Water Pump Replacement

Mine went out around 104,000....toyota charged me about $345 or so.

 

I just took my 2005 Prius with 65,000 to the dealer. They said I needed a new water pump (they said they saw some fluid leaking around it), and wanted $469. I said I would think about it. Wow, that's even higher than your prices! I might try another dealer for a quote.

 

I just took my 2005 Prius with 65,000 miles to the dealer. They said I needed a new water pump (they said they saw some fluid leaking around it), and wanted $469. I said I would think about it. Wow, that's even higher than your prices! I might try another dealer for a quote.

 

There is a TSB on the water pump out there. Search this site for it. I printed it out to take to the dealer when the pump noise becomes too loud for me. They will only change it out under warranty if you complain about it, according to the TSB. In other words this does not happen to ALL cars - just the ones people complain about!
Might be worth a shot.

 

I replaced BOTH water pumps(Inverter and Engine, not Thermos), coolant, serpentine belt and thermostat for just under $1000.

JeffD

 

The TSB is about the electric coolant heat storage water pump. This is the one that you can hear after shutting off the car.

The belt-driven engine water pump is unrelated, as is the inverter coolant water pump

 

Alan, there is a TSB out on the the inverter coolant pump as well. See Galaxee's post #34 in this thread.

Guy, Alan is correct, however, that the symptom you describe and the TSB-specified replacement applies to the "thermos," as it's informally called. The inverter coolant pump TSB prescribes replacement only if it throws a diagnostic trouble code. Either way, the TSBs limit warranty replacement to the period of the power train warranty.

Besides, folks here may be referring to the main water pump, not the inverter coolant pump.

 

If you're slightly mechanically inclined, you could do the job quite easily. From the engine manual:

REMOVAL
1. REMOVE RADIATOR SUPPORT OPENING COVER
2. REMOVE ENGINE UNDER COVER LH
3. REMOVE ENGINE UNDER COVER RH
4. DRAIN ENGINE COOLANT
5. REMOVE GENERATOR V BELT
6. REMOVE ENGINE MOUNTING INSULATOR SUBASSEMBLY RH
7. REMOVE WATER PUMP PULLEY
(a) Using SST, hold the pump pulley.
(b) Remove the 3 bolts and pump pulley.
8. REMOVE WATER PUMP ASSEMBLY
(a) Remove the 3 bolts and 2 nuts.​

(b) Remove the water pump and gasket.

The most difficult part of the job is step 6 which has you removing the engine mount. During this time you support the engine with an engine stand. Not hard if you have the tools.

 

There are actually four water pumps on the car: three for the engine coolant, one for the inverter coolant. Of the three in the engine loop, one is mechanical and drives the coolant when the engine is running, the other two are electrical. One of those moves hot coolant through the heater core when the engine is off and heat is demanded, and the other pumps stored hot coolant from the thermos (heat storage tank) back to the engine to pre-heat it, before engine start.

The latter pump is only present on the North American Prius as the thermos is only fitted in that market.

These pumps are fitted in a variety of different locations, meaning different amounts of labour to be able to get at them and replace them. In addition they're all different so have different prices.

(The Gen III replaces the mechanical engine coolant pump with an electrical one, so it can perform the heater task as well, and the coolant thermos is replaced by the exhaust heat capture system, also pumped by the main electric pump, reducing the pump count to two.)

 

Regarding step 7(a), I suggest that it would be better to loosen the water pulley bolts while the serpentine belt is still installed, in lieu of having the SST available.​

True, so posters have to be precise about which pump they are referring to. It is interesting to note that the heater core pump doesn't receive much attention as a failed part.

I am wondering how many owners have failed pumps but don't realize it. The symptom would be insufficient heat coming from the heater system in the winter esp when the gasoline engine is not spinning. Of course, Prius is slow to provide heat even when everything is working as designed, so who would be able to determine that there's a problem...

 

Alldata gives the time to replace the water pump at 1.8 hours and the water pump at 92 dollars

 

I don't understand the OP's question. $350 is cheap for car repair. Living under a rock?
We have dealers here who charge almost as much for an oil change and "checkup".

 

Pssst...David.... He's talking in American dollars.

 

I was just quoted $605 (Toyota dlr) to replace a leaking water pump.....went to an independant shop and had it done for 1/2 that...RickJ

 

The main water pump on my 2003 Prius, at 63,000 miles, was found to be leaking today when the car went in for its first-ever coolant flush and fill. So that pump and the serpentine belt are being replaced today for around $400.

The car was in a non-dealer shop for
1) oil change + 2) transaxle drain/fill 3) coolant flush/fill + 4) tire rotate + 5) general inspection
and the estimate for those services was just under $400.

They found the water pump leak and called before starting the coolant flush. So now I'll be spending $800 instead.

Too bad the car went out of its (7-year extended) warranty in February.

 

I just got quoted $418 to replace an '04 pump at 74,xxx miles -- seems a bit young AND expensive. Was at the top of a list of about 10 error codes found in the computer. Hybrid system light came on, check engine light, RED triangle the size of Alaska, VSC, ABS, etc.

 

That is most likely for the mechanical engine mounted pump, not any of the electric pumps.

 

mine went out on my 2006 Prius when I took it in to get the 60000 mile stuff done (at a little over 60K) that I couldn't easily do myself. The water pump was just out of warranty so they just charged me $100.

 

On my 40,000 mile check (2005 Prius) the dealer told me he saw some "crustiness around the weep hole" of the engine driven water pump, and that it would not be a bad idea to replace it. He quoted me just over $500 plus tax. I chose to wait. It doesn't look like too difficult a repair, but I don't have the supports to hold the engine, so I think I will have a local shop do it when there is actual evidence of leakage or failure.