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      01-15-2017, 05:33 PM   #45
Schmullis
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Bavarian AutoSport ("Otto") states that all BMW electric water pumps should be replaced at 4 years or 60K miles, whichever comes first. Your experience proves that their maintenance schedule is right on.
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      01-16-2017, 02:14 PM   #46
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Quote:
Originally Posted by batlin View Post
I had the water pump go out on my 2011 X3 35. Thinking I could do it my self from videos I ran into the same issue that the OP did. There is no way to bring it down from the bottom. I am currently running through the procedure that was posted (the PDF) and I will say that procedure SUCKS but it does get you on the right path. I have the water pump currently removed and replaced and just need to get the new thermostat in. Me and a buddy spend 4 hours yesterday cussing BMW. I will post when I have it complete.
Is it tough, yes. Can you do it, Yes I am by no means a mechanic and my friend as well. He does a lot of work on his own 335i and was nice enough to help (mainly to get another set of eyes on how to do it). Its all done from under the car but we actually were able to pull the Water up up the top rather than out the bottom.
I will post when I am done and if anyone has any questions please let me know.
I am also doing the oil filter gasket and coolant gasket at the same time.
Got it all finished up. It was a PITA but nothing anybody couldn't do. The hardest part is getting to each of the hose clamp screws but when you put it back together you get to angle the screws how ever you want to make life easier. Took 3 hours to get the pump out, about 2 hours to get the pump and thermostat back into the car and another hour or two to get everything closed up. I spent a total of 10 hours doing the following
Water Pump
Thermostat
Oil Filter housing Gasket
Oil Filter housing Coolant Gasket
Oil Change

The honest hardest part of the process was getting to the screw on the oil filter housing that was under the intake manifold as you have to remove the manifold (which you really just need to separate it from the engine about an inch.
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      01-18-2017, 03:06 PM   #47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by batlin View Post
Got it all finished up.
Congrats.
Where did you do it? Do you have access to car lift?
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      01-22-2017, 08:24 AM   #48
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After my '07 335I, i've been dodging turbo BMW's. Too many things go wrong!
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      01-23-2017, 04:28 PM   #49
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Killerfish2012 View Post
After my '07 335I, i've been dodging turbo BMW's. Too many things go wrong!
Sounds like you got one of the finicky N54's. The N55 is great. Water pump did go on my N54 335 but I knew it was going to happen. No other issues with my N54. Pay to play is the motto I live by.
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      01-23-2017, 06:05 PM   #50
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Replacing water pump and thermostat along with fluid changes in the transfer case and the transmission next week. Also doing the service mod for the cases. Installing Dinan stage one kit at the same time. 98K miles.
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      01-26-2017, 11:10 AM   #51
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Hi All,

I'm just in the process of purchasing a 2013 X3 35i MSport, it is a CPO, which has warranty for another 2 years.

Are there any owners who have not actually had this issue? I was planning on taking a couple if road trips with this, but after looking at this post, I am second guessing my purchase all together.

Would the BMW dealer not just replace the pump as a preventative measure, instead of waiting for their CPO customers to get stuck in the middle of nowhere?

I like this X3, but should I pass on this purchase altogether? Any suggestions?

Thank you kindly...
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      01-26-2017, 11:48 AM   #52
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seekon View Post
Would the BMW dealer not just replace the pump as a preventative measure, instead of waiting for their CPO customers to get stuck in the middle of nowhere?

I like this X3, but should I pass on this purchase altogether? Any suggestions?

Thank you kindly...
Why replace a component that might not fail just because it might? It is not cost effective!

The possibility of something failing would not prevent me purchasing a car.
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      01-26-2017, 12:32 PM   #53
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_R View Post
Why replace a component that might not fail just because it might? It is not cost effective!

The possibility of something failing would not prevent me purchasing a car.
Thanks Peter, I agree with your comment, I am trying to determine if this is a problem that will occur in majority of 2013 X3 35i around these miles or if this is specific to a bad batch of water pumps etc.
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      01-26-2017, 03:14 PM   #54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seekon View Post
Thanks Peter, I agree with your comment, I am trying to determine if this is a problem that will occur in majority of 2013 X3 35i around these miles or if this is specific to a bad batch of water pumps etc.
If this was a problem with the majority of X3 35i, I would have expected BMW dealers to raise a PUMA report.
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      01-27-2017, 10:07 AM   #55
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_R View Post
Why replace a component that might not fail just because it might? It is not cost effective!

The possibility of something failing would not prevent me purchasing a car.
In this case, it's because the water pump replacement is a fraction of the cost of the engine damage due to failure of the guide. But I agree with you that it still might not be the cost effective.
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      01-27-2017, 03:28 PM   #56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_R View Post
Why replace a component that might not fail just because it might? It is not cost effective!

The possibility of something failing would not prevent me purchasing a car.
It's simple. Convenience. If you plan on keeping your car for a while, it's easy to replace a part that can leave you stranded. Especially if you make long trips.

