Water Pump Replacement

[Red Hybrid]

How much should it cost to replace the water pump? Two different dealers want $389 and $419 respectively, which seems awfully high. The more expensive dealer said it is a 3 hour job. Any suggestions?

[desertrider2215]

Originally Posted by Red Hybrid

How much should it cost to replace the water pump? Two different dealers want $389 and $419 respectively, which seems awfully high. The more expensive dealer said it is a 3 hour job. Any suggestions?

Mine went out around 104,000....toyota charged me about $345 or so.

[nc_driver]

I just took my 2005 Prius with 65,000 to the dealer. They said I needed a new water pump (they said they saw some fluid leaking around it), and wanted $469. I said I would think about it. Wow, that's even higher than your prices! I might try another dealer for a quote.

[nc_driver]

I just took my 2005 Prius with 65,000 miles to the dealer. They said I needed a new water pump (they said they saw some fluid leaking around it), and wanted $469. I said I would think about it. Wow, that's even higher than your prices! I might try another dealer for a quote.

[Guy in WNY]

There is a TSB on the water pump out there. Search this site for it. I printed it out to take to the dealer when the pump noise becomes too loud for me. They will only change it out under warranty if you complain about it, according to the TSB. In other words this does not happen to ALL cars - just the ones people complain about!
Might be worth a shot.

[jdenenberg]

I replaced BOTH water pumps(Inverter and Engine, not Thermos), coolant, serpentine belt and thermostat for just under $1000.

JeffD

[alanh]

The TSB is about the electric coolant heat storage water pump. This is the one that you can hear after shutting off the car.

The belt-driven engine water pump is unrelated, as is the inverter coolant water pump

[JimboK]

Originally Posted by alanh

The TSB is about the electric coolant heat storage water pump. This is the one that you can hear after shutting off the car.

The belt-driven engine water pump is unrelated, as is the inverter coolant water pump

Originally Posted by Guy in WNY

There is a TSB on the water pump out there. Search this site for it. I printed it out to take to the dealer when the pump noise becomes too loud for me. They will only change it out under warranty if you complain about it, according to the TSB. In other words this does not happen to ALL cars - just the ones people complain about!
Might be worth a shot.

Alan, there is a TSB out on the the inverter coolant pump as well. See Galaxee's post #34 in this thread.

Guy, Alan is correct, however, that the symptom you describe and the TSB-specified replacement applies to the "thermos," as it's informally called. The inverter coolant pump TSB prescribes replacement only if it throws a diagnostic trouble code. Either way, the TSBs limit warranty replacement to the period of the power train warranty.

Besides, folks here may be referring to the main water pump, not the inverter coolant pump.

[EZW1]

If you're slightly mechanically inclined, you could do the job quite easily. From the engine manual:

REMOVAL
1. REMOVE RADIATOR SUPPORT OPENING COVER
2. REMOVE ENGINE UNDER COVER LH
3. REMOVE ENGINE UNDER COVER RH
4. DRAIN ENGINE COOLANT
5. REMOVE GENERATOR V BELT
6. REMOVE ENGINE MOUNTING INSULATOR SUBASSEMBLY RH
7. REMOVE WATER PUMP PULLEY
(a) Using SST, hold the pump pulley.
(b) Remove the 3 bolts and pump pulley.
8. REMOVE WATER PUMP ASSEMBLY
(a) Remove the 3 bolts and 2 nuts.

(b) Remove the water pump and gasket.

The most difficult part of the job is step 6 which has you removing the engine mount. During this time you support the engine with an engine stand. Not hard if you have the tools.

[Mike Dimmick]

There are actually four water pumps on the car: three for the engine coolant, one for the inverter coolant. Of the three in the engine loop, one is mechanical and drives the coolant when the engine is running, the other two are electrical. One of those moves hot coolant through the heater core when the engine is off and heat is demanded, and the other pumps stored hot coolant from the thermos (heat storage tank) back to the engine to pre-heat it, before engine start.

The latter pump is only present on the North American Prius as the thermos is only fitted in that market.

These pumps are fitted in a variety of different locations, meaning different amounts of labour to be able to get at them and replace them. In addition they're all different so have different prices.

(The Gen III replaces the mechanical engine coolant pump with an electrical one, so it can perform the heater task as well, and the coolant thermos is replaced by the exhaust heat capture system, also pumped by the main electric pump, reducing the pump count to two.)