt you have your original, but you never know. It is easy enough to replace. GR
My E46 has just over 100k with the original water pump. I have no plans to replace it. My E36 water pump was replaced at 80k by the previous owner and it is at 118k now. It is a plastic impeller as many OEM pumps are. I don't plan to replace it either. I have a spare used one I got for $10 of a sucker that bought a Stewart. 121k miles is a lot. It would not hurt to replace it, I think you got your moneys worth. I don't know about E39's but if you had an E36 or E46 that moved toward Blue I would suspect a bad thermostat or debris in the thermo. Just realized yours is a 525. That pump is probably the $50 variety. Definitely cheap enough to replace at 121k in my book.
It goes towards the blue only at one spot and that spot only on the Palisades PKWY. Very strange. I think the previous owner had the wp changed, though I will order a new one and have AZ change it for me! I had the thermostat changed back in March, so I doubt it would be defected?
Is AZ the same shop that put in your Thermostat in March? If so, tell them about this issue. It is possible it failed this early. They might even stand behind it and replace it for free. The time to tell them is when they are in there anyway for the water pump. They are right next to each other and coolant will be drained. So the extra cost to replace the thermostat is minimal, which is why they might be willing to replace it for free. GR
AZ is Botond, the one with the 87 E30! Shade tree mechanics at its best. However, he did not change the thermostat. I got it from Bavauto and my mechanic changed it for me. As long as my needle doesn't cross over to the dark side (red side), I will always be a happy driver. It only goes towards the blue like once in a while at the same location near the Bear Mtn. Bridge.
Ah. Misunderstood Yes shadetree mechanics are great, that is all I am! Been doing it for a while though and I like the challenge. So far I have not had to have a pro fix a mistake! Best of luck with it. GR
You had better buy a Bentley manual before I go near that car because yours is a lot newer and a lot more complicated (and less straightforward) than mine is! And your confidence in me is touching.
The bentley is a huge help, I would strongly suggest you buy it. I am not sure what motor is in your 525i. Is it an M52 or M54, I think M54? On my 98 328i (M52) I recently replaced radiator, expansion tank, water pump, thermostat, hermostat housing (old one was plastic), and both drive belts. It is pretty straight forward, just take your time and make sure you have the nessesary gaskets. It took me about 6 hours, but that includes putting it up on jack stands (it was the first time I had this car on jack stands, since I had just bought it), coffee breaks, breakfast and some other things. But I would suggest having the bentley to help you along. My two cents about your thermostat is change it since you are going to be in there anyway. A motor that runs cold uses more fuel. A thermostat is $68 from Bavarian Autosport for your car. Just a thought. Alright, good luck. GR
I have bentley manual....My car is a 540i m62 engine....Stuart water pump not made for this engine..do you know of a well made water pump?
