[RL325xi]

Car: 2012 X3 35i
Miles: 46000 miles.

For preventive purpose, I decided to replace both Water pump and thermostat.

Did some research and parts ordered and arrived.

As per most YouTube video suggested, Water pump must remove from the top.

Most of them suggest that 1st remove the metal cross bar on top of the radiator, then remove the electrical fan(shroud) remove intercooler for more access to the pump. Then proceed to remove the pump and thermostat.

So far I removed the top metal bar, and intercooler, pain in the A to unclipped the hoses.

Now I am having a bit of trouble removing the shroud.

Anyone have done it can share some tips?

Thanks in advance

[RichardH]

Just did mine last week
Didn't remove the intercooler
Only the fan
Did everything from the top
Also there's a new pump out
Here's the new part no. 11519455978

[oVeRdOsE.]

https://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showt...1219853&page=5



did it from the top. took me about 4.5h.
It's not hard, there's no many steps , it's just fck long (no space ) !!!

No space, so you got like 1'' to move the ratchet to undo a bolt, etc.

So here's the steps very briefly.

1 - remove front strut bar (11 hex screw) - 5 min
2- remove radiator fan (1 hex screw). 5 min
3 unbolt the cooler attachec on the fan (2 hex + 1 clip). 5min
4 - remove the skid plate 5min
5- remove the easy accesible collant hose clips . 5-10 min
6- remove the 3 10mm bolt on the water pump. 10min
7- remove 2 10mm bolt on the thermostat . 5 minutes.
8- try to remove the remaining hoses on the t-stat and water pump (6mm hose clamps and clips). 1.5h
9- get the pump out from the top.
10- put back just like the uninstall. Note : put the hose clamp screw so they can be accessible from the top. way more easier for the next job. 1h
11 - 50/50 bmw blue collant with distilled water
12- bleedind procedure . Car ON (engine off), heater T° to the max, low fan speed, press the gas pedal for about 10-15 sec until the pump start running. it will run for a while, somthing like 5-10 minutes. (leave the key in the car for those with keyless module) 25min

About torque specs... well you can forget it around the pump and t-stat area. A 1/4'' ratchet was hard to get in, so a torque wrench would be almost impossible. unless you have specialze tools.

[hogwldfltr]

Interesting preventative maintenance. Seems like a good idea. What do you think an indie would charge for the pump replacement?

[Wgosma]

Originally Posted by hogwldfltr

Interesting preventative maintenance. Seems like a good idea. What do you think an indie would charge for the pump replacement?

About $1100 here in SoCal.

[RL325xi]

Dealer wants $1600. I did it because I've heard some failed at 40k miles.

I just completed the replacement. Pretty straight forward. But by remove the intercooler will give you more room to fit your hand and tools in there. Did everything under the car and remove the pump from above. The tricky part of removing the fan shroud is that there is a locking tap on the driver side that you must press in in order to slide it out.

Took me approximately 5 hours.

[hogwldfltr]

Thanks for the feedback. I've got a local BMW specialist who's going to do this Thursday/Friday, at least the water pump part. Not certain if the thermostat is needed and if so why?

[oVeRdOsE.]

-4h labour at BMW dealer + 1h to wash the car @ 150$/h = 750$
- About 500$ parts on FCP, so it translate to 800$ BMW
- 1550 $ total, so around that should be a ok price for the job.

Cost me around 650$ cad (FCPeuro + DIY + beer)

[383vett]

I did mine myself last year. Water pump went out 1/2 mile from home at 72000mi. I found that taking off the passenger wheel along with the radiator stuff really helped me access the pump and the thermostat. Those things and the hoses were a maze in there.

[RL325xi]

Originally Posted by hogwldfltr

Thanks for the feedback. I've got a local BMW specialist who's going to do this Thursday/Friday, at least the water pump part. Not certain if the thermostat is needed and if so why?

You should do the thermostats as well. since it is only $100 something for the part. if the thermostats failed in the next 60k miles, you will have to pay the exact labor to replace it.

And it should not cost extra labor to have it replace now since the thermostats need to be out while you changing the water pump.

