Should i replace the water pump preventively?

[danmm7]

2011 S4 with 75k miles.

I am in the process to installing a smaller pulley (Stg 2) on my supercharger, fresh SC oil, adding an APR heat exchanger, replacing the crank pulley and rebuilding the PCV valve.
My supercharger is removed from the engine at the moment and my car is in service mode.

At this mileage (75k), now i am thinking i should probably go ahead an replace the water pump as well. Is this an overkill?? I haven't looked carefully, but given what i have already removed from the engine bay, replacing the water pump should be easy, correct? Or is it a bigger pain in the ass than i am expecting?
My car is a 2011 and i know many early models had bad water pumps and thermostats. I bought my car with 48k miles on the clock and the records show that only the thermostat was replaced around 30k. The water pump is likely the original one. It may be a ticking bomb.

The question is.... which brand water pump do i buy? All the new ones come with a metal impeller (improved) but there are 5 or 6 different brands (OEM, Meyle, Gates, URO parts, Napa, etc) out there and prices vary from $35 to $140 for OEM. Which brand do you recommend i get? I have already read reports of bad, improved OEM water pumps, so OEM is clearly not perfect.

Thanks!

[14S4GWM]

Thermostat too

[danmm7]

Thermostat was replaced around 30k miles

[blackfunk]

Thermostat was replaced around 30k miles

Replace it again. I've seen a few threads where some poeple have needed multiple replacements.

[Dr GP]

I'm in pretty much the same boat. 70k, 3rd owner.(49k when purchased) The service records that I do have show no replacement of WP or T stat. But I do have an extended warranty that is good through next May. Hoping for a failure by then so it would be covered. Also looking to repair or replace the PCV valve while SC is off. Not sure what I might want to do about a warranty once my extended warranty id done. I feel very hesitant to won a German car with mileage and not have a warranty.

[Boris]

The only thing that's overkill is the supercharger oil, it's sealed and is not even recommended to be changed at ur mileage.

Regardless, I would change the water pump too with OeM for peace of mind


Mind you, I put a lot of miles on my car, and have accumulated 143,000 miles, it's been stage 2 for over 60,000 miles, zero problems, the hermostat went once. That's it.

2011 build. Surprisingly sturdy Audi.

[danmm7]

Turns out, the water pump that was installed on the car is all metal and has metal impeller. It has an Audi logo on it, so i am guessing the original one (plastic) was replaced at some point. I am not sure how many miles it has, but it is an all metal part. I should have not touched it. :(

Now i am not sure what to do. Should I install the brand NEW water pump i ordered (i got a non-OEM part - Graf) or should i put back the USED, but Oem, Audi branded pump?

I've read on this forum that even the improved, all metal water pumps are still acting up sometimes. Mine was fine, but i am really not sure how old it is.

[Dirt]

Personally, I'd leave it. My days of "if it ain't broke, fix it until it is" are behind me.

.

[sacandagaD]

Turns out, the water pump that was installed on the car is all metal and has metal impeller. It has an Audi logo on it, so i am guessing the original one (plastic) was replaced at some point. I am not sure how many miles it has, but it is an all metal part. I should have not touched it. :(

Now i am not sure what to do. Should I install the brand NEW water pump i ordered (i got a non-OEM part - Graf) or should i put back the USED, but Oem, Audi branded pump?

I've read on this forum that even the improved, all metal water pumps are still acting up sometimes. Mine was fine, but i am really not sure how old it is.

Funny, I used to be of the mindset of replacing parts before they fail until I heard about the "Waddington Effect". Now, unless it's an absolute time bomb, I'm letting it go until it breaks.

http://maintenance-talk.blogspot.com...be-random.html

[S4'ed]

I would replace the pump and thermostat. It is the thermostat that is the "time-bomb". The metal water pumps seem to be pretty solid, but I would change it now, while your in there, and have already dumped the coolant for the thermostat.

[tsjordan]

If one replaces the thermostat, is it another time bomb with a longer fuse? I have a 2011 with very low miles (15k), and still feel there's a time bomb in the thermostat, but I have no sense how long the fuse it, and if replacing it lengthens the fuse at all. As a result, I drive around staring at the temp gauge all day hoping "this won't be the trip it dies."

