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Anon

Recently when having my 1999 Peugeot 306 serviced, I was advised by the (franchised dealer) that the water pump needed replacing. This came as somewhat of a surprise as whilst the vehicle is nearly 10 years old, it has only travelled around 80,000 km, so the failure seems somewhat premature (and surprising).

On a previous vehicle which had a water pump problem, the problem was immediately obvious - upon stopping water was dripping out underneath the vehicle, but with the Peugeot this is not the case.

My questions are:

What should I be looking for to confirm the problem has been correctly diagnosed?
What questions should I be asking?
How do you test for a faulty water pump?

Greg

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 23 April 2010

jbiddle

Quite often the reason for recommending a water pump replacement is because of signs of water leakage from the water pump seal.

This can be evident in the form of a water stain mark around the bleed hole on the pump housing. The amount of water leaking from the bleed hole can be very slight, and almost insignificant in terms of overall water loss from the radiator.

The fact there are signs of a leak can be enough to recommend replacement. Some garages may simply elect to inform their customers they have identified the water stains and ask the them to keep an eye out for signs of leaks or to keep an eye on the radiator level.

In other cases they do not want to take that risk and recommend replacement as the best option.

The leakage may not get any worse, but then again it might. The garage may be playing it safe to protect themselves as much as trying to look after you as a customer.

I have actually seen wording in workshop manuals to say signs of slight seepage from the water seal is normal.

Other signs of water pump problems are excessive play in the water pump bearing. If this is the case there is normally a noticeable noise from the engine indicating a bearing problem.

I would ask the dealer directly why the pump has been recommended for replacement.

Hope it helps,