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Anyone changed their own water pump?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by scott3294, Mar 4, 2011.

  1. scott3294

    scott3294 New Member

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    I have worked on several minor to moderate engine issues over the years with various brand cars so I was thinking about replacing my leaking main water pump (not the Hybrid pump). The dealer wants close to $600 to do it and the part in only $50...which leads me to believe there may be a lot of labor involved.
    I usually back off doing my own work if things are really inaccessible, but wanted opinions from folks on here.
    Thanks!!
    Scott
     
    #1 scott3294, Mar 4, 2011
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I do not believe that the engine coolant pump replacement will be particularly difficult. See my post #42 here regarding how to drain and replace the engine coolant:
    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...shooting/30813-changing-engine-coolant-5.html

    See my post #18 here regarding how to replace the serpentine drive belt:
    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...45143-service-schedule-serpentine-belt-2.html

    I suggest that you loosen the water pump pulley bolts, prior to removing the serpentine drive belt. Good luck.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Mar 4, 2011
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  3. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    First off, how many miles are on your car, and do you know for a fact that it is actually leaking? The reason I ask is that this repair is pushed hard by service advisers/techs even though it may not be needed. Looking through the 200,000 mile club, hardly anyone has had to replace one, and the few that have were well over 100,000 miles. The fact that you were quoted $600 makes me think that they were trying to rip you off.

    That said, if you need to do it, having a pulley holder is strongly recommended, such as Save on OTC Tools 6613 at ToolTopia.com.
     
    #3 seilerts, Mar 5, 2011
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  4. jreed

    jreed Member

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    My ICE coolant pump was leaking a little fluid (visible on the inside of the pulley and on the black sound dampener on the inside of the hood), so I changed my water pump at the end of last year. With the great write-up that Patrick provided to help, it was not a difficult job. I used a genuine Toyota pump as the replacement and it fit perfectly as you'd expect. The most time consuming part of the job was the need to bleed the air out of the cooling system after draining it. :)
     
    #4 jreed, Mar 5, 2011
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  5. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    Oh yes, having an AirLift made by UView eliminates the bleeding problem.
     
    #5 seilerts, Mar 5, 2011
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  6. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    Going to jump in here - our 2004 is showing signs of leaking with a small amount of pink residue inside the pulley and surrounding areas. The area is dry at the moment, and the engine coolant reservoir is still above the "low" limit. Looking at the parts costs, it seems I can handle most of the 120k mile service items (oil, air filter, spark plugs (overdue), coolant (overdue)), as well as belt and water pump for $150 in parts online + fluids.
     
    #6 HTMLSpinnr, Apr 14, 2011
  7. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    Don't forget to do the PCV! Also a good time to give MAF and throttle body a good cleaning.
     
    #7 seilerts, Apr 14, 2011
  8. donee

    donee New Member

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    Yep,

    But not on a Prius. Opel Manta, Ford Pinto, Olds Cutlas a few others I think....
     
    #8 donee, Apr 14, 2011
  9. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    Ordered the PCV valve too, as well as a replacement parking lamp bulb.

    Knock on wood, the original HIDs are still going strong...
     
    #9 HTMLSpinnr, Apr 16, 2011
  10. TinyBabaganoush

    TinyBabaganoush Junior Member

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    Not sure the upcharge for labor means anything. Today my local Toyota dealer wanted to charge me $230 to install an auxilliary battery. No thanks.
     
    #10 TinyBabaganoush, Apr 19, 2011
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