Dash warning to STOP! With the coolant temp symbol?

[dom]

VW/Audi revised the waterpump impeller but decided to stick with an improved plastic one opposed to a metal. Reasoning for this is that if the water pump bearing developed play, it wouldn't wreck the engine block which a metal impeller is quite capable of doing.

If you want to take the chance and run a metal one then do so, but I'm not prepared to take that risk personally.

[MoshiMoshi]

Yeah, if the plastic one fails the worst you have is a coolant drain/flush and a new pump. If a metal one fails you could have a scored/damaged block and bits of sharp metal shredding the coolant lines. Not likely, but possible. VW's are expensive enough already!

[barrym381]

why not replace it with metal one??

the plastic goes brittle from being heated and cooled repeatidly for 12+ years. eventually it snaps/cracks and starts to spin on the shaft.

if you replace it with a metal one its not going to be as suseptable to heat and tougher and wownt crack.

its not asif the prop has hit off something and this has caused damage to one of the blades etc. just general wear and tear? or this is what it was when i replaced mine...? unless im missing something?

anyone leaving a waterpump in there car for 12+ years deserves to wreck there engine and if a metal pump fails it sometimes tosses the belt an we all know what happens then

[Bfstrachan]

Got the car running again. Had the pump and belt all done. The impeller had indeed disintegrated! Thanks for all the advice.

[Wazzzer]

The plastic is a different composite now so is less likely to break up. I've seen first hand what happens to an engine when a metal water pump seizes on mates old Escort RS, it needed a new head fitting as well as all the other bits lol