Lesson learned

[TWKenny (formerly Ted)]

Some of you may recall me posting a few questions regarding changing the water pump on my 530. My plan was to do it this past weekend. Had everything I needed but time...so I procrastinated. Well, for the first time in my life I had to call a tow truck...you guessed it...the water pump seized. It had not been leaking, but the shaft would wiggle some. Well, it let go in a rather violent way, taking the belt with it.
Anyway, had it towed and payed someone to work on my car. What a bummer. It was pay or be without it for a week or so due to work, kids baseball and a trip.
So, $250 later, she's back on the road.
Live and learn.
BTW, the noise that I thought was a power steering problem must have been associated with the bad water pump, because since the new pump was installed, that noise is gone.

[Brian C.]

....to me, and probably to a lot of us here. After I had owned my '95 525ia for about a year and a half, friends would tell me that they heard a "weird" noise from the engine compartment. I wasn't savy to all the things that WILL go bad on the E34s eventually then, but thought it might be that "VANOS rattle" thing that people spoke about. Then one night on my way home from work, a rainy night of course, I was at a light when....WHAMO.... a noise, steamy-smoke and other un-healthy car things started to happen. My H2o pump seized and belt snapped too. I was towed to a somewhat local indy I used and 2 days and around $350 later I was good as new! Yes, we all learn from experience don't we?

Brian C.

[ryan roopnarine]

wait....knew that the reason my temp gauge undulated between 1/2 and 5/8 wasn't the thermostat....oh well. a shot of chinaco anjeo to you tonite, or md 20/20, whichever is available.....

[AZ_Jason_S]

Uhmmm, I vote for the chinaco anejo, thats good stuff....

[NoSpeedLimits]

Damn, only 250! Consider yourself lucky...I think??? My local stealer wanted 500 bucks and the indy 400 to replace my WP, TSTAT and upper & lower rad. hoses. And I was supplying the parts! My part cost = approx. 200, which included 2 gal BMW coolant, a new alum. TSTAT housing, and the aforementioned parts. I am not sure if that info. helps to cheer you up?? I tried...

[MikeV]

Yeah, for $250 you got away cheap. Saturday I had the exact same thing happen, water pump seized, 20 miles from home, when it stopped (violently) it took out the pulley also... also discovered a hole in my aux water pump... parts, labor and very short tow worked out to $600. The odd coincidence is I was supposed to be changing the belts that day, just didn't feel like it that morning....

The only part I regret is I had just changed the coolant 2 weeks ago, so $30 of BMW coolant went to waste....

[Anthony 94 525i]

Some of you may recall me posting a few questions regarding changing the water pump on my 530. My plan was to do it this past weekend. Had everything I needed but time...so I procrastinated. Well, for the first time in my life I had to call a tow truck...you guessed it...the water pump seized. It had not been leaking, but the shaft would wiggle some. Well, it let go in a rather violent way, taking the belt with it.
Anyway, had it towed and payed someone to work on my car. What a bummer. It was pay or be without it for a week or so due to work, kids baseball and a trip.
So, $250 later, she's back on the road.
Live and learn.
BTW, the noise that I thought was a power steering problem must have been associated with the bad water pump, because since the new pump was installed, that noise is gone.