[Burnaby]

We F25 owners are lucky to be able to do the job from the top with only removal of the fan.
The job takes time when it's your first pump replacement. I almost gave up and wanted to put it back and drive to the shop, but after the job was done the knowledge you get plus the savings in your pocket makes you satisfied.
Several hints:
When the metal brace is removed and transmission cooler unscrewed it needs to be pushed down to be placed aside.
The most important tool is very long flatbed screwdriver. Luckily Germans pointed the screws of the clamps in the perfect positions.
I also used 10mm wrench for the top pump bolt as the my ratchet head is too big for the spot to use the etorx12, even with extension.
2-3 times bleeding procedure was needed with constant top up of premixed OEM coolant. I noticed each cycle took no more than 5 min as opposed to the suggestion to wait for 10min.
And I know many people complain about how unreliable and expensive this pump is and why is not belt driven, but I got the warnings for more than a month. Loud fan, ISTA showing blockage, intermittent operation, but still working. It gave me time to prepare and purchase the parts. We rarely hear for N55 blowing head gasket, which was something normal for M54's when their pump fails on the highway. I had to swap the whole engine back in the days, because of failed water pump.

[Wahyanstar]

Mine just failed not long ago on my 2013 35i on highway with around 55k miles. Out the door costs at the dealer in Seattle was $1500 with both water pump & thermostat.

[Polo08816]

Is anyone replacing the hoses while they're at this? Or just doing the pump and thermostat?

[Bails]

2015 X3 3.5XDrive

Confirmed by mechanic that my water pump needs replaced and suggested thermostat be done at same time as expected.

I’m very tempted to take this on myself but one thing my mechanic said was that when they fill the coolant, they use some vacuum fill technique which prevents needing to do the bleeding technique. I’ve yet to hear anything about this way of filling the coolant (I assume it uses some special device) but very video and post I look at just says to do the BMW bleeding process.

[Wgosma]

Just add the coolant fluid mix slowly then do the standard bleed procedure, you’ll be good to go. The setup using vacuum is used in vehicle production lines, and some repair shops use that to speed system fill and eliminate bleed requirement.

[pungo]

Originally Posted by Bails

2015 X3 3.5XDrive

Confirmed by mechanic that my water pump needs replaced and suggested thermostat be done at same time as expected.

I’m very tempted to take this on myself but one thing my mechanic said was that when they fill the coolant, they use some vacuum fill technique which prevents needing to do the bleeding technique. I’ve yet to hear anything about this way of filling the coolant (I assume it uses some special device) but very video and post I look at just says to do the BMW bleeding process.

Sure, if you have a coolant vacuum fill device, use it, otherwise use the bleed procedure like has been successfully performed on billions of vehicles.

[tracer bullet]

Agreed. I did this to the N55 in my 135i - replaced the WP and t-stat. Just have a means to collect the coolant and expect to be dripped on more than once as you remove pieces. Filling was no big deal at all, the bleed procedure works perfectly.

If I did it again I'd consider skipping the t-stat. It doubles the effort, it was by far the harder part to get to. Well... on the 135i anyhow. X3 may have more room and if so go ahead. I'm all about preventive maintenance but I don't recall ever once hearing about us having a t-stat stuck open or closed (I did on a car like 20 years ago, but that was 20 years ago and a different brand and etc.).

[seekon]

MY 2013 X3 35i experienced the same water pump failure at 136,000 Miles.

Service appt. wait times were too long for both dealer + Indi.

DIY Time:
Purchased the Pump + Thermostat (preventative) from dealer.

Pump: $874.31 CAD. (includes tax)
Thermostat: $264.31 CAD (includes tax)


$1138.62 CAD. (could have purchased components for less at different sites, but could not wait)

Tools I didn't have:
E12 Torx Socket for Water Pump fasteners, purchased from Amazon.ca

The job in principle is not difficult, but as others mentioned, it is challenging to navigate the tight space while trying to remove the hoses for the thermostat.

I had the X3 on ramps, with a mini step ladder to access the top.

Majority of the work is done from the bottom, removing the water pump from the top.


Areas where I had to spend a bit of time to figure out:

1. Electric Fan: When removing the electric radiator fan, getting the transmission oil cooler out of the way was not obvious, was concerned about breaking it. I had to press firmly downwards to allow the unit to be released, allowing me to then move it out of the way. Then there is a tab on the right side that must be depressed, which will then allow you to pull up the fan.

