I am looking at getting a used 08 IS350 around November and had some questions about those that have had water pump issues.

First off, the issue results in only a slow leak that is manageable with checking of fluid?

Second, for those that have had your water pump replaced, is this a reoccurring issue that even with the new one it will need to be replaced again within a short amount of time? Or, once the water pump is replaced I should no longer have an issue with it for a long period of time (90,000+ miles?)

Thanks,
Hopefully I'll have an IS soon!

 

Water pumps can fail with a small or large leak, sometimes with a loud bearing noise as well. There is no managing it.. if its bad, replace it before you lose the engine.

The pumps have been updated over the years, so you shouldnt have further issues.

Some pumps fail early, some dont. Its just like anything else.. i know of cars with 100k+ miles with no water pump issues, and ive seen some fail below 50k. There is no rhyme or reason to it. But the pumps have been updated...

 

It's a coin flip really. The previous owner of my 350 had the pump go out (slow leak) around 28k miles. So far so good. I just monitor the engine bay weekly for any signs of leaks/breakage/cracks/etc. You know, the usually pre-maintenance inspection stuff. LOL!

Just so you know, the water pump is covered under the manufacturer's factory engine warranty. So if it does go bad, if you are within warranty, it'll be replaced for free...like mine was back in the day.

 

Yeah its one of those things that some people get, and other just don't have an issue with. Not sure of the failure rate or anything, but its not ridiculously high or anything from the number of threads/posts I see about the issue.

 

I just completed replacing water pump on my 350, it has 75k miles. The bearing was making a bunch of noise and there was a small leak. I suggest a new one. It was only like $156

 

How can I tell if the water pump is leaking? Where is it located in the engine bay?

 

Toyota water pumps are notorious for high failure rates compared to other car makes. The 350 is one of the easier to change as long as you know what order to remove everything. Best thing to monitor is get a flashlight and a dental mirror. With the engine OFF! Use the mirror and light to look around the belt pulley for the pump itself. It's black and has 4 bolts in it and is pretty much right in the middle of the front of the engine. If you see pink stains or even the "coral reef like" crusty build-up around or below that area then time for a pump.

Do not get tricked by pink stains coming from the overflow of the coolant reservoir. If you overheat or the tank got overfilled for some reason it will push fluid out and stain the fan shroud and pretty much everything below that.

 

172K and water pump is still good.....just had a coolant flush plus we have two or three water pumps...so they could go any moment but going to the dealership when its time really helps....

 

Yeah its hit and miss. im at 92k miles and as far as i know the previous owner has not replaced it. but i could be wrong. really no idea. Just have a full maintenance inspection when you buy it if you are that paranoid. or even better just replace it once you buy it. have fun with your 350

 

im curious whats the suggested miles that we replace it . im close to 95k and wondering when ?

 

It's not like engine oil or an air-intake filter. There is no suggested replacement interval for the pump. As other have stated, it's a pretty random failure as far as I can tell, if it even fails at all while you have the car. Kinda like a light bulb, I guess.

 

Thanks a bunch. I will definitely enjoy it when I get it, should be quite an upgrade from my 96 Prelude VTEC. The only downside is that I 'may' have to put it off for another couple weeks... Just picked up a new bicycle today to get my sorry *** back into shape...

 

Nice upgrade! I came from a 5th gen (1998) Prelude

 

I came from a '95 Civic EX w/o A/C. LOL!

 

sorry to ressurect an old thread but thought this might be the most appropriate place to ask about the replacement water pump.

Reading the thread where a water pump failure ultimately caused $18K in dealer-estimated engine damage got me thinking about the water pump again. Mine was replaced during a routine inspection around 40K miles b/c they found it was leaking. What do they replace them with, the same pump that has a notoriously high failure rate or a better pump that has less of a chance of failure?

Reading the posts in this thread, it seems there are a few ppl that have gone quite a while with their original pump which leads me to believe any replacements will use the original pump. If so, and longevity really is hit or miss, then I guess we'll just have to check it periodically for signs of leaking. Thoughts?