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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Discuss problems you have had or are having with your Z4

Has your electric water pump failed (N52 engines - facelift)?

Yes
34
27%
Not yet
91
73%
 
Total votes: 125

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Marlon
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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by Marlon » Sun Mar 26, 2017 1:07 am

I'm trying to see just how common this failure is.
Has your electric water pump failed (N52 face lift E85/E86)?

If you've been unlucky how many miles when it failed?
Last edited by Marlon on Sun Apr 30, 2017 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Smartbear
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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by Smartbear » Sun Mar 26, 2017 1:26 am

Mine didn't actually fail but was pulsing the cooling fan from cold start up-I noticed the fan reving up/down & my indi hooked it up and read "implausible pump speed" (87k)
New oe pump sourced for £280 and Bobs your uncle :thumbsup:
Rob
Last edited by Smartbear on Sun Mar 26, 2017 1:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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e89 Sdrive 30i, this ones busted, pass me another...
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Mr Tidy
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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by Mr Tidy » Sun Mar 26, 2017 1:43 am

First E86 had a water pump fail at 9 years and 60K miles - so I sold it. :lol:

Then I realised what I had done, so I bought another - time will tell!
Coupes because stunning!
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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by dhobbs » Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:50 am

96k and still going. Although I've no idea if it was replaced before i got the car.
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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by jan_tekin » Sun Mar 26, 2017 8:18 am

Sold mine with over 100k and it will still working
Current: M135i
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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by Chris_D » Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:17 am

How does the pump in the N52 fail exactly?
Ive replaced waterpumps on an M52Tu engine due to the plastic impeller simply eroding away and pushing less coolant through the system. Replacement had metal impeller.
Replaced M54 pump and thermostat as a matter of course as i had the oil filter housing gasket leak. Seemed to solve an intermittant cooling issue although both still seemed functional.
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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by Crazy Harry » Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:37 am

My 57 plate 3.0 is just shy of 40K - seen quite a few comments on here about the N52 engine/pump so was planning to change mine at 50K and call it planned maintenance :wink:

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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by eyup » Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:37 am

Last year. Just over 60k mileage. Dec 2006 coupe. Expensive :thumbsdown:
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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by Marlon » Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:44 am

Crazy Harry wrote:My 57 plate 3.0 is just shy of 40K - seen quite a few comments on here about the N52 engine/pump so was planning to change mine at 50K and call it planned maintenance :wink:
living up to your name there :wink: Thats one hell of an expensive 'preventative maintenance'!
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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by Smartbear » Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:55 am

Chris_D wrote:How does the pump in the N52 fail exactly?
Ive replaced waterpumps on an M52Tu engine due to the plastic impeller simply eroding away and pushing less coolant through the system. Replacement had metal impeller.
Replaced M54 pump and thermostat as a matter of course as i had the oil filter housing gasket leak. Seemed to solve an intermittant cooling issue although both still seemed functional.
It seems to fail electrically, not mechanically-they fail to deliver the volume of water required by the ecu :o
Rob
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e89 Sdrive 20i, plenty of mumbo & good economy-the thinking bears z4
e89 Sdrive 30i, this ones busted, pass me another...
e85 3.0si sold

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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by GreyZed » Sun Mar 26, 2017 12:33 pm

Smartbear wrote:
Chris_D wrote:How does the pump in the N52 fail exactly?
Ive replaced waterpumps on an M52Tu engine due to the plastic impeller simply eroding away and pushing less coolant through the system. Replacement had metal impeller.
Replaced M54 pump and thermostat as a matter of course as i had the oil filter housing gasket leak. Seemed to solve an intermittant cooling issue although both still seemed functional.
It seems to fail electrically, not mechanically-they fail to deliver the volume of water required by the ecu :o
Rob
They can fail catastrophically and without prior warning. The Pierburg variable flow water pump used in the N52 is electrically not mechanically driven so typically does not fail gradually as a belt driven unit may (no rattling noise or weeps from failed bearings etc.) Instead when it's on board PCB dies it just decides to stop talking to the ECU and fails static (should really fail at a fixed flow rate to give at least some water movement and cooling to get you home/out of danger).

So upon failure the water in your cooling system immediately stops moving completely causing a rise from normal temp to full overheat in under a minute. Your car will enter limp mode and you are stuck. Crap idea, crap design.
3.0 auto, sterling grey, hardtop, prfessional nav, dsp, digital tv, bluetooth, cruise, xenons, mfsw, cupholders, auto lights, auto wipers, folding mirrors, memory seats, wind deflector, pdc, 108s, LED sides/fogs, stubby, intravee, need a quad exhaust!

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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by Chris_D » Sun Mar 26, 2017 1:57 pm

GreyZed wrote:
Smartbear wrote:
Chris_D wrote:How does the pump in the N52 fail exactly?
Ive replaced waterpumps on an M52Tu engine due to the plastic impeller simply eroding away and pushing less coolant through the system. Replacement had metal impeller.
Replaced M54 pump and thermostat as a matter of course as i had the oil filter housing gasket leak. Seemed to solve an intermittant cooling issue although both still seemed functional.
It seems to fail electrically, not mechanically-they fail to deliver the volume of water required by the ecu :o
Rob
They can fail catastrophically and without prior warning. The Pierburg variable flow water pump used in the N52 is electrically not mechanically driven so typically does not fail gradually as a belt driven unit may (no rattling noise or weeps from failed bearings etc.) Instead when it's on board PCB dies it just decides to stop talking to the ECU and fails static (should really fail at a fixed flow rate to give at least some water movement and cooling to get you home/out of danger).

So upon failure the water in your cooling system immediately stops moving completely causing a rise from normal temp to full overheat in under a minute. Your car will enter limp mode and you are stuck. Crap idea, crap design.
Interesting. and a bit bonkers.
beginning to think i made the right choice going for a pre-facelift with all i've heard.
might give the coupe a miss altogether now 8)
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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by Buckz » Sun Mar 26, 2017 2:07 pm

2007 E86, 59k miles still on original pump.. :? :?
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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by NickDE » Sun Mar 26, 2017 2:35 pm

2007 coupe on just over 70K. No issues at the moment. Now that I've said that in public the damn thing will probably fail next week !

Don't know if this was replaced under previous ownership. Is there a way to check if original pump or not ?
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Electric Water Pump Failure - Poll

Post by Crazy Harry » Sun Mar 26, 2017 3:03 pm

Marlon wrote:
Crazy Harry wrote:My 57 plate 3.0 is just shy of 40K - seen quite a few comments on here about the N52 engine/pump so was planning to change mine at 50K and call it planned maintenance :wink:
living up to your name there :wink: Thats one hell of an expensive 'preventative maintenance'!
Not in my world! last time I looked they were £227 on flebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ORIGINAL-PIER ... SwcUBYQD6Z.

I rate the cost of a breakdown away from home; possible overnight stay or late back via relay; or an unknown garage putting spanners on my car if they have the part - let alone a spoilt run out to be worth changing it early. I'd rather change my own at a time of my choosing :D

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