Engine rattle - water pump replacement (Adelaide)?

[panta_ray]

Hi all. Have a 2009 TSI 118. Just over 100,000K and no serious issues with it.... until now. Engine started rattling occasionally and now does it continuously from power on to off. Regular mechanic said it was was the "primary water pump" but didn't give a part number, quote $1,800 for the part. I almost fell over, that's a good fifth of the car's value! And just for the part!

Where should I go from here? Second opinion worth it, and is there somewhere in Adelaide anyone could recommend? Is there a cheaper way to get this sorted, like a second hand part from a wrecker or something? I'm just a young student so I need to get around this as cheaply as possible because I literally can't afford this at full cost for at least a few months.

Any help appreciated. Love the car and hope I can overcome this and get a few more years out of her.

[spellbound]

E bay lists a whole range from $86 up to $400 odd , fitting will be the costly part .
Try Gus Mitchel at Mitchel auto Edwardstown , he a good straight up guy , specialist in German .

[Hillbilly]

Possibly timing chain???/ tensioners

[Hillbilly]

Possibly timing chain???/ tensioners


Replacing Timing Chain on TSI Engines - Auto Studio

[panta_ray]

E bay lists a whole range from $86 up to $400 odd , fitting will be the costly part .
Try Gus Mitchel at Mitchel auto Edwardstown , he a good straight up guy , specialist in German .

Appreciate the response. Might give them a ring. Do you know if he or anyone else would fit a secondhand or cheaper part though? I don't know anyone personally who could do it at home or anything.

[panta_ray]

Possibly timing chain???/ tensioners


Replacing Timing Chain on TSI Engines - Auto Studio

Was worried it may be that, but mechanic didn't think so. I'm pretty the pump is definitely going though as you can feel the power drop off once it hits about 3000 rpm, suggesting the supercharger is buggered, and I had to refill coolant twice in a week bc the light came on twice. Guess it's using more. Not driving it now of course, trying to figure wtf to do.

[Lucas_R]

Appreciate the response. Might give them a ring. Do you know if he or anyone else would fit a secondhand or cheaper part though? I don't know anyone personally who could do it at home or anything.

Dont waste your time & money fitting a 2nd hand water pump - how do you know its not just as bad as your current one, or about to die next month.

[Hillbilly]

Try and get a metal one and not the VW plastic version

[vorleys1982]

Hi all. Have a 2009 TSI 118. Just over 100,000K and no serious issues with it.... until now. Engine started rattling occasionally and now does it continuously from power on to off. Regular mechanic said it was was the "primary water pump" but didn't give a part number, quote $1,800 for the part. I almost fell over, that's a good fifth of the car's value! And just for the part!

Where should I go from here? Second opinion worth it, and is there somewhere in Adelaide anyone could recommend? Is there a cheaper way to get this sorted, like a second hand part from a wrecker or something? I'm just a young student so I need to get around this as cheaply as possible because I literally can't afford this at full cost for at least a few months.

Any help appreciated. Love the car and hope I can overcome this and get a few more years out of her.

Hi, I know I'm late to the party, but I have replaced the water pump on my 1.4 TSI. Second hand is a really crap idea. Lucas R is correct, it is not a reliable option. Secondly in most cars it is a part that you should replace at some point anyway. Usually if a car has a timing belt it will need changing at the higher end of mileage (km's) almost always the water pump comes with the belt as part of that service. (your car very likely has a timing chain and not a belt)


Second to note is the electro magnetic clutch that is attached to the water pump. which drives the supercharger. This is partly the reason for it being expensive. DO NOT get a cheap one from eBay. I made that mistake and it broke not 100kms later! I paid around $450 for a good quality aftermarket part and fitted it myself.

It was a pig of a job because it is buried inside the depths of the engine bay and difficult to get to. Best practice is to remove the engine mount if that give you an indication of how much of a pig of a job. If you are game to try it yourself to save money, feel free to message me and I'll happily give you any advice I can.

As a a young student with money being a concern, I would suggest selling the car as your model is a particularly prone to expensive breakdowns. Do you know the engine code? Is it an auto or manual?

$1800 for the part sounds excessive, but I wouldn't put it past VW to put a price tag like that on the water pump so it may be OEM. Don't forget that you will also need 2 new belts and a bit of red gasket seal as well.









This is all assuming it is definitely the water pump. But you mentioning the losing of coolant is indicative of it being the pump.

Let me know if you need any further info.