2. Hoses: Time Consuming & Frustrating. I had to really think about each and every hose to find the best method to remove the hoses. Ensuring that I clearly understood how the unit is setup, allowing me to reinstall all the hoses back correctly. My wheels on my creeper kept coming off, adding to the frustration, lol, ended up not using it anymore.

Reaching a couple of hoses was challenging, had to figure out what angle I can place the extended ratchet. This was the most challenging / time consuming part of the job. Almost felt defeating until I thought about moving a different hose out of the way, and removing the electrical switch away to get to this hose that I am having problems with. There is defiantly a sequence of hose removal to make this process easier.

3. Hose Connectors: Funny thing is, I did not realize that the snap on connector must have the retaining clips in the locked position prior to connecting the hose onto the fitting, and then you press on to the fitting, once you here a snap, then this means the hose is connected.

I initially thought that I would leave the retaining clip released, push the hose in, and then lock in the clip. Once I figured this out, I was confident that I would not have any leaking coolant lines. Pulled each hose to confirmed locked. This is common knowledge for those who are familiar with European hoses connectors, not for me, lol.

4. The intercooler: I had this removed to allow for more space. Putting it back took more effort than I thought, only to realize that there are grooves where you install the fasteners that must be aligned, otherwise you are too far away to fasten.

Done:
Felt a bit rewarding to complete the job successfully, but would not recommend starting this job if you are short for time, or suffer from anger management issues, lol.

If you like to work on puzzles and love to be challenged, then defiantly do this job, lol.

[slowblackx3f25]

Originally Posted by seekon

MY 2013 X3 35i experienced the same water pump failure at 136,000 Miles.

Service appt. wait times were too long for both dealer + Indi.

DIY Time:
Purchased the Pump + Thermostat (preventative) from dealer.

Pump: $874.31 CAD. (includes tax)
Thermostat: $264.31 CAD (includes tax)


$1138.62 CAD. (could have purchased components for less at different sites, but could not wait)

Tools I didn't have:
E12 Torx Socket for Water Pump fasteners, purchased from Amazon.ca

The job in principle is not difficult, but as others mentioned, it is challenging to navigate the tight space while trying to remove the hoses for the thermostat.

I had the X3 on ramps, with a mini step ladder to access the top.

Majority of the work is done from the bottom, removing the water pump from the top.


Areas where I had to spend a bit of time to figure out:

1. Electric Fan: When removing the electric radiator fan, getting the transmission oil cooler out of the way was not obvious, was concerned about breaking it. I had to press firmly downwards to allow the unit to be released, allowing me to then move it out of the way. Then there is a tab on the right side that must be depressed, which will then allow you to pull up the fan.

2. Hoses: Time Consuming & Frustrating. I had to really think about each and every hose to find the best method to remove the hoses. Ensuring that I clearly understood how the unit is setup, allowing me to reinstall all the hoses back correctly. My wheels on my creeper kept coming off, adding to the frustration, lol, ended up not using it anymore.

Reaching a couple of hoses was challenging, had to figure out what angle I can place the extended ratchet. This was the most challenging / time consuming part of the job. Almost felt defeating until I thought about moving a different hose out of the way, and removing the electrical switch away to get to this hose that I am having problems with. There is defiantly a sequence of hose removal to make this process easier.

3. Hose Connectors: Funny thing is, I did not realize that the snap on connector must have the retaining clips in the locked position prior to connecting the hose onto the fitting, and then you press on to the fitting, once you here a snap, then this means the hose is connected.

I initially thought that I would leave the retaining clip released, push the hose in, and then lock in the clip. Once I figured this out, I was confident that I would not have any leaking coolant lines. Pulled each hose to confirmed locked. This is common knowledge for those who are familiar with European hoses connectors, not for me, lol.

4. The intercooler: I had this removed to allow for more space. Putting it back took more effort than I thought, only to realize that there are grooves where you install the fasteners that must be aligned, otherwise you are too far away to fasten.

Done:
Felt a bit rewarding to complete the job successfully, but would not recommend starting this job if you are short for time, or suffer from anger management issues, lol.

If you like to work on puzzles and love to be challenged, then defiantly do this job, lol.

EMOTION MANAGEMENT IS KEY TO OWNING A BMW LOL