Attention: If you have a squeaky CHS water pump! New TSB

[galaxee]

my experience was that it would be noisiest at the end of the drive when it was cool outside and the car had been sitting.

could you bring it to the dealership first thing on a cool morning, park the car but leave it on, get the tech to come out to the service drive, and then shut it off? that should replicate the sound no problem. of course this depends on how close to the 5/60 cutoff you are.

[johnval1]

My '05 (35,200 miles) squeaks like a box of gerbils when I shut down, and the temps have been in the 80's this summer up here in SEMI.

I am going in for a 35K service in two days and am looking forward to reporting the problem. Thanks a bunch for this great information.

[ny biker]

Originally Posted by johnval1

My '05 (35,200 miles) squeaks like a box of gerbils when I shut down, and the temps have been in the 80's this summer up here in SEMI.

I am going in for a 35K service in two days and am looking forward to reporting the problem. Thanks a bunch for this great information.

Temps are in the high 80s/90s here and the pump still squeaks on startup and shutdown for me. The only time it doesn't happen when I've been driving for a long time so the engine is very warm. I'm debating whether to take it in now or wait until it's time for the next oil change. My plan is to do as Galaxee said - park it at the dealer but leave it on so I can get someone to listen to it when I power off.

[johnval1]

Well, I went in to the dealer in Waterford, MI and told them about the squeaky water pump at shut-down. They immediately checked out parts inventory, told me they had the part in stock, and 2 hours later it was all done up under warranty. The new pump sounds great and it was nice getting it done no muss, no fuss.

Thanks for the heads up on the TSB.

[FredJim]

I wasn't aware of this issue until our water pump failed. It happened on a 90+ degree afternoon on the freeway when Mr. Red Triangle and some of his amber buddies lit up on the dashboard like a Christmas tree. I made it to a dealership where I learned of the pump problem. On the way there, however, I lost a/c, power brakes, and steering. I was told the car did that to prevent overheating.

The moral of the story is, don't wait for the squeak. Hope this helps.

[drees]

Originally Posted by ny biker

The sound was always there, but it used to be a quiet hum, and now it is louder, higher-pitched, and stuttering (like a valve is sticking or something like that).

Exactly what mine sounds like. Been doing it for a few months now, even though it's been warm. Typically hear it during cold starts after sitting all night, not frequently after it's been driven a bit. Got my 08 last September.

Sounds like the noise is really the only bad side effect at this point since it seems like a good number of you have been hearing this sound for quite some time.

[Ichabod]

Originally Posted by FredJim

I wasn't aware of this issue until our water pump failed. It happened on a 90+ degree afternoon on the freeway when Mr. Red Triangle and some of his amber buddies lit up on the dashboard like a Christmas tree. I made it to a dealership where I learned of the pump problem. On the way there, however, I lost a/c, power brakes, and steering. I was told the car did that to prevent overheating.

The moral of the story is, don't wait for the squeak. Hope this helps.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but that's a different pump, isn't it? Does the one in the TSB run ONLY at startup/shutdown, or is the same pump used to circulate coolant during operation?

[mikepaul]

60,000 miles, huh? Just like with the regular water pump, if it goes I'm out of luck...

Wow. Just noticed I'm ~3 months shy of a year since 70,000 and I just rolled past 78,000 this weekend. I haven't driven that little in a year since back when I had a license but no car of my own...

[dogfriend]

Originally Posted by Ichabod

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but that's a different pump, isn't it? Does the one in the TSB run ONLY at startup/shutdown, or is the same pump used to circulate coolant during operation?

Yes, I had the same thought. I think that if the transaxle/inverter cooling pump failed, you would get the red triangle of death and the car would do whatever it could to protect the inverter electronics.

If the coolant storage tank pump fails, it would only be apparent on startup or shutdown. I would imagine it might set a code, but it is not active when driving. I recall that Hobbit has commented that the coolant storage pump does not operate unless the temp of the stored coolant is above a certain temp on startup.

[drees]

Just took my Prius in for an oil change and to have them check out the squeak. Of course, they couldn't reproduce it, so I'll wait until the weather cools of or it gets worse.