I don't believe the N55 is common in the UK due to the cost. The water pump is a known wear and tear piece on those engines. So, unless you can't spare $1000 USD, why not?
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      01-27-2017, 08:14 PM   #57
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Quote:
Originally Posted by malicem3 View Post
It's simple. Convenience. If you plan on keeping your car for a while, it's easy to replace a part that can leave you stranded. Especially if you make long trips.

I don't believe the N55 is common in the UK due to the cost. The water pump is a known wear and tear piece on those engines. So, unless you can't spare $1000 USD, why not?
My answers are based on this statement.

Quote:
Originally Posted by seekon View Post
Would the BMW dealer not just replace the pump as a preventative measure, instead of waiting for their CPO customers to get stuck in the middle of nowhere?

If it is all about convenience (for you), then you pay not BMW. Why should BMW pay? If it is known problem, why is there not a PUMA case in the USA to substantiate a claim for BMW paying?

It is not about the high cost of the N55 in the UK, it is all about marketing and the UK love affair for diesels. We have the 3.0 litre diesel called the N57. There are no petrol X3's over here.
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Last edited by Peter_R; 01-27-2017 at 08:26 PM..
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      01-31-2017, 08:32 PM   #58
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Typical pump failure, acutely: Yellow high temp and red high temp warning with limp mode; first occurrence of it when my wife was driving it home 3 days ago.

35i xDrive M Sport model; Mileage: 56,800. We bought this used less than 1 year ago. Stuff fixed since getting it: Oil cooler gasket (recall), Charge pipe cracked (replace with Evolution; same part as F30 35i; direct fit), and the H20 pump.

I bought a pump from the local dealer (Clear Lake BMW) for speed; Parts Mgr John H gave me a great deal.

Fortunately, I found the procedure posted. It saved the day. Without this procedure I probably wouldn’t have attempted.

My son and I have done quite a bit of work on our BMWs; E46 M3 headers O.o (if you’ve done it you know how hard this is), exhaust, all fluid changes, H20 pump on his E90 330i, CAI, Eonon install, brakes/rotors, belts.

This is the first serious work on the X3…it took me a while. ~7 hrs total

I didn’t change any coolant lines or the t-stat…though now that I’m done…maybe I should of done t-stat but that’s another $115. To change all the coolant lines…I still would be at it, I think.

I agree with batlin. Is it doable? Yes. Is it a pain…absolutely. If/when it fails again would I willingly do it again vs pay an indie $400 for labor? I’ll get back to you on that…

Given the tight and small areas to work in have some extra tools: 3” socket extension, 6” socket extension, 12” socket extension, Star drive and torx, good lighting, patience.

Since the procedure is posted, I will only fill gaps in and add pointers (or how I did it) along the way to pay it forward to the next who wants to take this on. This is working a puzzle…but it’s a German puzzle so its highly logical.

Before someone asks, cross section bar = yes; electric fan out = yes; charge cooler out = yes; t-stat out = yes. All of this gives space to get the pump out.

Bleed procedure (though I shortcutted it it slightly…I will detail) is a MUST!

I started at the top of the motor and removed the cross section; easy. The fan retainer is a pain you have to push the retainer HARD INTO the radiator to release. Also detach the upper radiator line, drivers side. I did not detach the coolant line (passenger side), mid-way down, since I was pulling parts lower. The fan works out with some rotation left/raise; twist right raise futzing; keep the tranny cooler bracket out of the way too.

On to the charge cooler. Surprisingly (and me gingerly trying for the first time) the white expanding rivets were a pain. Finally, in true DIY form, I pulled hard on the ends of the plastic charge cooler support (the cover in the procedure) and voila white rivets came right out and no harm. For the charge pipe retainer locks…after getting the wings released and to stay, just make sure to get the middle out of its recess and pull down it to expose the middle of it fully (where the arrow starts in the procedure). Rest is straightforward. Install pointer; lube it with oil inside on the seals and on the outer.

For the t-stat (referencing the pic on pg 12 of the PDF), I detached in order: #4 , #3, waited until coolant stopped dripping, then #5 (since electrical). I zip tied #5 to the coolant line coming from the radiator just to keep it clear of my work space. Then I removed the 10mm bolts holding the t-stat to theH2O pump to allow some movement/positioning for #2. I released #2 from its retainer mid-way up the front of the motor for more play. Then with forward rotation of the t-stat, I got to it…what a pain! I never messed with #1 (b/c I did disconnect #2 on the pump (pg 15 of pdf), then the t-stat was out.

For the pump removal, I first removed the 3 (Al bolts) ( so now the pump is loose and can be moved around and forward. Moving the pump forward, I aimed the socket behind the electrical steering and disconnected #2 (and pulled that coolant line out with t-stat). electrical connection and #1 easy now (pg 15 jpg). Pump comes out.

