Had a better look during weekend and the "substance" in the expansion tank looks and feels like rust particles not oil. It does not feel slick. I'll be replacing the pump with the aluminum Graf unit soon, hoping I'll last more than 100k at least.
I ordered the Graf aluminum water pump kit from ECS Tuning and did the job this past weekend. I'm glad I took the intake manifold off. I did some carbon cleaning while I was in there, I was surprised to see how much build up was in there for a 70K engine. I don't really see how I could have replaced the pump without removing the intake manifold
Yes, I replaced the water pump with a metal water pump n new timing belt. Completely rebuilt the engine.
I'm working on adapting these water pumps to a variety of older engines. This one will be going on a Chevy LSx. The pumps support two different control schemes; one via PWM (no feedback) and one via LIN. I will be working on reversing the LIN communications and building a more sophisticated controller soon.
I went to the dealer and after a long discussion about plastic vs metal impellers (they thought the VW branded pump was metal) a nice gentleman at the dealer ordered me a Graf branded aftermarket pump for $100 Canadian all-in.
I have a family member with a 2004 4.2 w/170,000 miles. It’s been very reliable. It had some evac valve replaced many years ago and I recently did the water pump as the bearing had some play, but no leak. Almost zero rust. An exhaust heat shield rattles currently. It wouldn’t shift into 4WD for a time, but new transfer case fluid fixed that - (it’s not maintained super well).
At 52k miles, it appears the water pump went out on our 2015 Audi A3 1.8 T FSI. It has been drinking coolant the last few months and leaving the garage smelling like anti-freeze... the coolant leak is visible beneath the airbox/battery area.
16,000 Miles (12 months) and now the Graf is leaking. After researching it seems a few bearing failures, a few thermostats, and some sensors out of the box are failing on these Graf pumps.
I was sitting at an In-n-Out drive-in when the low coolant warning dinged. Drove it the 2 mi home while keeping an eye on temps and popped the hood. The overflow tank was 75% empty and there was an apparent leak. By the end of the hour, it was completely dry. Got it towed to the local dealership and it took a day to diagnose and another day to get my car back. I'm grateful it didn't blow during my little road trip.
I am about to do my THIRD water pump replacement on our '08 535xi. I replaced it in 2016, again in 2018, and it is now leaking again. I will get it out today and verify but the leaks have all been along a casting seam in the plastic impeller cover. These have all been factory VDO/Continental OEM pumps. Something is wrong here but it sure stumps me. If I buy another I will get it from FCPeuro because of their warranty but I sure hate doing this job.
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