[ba] 5 cylinder water pump reliability

[Buchholz, Steven]

I've never heard much on water pump longevity problems ... but there is
always the possibility for a bad part.  Another thing to be careful for is
that there is a tendency to overtighten the timing belt ... if that happens
it can shorten the life of the pump and cause noise.

On the "spending factory pricing" comment ... I can tell you for a fact that
there is a good chance that when you buy a "factory" part it is the same OEM
unit that is available from other reputable sources ... especially if you're
talking about a water pump for an engine that has not been manufactured for
10 years or so ...

Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)
>
> It looks like I may need to switch out the water pump again
> after only 2.5
> years of use and light mileage. I know the last couple have
> been sourced in
> the 3rd party aftermarket and I'm wondering if there is any
> real benefit to
> using the Audi OEM unit. At this point I'm ready to spend
> factory pricing
> for the parts if there's a reliability benefit. I've been
> listening to a
> squealing pulley on the existing unit since it was installed
> ( the noise
> manifests when the engine gets hot).