Water pump disintegration

[MintyS3]

Cars just hit 30,000 miles so though I would put it in for a big service and get most things done.

Oil
Oil filter
Haldex Oil
Fuel filter
Brake fluid
Cambelt
Tensioner
Water pump
Plus 4 new tyres and an mot.

Now Im sure most have heard that when replacing the water pump to make sure its the metal impeller

Well I decided to head along to the garage to see how they were getting on and while having a chin wag with the guy he showed me the old plastic water pump and it has totally disintegrated. He said after a while if would of got overly hot and seized causing considerable damage.

Thats after only 30k miles, allbeit 6 years. So a word of warning....again Im sure....Get a metal impellar water pump and asap!

Not sure if I will get pics as it will probably be chucked away and my dad is picking up the motor as Im on late shift but safe to say it was a mess in many small bits.

 

[fran-s3]

yeah same as mine mate when I first bought my car 2years ago... it was on it's way out, scary stuff..

what tyres u going for? Im getting a couple of Eagle F1's next month hopefully...

 

[MintyS3]

Eagle F1 Assymetrics. Will be good to try them out. My PZero Rosso's were pretty good too to be fair.

Yeh not good knowing the water pumps just fall apart and rattles around inside lol.

Although my belt which should be 6 years old looks perfectly fine.

 

[leshkin]

Now Im sure most have heard that when replacing the water pump to make sure its the metal impeller

Well I decided to head along to the garage to see how they were getting on and while having a chin wag with the guy he showed me the old plastic water pump and it has totally disintegrated. He said after a while if would of got overly hot and seized causing considerable damage.

Thats after only 30k miles, allbeit 6 years. So a word of warning....again Im sure....Get a metal impellar water pump and asap!

Just imagine if the metal impeller failed

 

[MintyS3]

Just imagine if the metal impeller failed

lol not heard of it!

 

[GT130]

Just been checking out price for big service - Car is on 80k and full service incl haldex and brake fluild via Audi is 556 all in, approx 450 through a specialist - for the 100 extra i'm tempted to stick with Audi so it's full Audi all the way through.

Minty - have you got any quotes or are you doing the work yourself?

 

[MintyS3]

Nah I just stuck it in to the specialist, he did my revo aswell.

Will let you know how much it cost when I get home lol. Although I picked up all the parts myself.

 

[leshkin]

lol not heard of it!

It's been known to happen and from what I'd read, the risk of serous engine damage from metal impeller is what made Audi chose the plastic option.

I personally went for an OEM one when I had the pump and belt changed.

 

[jojo]

My plastic one was in pretty good nick after 52k miles and 6 years, but I changed it to the metal one during my cambelt changed anyways.

 

[S3 IRL]

Its not that the plastic impeller pumps break up during normal use, they wear and start to spin on the centre shaft. In my experience they usually break when removing from the block when they are tight on the o-ring seal

 

[MintyS3]

It's been known to happen and from what I'd read, the risk of serous engine damage from metal impeller is what made Audi chose the plastic option.

I personally went for an OEM one when I had the pump and belt changed.

The metal impella is the replacement for the plastic one. Ive never heard of metal ones failing and thats why most try to upgrade to the metal version. The vag specialist even told me to get the metal version, which I allready did.

 

[1animal1]

i replaced mine with an OEM jobby when i had my cambelt done..... have heard from a dealer that they upgraded the part...there must be a reason Audi didnt go metal IMO

 

[abdus]

The replacement plastic ones are now reinforced and better than original ones. They are much better and I was advised by Audi and even the VW dealers to go the plastic ones. Even 4rings (when I asked for a quote) who are a well respected specialist go for the uprated plastic one and they don't use the metal one

I'd rather have the plastic one desintegrating than the metal one locking up and preventing any flow and quick overheating/damage as compared to the plastic one.

When I did mine on my car, (the plastic one) it had some broken parts on it, yet the car was running fine. No problem at all. I think it would have been a different story if it was a metal one and it locking up.

 

[abdus]

The metal impella is the replacement for the plastic one.

N0t sure on that one. The metal one isn't even recommended by Audi and their explanation (as above) is a good one.

The OEM replacement is a re-inforced plastic one.

 

[badger5]

the metal one is superior than the plastic ones, which I am sure will continue to break off on the shaft after a lot of thermal cycles and rotations.
metal one is not going to break on the shaft like the plastic ones do, nor loose parts of the impellor into the coolant system (jamming open thermostats etc)
Mines metal pump, and the engine has revved to >8000rpm for some years now. still intact. I took my wifes 1.8t lupo to do some logging, rev it to 6krpm and pop the effing things breaks on me.. plastic fantastic. aka utter rubbish.

 

[666markyboy]

Can i just get one thing straight in my head... if they fail it's just the impellor that fails inside yes ??? the actual drive wheel from the cambelt stays intact i hope??

 

[MintyS3]

Can i just get one thing straight in my head... if they fail it's just the impellor that fails inside yes ??? the actual drive wheel from the cambelt stays intact i hope??

The belt side is metal and Ive not heard of it failing.

 

[fanta]

Thread resurrection I know, but is there a part number on the one I should get? I've got an A3 1.8T AGU.

 

[Alais DJA]

Send over your reg and ill look it up