S3 Water Pump leak

[sandj]

My water pump has been slowly leaking for a while now and it's time to change it. I was looking at a aftermarket one as the OEM will eventually leak anyways. Is their a decent after market one that is available. I was just thinking about getting the one from ECS tuning. I think the brand is INA









Thanks,

[MikTip]

After market ones tend to be poor quality fake foreign made. While the dealership one is expensive...places do offer the same pump for less...made by the same place that makes the dealership one. Also online VW parts places sell them for less..

[n8vs3]

Unfortunately, I don't believe there is currently an aftermarket non-plastic waterpump housing available gen 3 EA888

https://youtu.be/xFb6spS1_cw

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[MikTip]

Metal pump

https://www.europaparts.com/water-pu...21111mkit.html

[sandj]

Thanks for the link - That waterpump is also Manufactured by INA. The same one that is on the ECS tuning site. Is that the same company that makes the dealership one?

[MikTip]

Thanks for the link - That waterpump is also Manufactured by INA. The same one that is on the ECS tuning site. Is that the same company that makes the dealership one?

Probably...

Europaparts often has the same parts from the same companies that make them for VW n Audi

[MikTip]

I see the https://www.audiusaparts.com/ has just the pump for $84. Metal with plastic impeller...



The thermostat housing for $173...

[MikTip]

Metal and metal



https://www.europaparts.com/water-pump-06k121011c.html

[MikTip]

This same controversy raged in the Audi B6 era...

[Spinnetti]

This same controversy raged in the Audi B6 era...

lol.. Had that too. Did two waterpumps in 144k miles on the B6. usually a seal failure rather than impeller failure seems like. Plastic ones move more fluid with less drag and lighter, so there's reasons they run them, just gaps in engineering validation seems like.

[chris164935]

I just replaced the thermostat housing and water pump on my '15 S3. INA makes some good quality parts, so I ended up buying their thermostat housing/water pump kit. Quality looked good when the unit came in and the pump impeller was metal (although, I haven't heard of anyone having issues with the plastic impeller). I was not sure what was the cause of the leak intitally. After pulling the housing from the block, I could see that the leak was coming from where the housing mates to the block. The unit itself seemed like it was fine; I could not see any warping or anything. It seemed like just the seal had failed. Honestly, you might be fine with just replacing the seals (one that goes between the block and thermostat housing and the one that goes between the water pump and thermostat housing).

[sandj]

Thanks Everyone, I ended up ordering the INA kit. Mine is definitely leaking at the thermostat housing. The shop had shown me when it was up on the hoist last month. It may be leaking somewhere else also. It's now splashing coolant at the front of the car

[S3NICK]

Are posters saying that there will be a detriment to running the metal/metal option? That there'll be more drag that'll impact the system in a negative way?

[Spinnetti]

Are posters saying that there will be a detriment to running the metal/metal option? That there'll be more drag that'll impact the system in a negative way?

its nothing to worry about - I was speaking from an OEM engineering perspective. Any of the types should be fine, but might not last longer than OEM regardless.

[S3_Miles]

Really is an opportunity for someone out there to make a superior all-metal Waterpump and housing for the 8V onward. Like every part (except the sensor of course)

[EvoToSQ5]

I just replaced the thermostat housing and water pump on my '15 S3. INA makes some good quality parts, so I ended up buying their thermostat housing/water pump kit. Quality looked good when the unit came in and the pump impeller was metal (although, I haven't heard of anyone having issues with the plastic impeller). I was not sure what was the cause of the leak intitally. After pulling the housing from the block, I could see that the leak was coming from where the housing mates to the block. The unit itself seemed like it was fine; I could not see any warping or anything. It seemed like just the seal had failed. Honestly, you might be fine with just replacing the seals (one that goes between the block and thermostat housing and the one that goes between the water pump and thermostat housing).

How difficult was the replacement? My wife’s ‘17 S3 constantly smells like coolant after driving when it’s in the garage. Coolant level is between maximum and minimum so I’ve been keeping an eye on it. No visible leaks that I can find.


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[rowlands57]

How difficult was the replacement? My wife’s ‘17 S3 constantly smells like coolant after driving when it’s in the garage. Coolant level is between maximum and minimum so I’ve been keeping an eye on it. No visible leaks that I can find.


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If you have the water pump or thermostat housing leak you'll likely need a boroscope camera or you'll have to get under the car and take off the belly pan to inspect for the leak. The pump is well hidden under the intake manifold and hard to see from above. I just have a regular 2.0 and only found the leak when coolant was 'disappearing' and I could not find the source easily. It wasn't enough of a leak to cause any coolant to reach the belly pan.

[EvoToSQ5]

If you have the water pump or thermostat housing leak you'll likely need a boroscope camera or you'll have to get under the car and take off the belly pan to inspect for the leak. The pump is well hidden under the intake manifold and hard to see from above. I just have a regular 2.0 and only found the leak when coolant was 'disappearing' and I could not find the source easily. It wasn't enough of a leak to cause any coolant to reach the belly pan.

I’ll just pull the undertray and take a look. Have a bunch of maintenance I need to do in the next few weeks.


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[chris164935]

How difficult was the replacement? My wife’s ‘17 S3 constantly smells like coolant after driving when it’s in the garage. Coolant level is between maximum and minimum so I’ve been keeping an eye on it. No visible leaks that I can find.


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It's not too hard if you have some competence working on cars. I think it is easier to go at it from the top by taking off the intake manifold. Most of the work is pretty straight forward. I'd say the hardest part was re-attaching the metal fuel line to the high pressure pump. Just not a lot of room under the manifold to get a big wrench on it.

[MikTip]

Are posters saying that there will be a detriment to running the metal/metal option? That there'll be more drag that'll impact the system in a negative way?

Well..Audi engineers didnt design it to be metal...its driven by an electric motor...

IMO...get an OEM replacement...with a different letter code from the previous. Which means its a revised pump.

[chris164935]

The water pump is NOT driven by an electric motor. The belt is attached to an intermediate shaft that is run off the crankshaft.