Reverse order to get the pump and t-stat back in. I was careful make sure the hoses were fully seated and clamps were aligigned, positioned and tight…I did not want to go back there again if there was a leak after the bleed and pressurize procedure!!! That would simply just suck…hard. Be sure to avoid trapping/pinching the electrical connectors between stuff as re-assembly progresses. To make it easier to reconnect the coolant line quick connects, a quick lube does the trick (and will help if I have to take them off in the future)

For the bleed procedure, I did not have a battery charger. I also did not want to have the pump run the full 12 mins and run the risk of draining the battery if I had to bleed it a second time. Since the bleed procedure is done WITH THE ENGINE OFF, and if the battery drained due to a 12 min run…I am screwed, since I can’t run the engine without a primed coolant system.

What I did was simple. But do at YOUR OWN RISK. After filling coolant just by gravity, I manually primed the air out by squeezing the big radiator lines. This draws coolant from the tank into, forces air out, and fills the system. I stopped when I could feel coolant in the upper line and visually saw fluid entering the tank into the overflow line (the small diameter one from the upper radiator line to the tank).

DO NOT START THE ENGINE per the procedure, follow it to the letter. My bleed procedure though only lasted maybe 2 minutes.

I then started the engine to verify the coolant is cycling. On the climate control, max out the temp and fan speed (opens the t-stat), open the coolant tank and see fluid streaming in from the overflow line (this is very obvious). If you see that you are good. Also you should feel the heat blow thru the vents.

If you don’t obviously see coolant streaming in from the overflow line into the coolant tank or feel heat within a few minutes. Turn off the engine and bleed again.
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      02-16-2017, 02:52 PM   #59
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This doesn't seem to be an issue on F3X vehicles with a metal housing water pump (p/n 11518635090)

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...p/11518635090/

A lot of the pre-mature failures (no water pump lasts forever) seem to be from a cracked housing due to the plastic housing used on the 11517632426 pump that originally came on the N54 and is also used on E9X N55 motors as well as F25 and F26 N55's.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...1517632426kt2/

As far as I can tell though, BMW has not updated the F25 and F26 N55 to use the newer pump, which is a bit baffling.
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      02-21-2017, 09:58 AM   #60
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Great write up, Nevrcm3. 2 questions.

1. Your pump was plastic? You replaced it with another plastic?
2. You used car lift, not at home on ramps. Just confirming.
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      03-08-2017, 02:34 AM   #61
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Just curious if anybody has a high mileage X3 with no water pump failure? I have a n54 335i fully modded and water pump went at around 80000 miles. I'm at 80,900 miles on the X3 no issues with it other than replacing the oil cooler gasket super easy diy. I already have a new replacement water pump & thermostat in case of failure. I'm also curious if anybody has had rough idle at start up or stop lights and has had their engine walnut blasted?
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      04-04-2017, 10:50 PM   #62
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Add me to the list of X3 35i owners replacing water pump at 115k km Got the pump today and will give it a go tomorrow or next day
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      04-06-2017, 02:16 PM   #63
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Just dropped the car off at the dealer now with the same symptoms, SA agreed probably water pump said around $1500. I'm just out of warranty at 53,000 miles...

I have my reasons for going to the dealer and not an indy (They've gotten me good deals, need a loaner, etc..). Is this around what other people have paid for a dealer water pump repair? Anything else I should know?

Car's a '13 35i
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      04-06-2017, 02:28 PM   #64
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ch35iM View Post
Just dropped the car off at the dealer now with the same symptoms, SA agreed probably water pump said around $1500. I'm just out of warranty at 53,000 miles...

I have my reasons for going to the dealer and not an indy (They've gotten me good deals, need a loaner, etc..). Is this around what other people have paid for a dealer water pump repair? Anything else I should know?

Car's a '13 35i
I would say that is OK to pay.

I say that because I sourced my own parts, had to drop my car at an indy, no loaner, and their repair was insufficient (hose popped off) and it still cost me about $1000.
So the convenience, security, and quality of using a dealer is probably worth the $500.
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      04-06-2017, 03:10 PM   #65
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mxa121 View Post
I would say that is OK to pay.

I say that because I sourced my own parts, had to drop my car at an indy, no loaner, and their repair was insufficient (hose popped off) and it still cost me about $1000.
So the convenience, security, and quality of using a dealer is probably worth the $500.
Plus 2 year warranty on the parts and repair work That's what I'm more concerned about.
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      04-06-2017, 03:46 PM   #66
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Quote:
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Plus 2 year warranty on the parts and repair work That's what I'm more concerned about.
Agreed.

But it still hurts my eyes and my mind to see a bill for that much, for something so trivial. Gone are the days of the belt driven waterpump and t-stat sitting on top of the engine, all nice and accessible, and choice to top-off coolant versus flush-replace-bleed...

$1500 - really?

I own two N55 vehicles, one at 90,000Kms use as a summer track toy (2011 135i), the other at 108,000Kms as my daily (2011 X3 35i), so this maintenance is on my radar ...

DIY on X3 does not seem like a pleasure cruise either, and test of one's patience ...
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