[sacandagaD]

If one replaces the thermostat, is it another time bomb with a longer fuse? I have a 2011 with very low miles (15k), and still feel there's a time bomb in the thermostat, but I have no sense how long the fuse it, and if replacing it lengthens the fuse at all. As a result, I drive around staring at the temp gauge all day hoping "this won't be the trip it dies."

Don't change it! See the Waddington effect above, you might replace it with a crappier one, or mess something else up replacing it in advance! I have 65k on mine and the T-stat has gone at least 45k so far.

[Mancha]

Mine blew up last week at 92K miles. I would replace it while you can. Seems like a "when" it happens issue, not an if.

[danmm7]

What blew up? The pump or the thermostat?

My thermostat was already replaced around 30-35k miles. It is not the original one.

The new pump i got is NEW but it is not OEM. It is made by Graf, made in Italy. All Metal.
Not sure if it is any better than the OEM unit.

[S4'ed]

Graf is an OEM supplier to Audi.

[nate.the.great]

+1 on thermostat. at 71k and under warranty, I was happy when mine went because it was covered under warranty.

[danmm7]

Unfortunately, the original water pump i removed has Made in Germany stamped on it's body. Audi logo is also stamped.
The Graf one does not and on the box it says "Made in Italy". It is a different part for sure, not OEM. I was reading on the BMW forums last night some horrible horrible stories about Graf water pumps. :(
This morning i was pretty much decided to swap gaskets and put the original water pump back on.

Well, the gasket from the Graf pump does not fit well. Different design, different groove. :(

I called the Audi dealer to get a water pump gasket and they said that the gasket is not sold separately, it comes only with a new water pump. Yet, i cannot put the pump back and reuse the original gasket. I really screwed myself. :(

Now i have 2 options.... put the Graf pump and hope that i'm lucky and it's good quality unit. ... or, put the original OEM water pump and use a gasket maker from a parts store to seal is properly. Not sure what's better or worse.

And all of this is because i decided to be proactive and replace a pump that was already replaced already in the past. :( :(

[sacandagaD]

Unfortunately, the original water pump i removed has Made in Germany stamped on it's body. Audi logo is also stamped.
The Graf one does not and on the box it says "Made in Italy". It is a different part for sure, not OEM. I was reading on the BMW forums last night some horrible horrible stories about Graf water pumps. :(
This morning i was pretty much decided to swap gaskets and put the original water pump back on.

Well, the gasket from the Graf pump does not fit well. Different design, different groove. :(

I called the Audi dealer to get a water pump gasket and they said that the gasket is not sold separately, it comes only with a new water pump. Yet, i cannot put the pump back and reuse the original gasket. I really screwed myself. :(

Now i have 2 options.... put the Graf pump and hope that i'm lucky and it's good quality unit. ... or, put the original OEM water pump and use a gasket maker from a parts store to seal is properly. Not sure what's better or worse.

And all of this is because i decided to be proactive and replace a pump that was already replaced already in the past. :( :(

"Waddington Effect"! Now that the old pump is out, might as well put the new pump in,instead of using the wrong gasket, and then just hope for the best. You are obviously skilled enough to DIY again. But regardless, that does blow, my condolences.

[Mancha]

What blew up? The pump or the thermostat?

My thermostat was already replaced around 30-35k miles. It is not the original one.

The new pump i got is NEW but it is not OEM. It is made by Graf, made in Italy. All Metal.
Not sure if it is any better than the OEM unit.

It was the water pump. My thermo went at 50K or so.

[Boris]

If one replaces the thermostat, is it another time bomb with a longer fuse? I have a 2011 with very low miles (15k), and still feel there's a time bomb in the thermostat, but I have no sense how long the fuse it, and if replacing it lengthens the fuse at all. As a result, I drive around staring at the temp gauge all day hoping "this won't be the trip it dies."

It's strange, I've seen them fail quick, and yet there are some cars with 80k miles on original stats...

But don't worry man! Once you replace it it should be peace of mind,, not many fail after replacement, mine has held up over 80k miles after replacing which is probably more than you'll drive.

Also even if it goes, you can turn on the air con to full hot full blast and just pull over and shut down. You'd have to really let it go to fuck the engine. Don't worry about it. I think I've only ever read about one person actually driving it to failure, The car will let you know when it hits near a dangerous temp anyways
..


Wish there was a way in vagcom to program an alert for when our temps rise by a quarter