Modern car engines are so technologically advanced these days that the regular DIY guys are sometimes found scratching their heads wondering what half the parts are under the hood. Water pumps are one of the few parts of the modern automotive engine that is still pretty straightforward. They haven’t changed much over the years. In the past, you would typically only replace the water pump when the bearings started making noise or when the seal or gasket went and you started getting leaks. More and more these days, you’ll see people replacing the water pumps as a preventative measure. Since they serve as an pulley for the timing belt, and the timing belt is so difficult to gain access to in a modern engine, it sometimes makes sense to replace the water pump at the same intervals as the timing belt. Many water pumps these days have a lift expectancy of about 100,000 miles.
This is one job you may want to recommend to your customer with the advise that it could cost significantly more if it is done at a later time. When it’s up on the Automotive Lift for a timing belt change or other job, make the recommendation. It could save your customer from being stranded somewhere from overheating.
Source: Counterman Magazine