hi all, my 1.9 130pd mk1 superb is approaching 115k, having had the cambelt done last at 58k I'm going to get it replaced at it's next service (in about 1k miles time). Does the water pump need doing at the same time? I can't see any record of it being changed in the service book, but it may have been changed at the same time as the cambelt before.

If you have no record of it being done,

then best get it done for your peace of mind and a little extra spent now rather than lots more if there is a failure.

 

george

You should do it, the part is cheap, there is very little extra work involved, and it is all going to have to come apart (and then some) if it fails.  There is one guy over in the Passat forum who looks to have found this out the harder way :(  http://www.ukpassats.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=77222#p628822

 

If you haven't got something to say the waterpump has been done it almost certainly hasn't.  Dealers often do just the belt and pulleys as the waterpump isn't on the schedule (my dealer did this when they supplied me the car and I asked for the cambelt to be done... grrrr)

It's not formally a service item, but the water pump is driven off the cambelt, so if you change the water pump you need a new cambelt, and the 2 hours odd labour that entails. Since the water pump is significantly cheaper than a cambelt kit and the labour to change that, it's often changed as a precautionary item.

 

Water pump failures are more common on the 1.8T than on the 1.9TDi (irrespective of tune) but experience suggests that the water pump's life is about 1.5 cambelts.

I suspected that would be the answer, but didn't want to change it if it wasn't needed/advised. Cheers guys!

I'm a taxi driver in mine. I get the belt done every 50k miles, and the garage always does the water pump as standard. I have had a water pump start to leak the belt before last, but had a new one fitted along with a new belt under guarantee

I'm a taxi driver in mine. I get the belt done every 50k miles, and the garage always does the water pump as standard. I have had a water pump start to leak the belt before last, but had a new one fitted along with a new belt under guarantee

 

roughly how much does it cost for both? Just so I have a ballpark figure of what to expect

Sorry for the very late reply. It cost me 240, but I get a staff discount on parts and labour. Just had the lot changed again under warranty. The water pump started to leak, unfortunately the second time this has happened. But hey ho! Hasn't cost me a bean for a replacement thank goodness, and now means another 50k till replacement.

Sounds very unusual to have two failing water pumps under warranty - are they fitting junk parts or not fitting them properly?

I'm thinking they are a bad batch possibly. They have a fleet of 150 Octavias that they service. I think I've just been unlucky. Not sure where the leak was from, in honesty, just glad they spotted it. Only consolation is, I now have another 50.000 miles not to worry about the belt again!!

The water pump drive on the VAG diesels is a bad design because the pump is on the tight side of a very highly stressed belt. The bearing loadings are therefore excessive. PSA drive their pumps from the slack side of the belt.

 

Change the pump at every belt change.

 

rotodiesel.

Exactly what my garage does. They say, whilst it's in bits, it's as easy to do the pump as not to. Seems a no brainer to me, and I know chuff all!!

The water pump drive on the VAG diesels is a bad design because the pump is on the tight side of a very highly stressed belt. The bearing loadings are therefore excessive. PSA drive their pumps from the slack side of the belt.

 

Change the pump at every belt change.

 

rotodiesel.

I agree with you; my "pump life is ~1.5 belts" comment was based on when they usually give up if not changed IME.