jj14

Hello,
New member here (first post) - I took my 2005 ES330 in for servicing to the dealership yesterday and they told me that the water pump was leaking and that I should have that replaced (and since they were doing that, it made sense to replace the timing belt at the same time since the extensive labor cost was not going to change - only the additional charge for the timing belt.

Their quote was a little over $1k, so I'm kinda concerned about it. The car has very low mileage (for a 2005 model) - only 48k miles, and I'm planning to sell the car later this year.

Is there a way for me to see how bad the leak is (and whether it really exists)? I've not seen the temperature rise above normal, and haven't noticed any leaks under the car.
I'm not mechanically inclined

Any suggestions? Is there a cheaper (safe/reliable) way to fix this? Can local shops do this type of repair?

Thanks!

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

Any shop can do the repair as long as it isn't Mr.Lube or whatever.

You can get OEM parts, and oem-spec parts for dirt cheap at www.rockauto.com [search, and you'll find a discount code].

This job is around 7hrs in labour, my dad's just had his TB/waterpump/belts changed with the parts i bought.

One thing you need to get as well that is not part of the timing belt kit is the valve cover gaskets, the front one gets removed to gain access to the cam, and if reused odds are it will leak.

GL!

jj14

Thanks 01LEXPL.
I appreciate the heads up on the gaskets. I will try to get quotes from the local shops to see how much they will charge for this (assuming I purchase the OEM parts)

Do you know if it is relatively common for water pumps to spring leaks like this with under 50k miles? or could it be an indication of another problem that needs to be addressed as well?

And is this something that absolutely have to be fixed right away? Or can this wait for about 500 miles or so (as I indicated, I don't see any drips under the car or rising engine temps)

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

It shouldn't be going under 50k to be honest, but each car is different and where you're located.

I had it changed regardless of leaking or not at ~75k [~120k km's] on the RX. [same motor as yours which is why I reference it].

regarding 'waiting' it depends how comfortable you feel with it. I don't know what the condition is.

jj14

Understood. Thanks for your help

waiting - well, I am not mechanically inclined - I don't even know where to look for the leak! lol! I guess I better play safe and have it replaced.
I am definitely not comfortable driving like this... I had taken Lexus extended warranty for the car - with my luck, it expired in Nov last year - ugh!

pauloil

1000 clams is a ripoff. it the water level is stable and no drip, watch it.. sometimes there might be a bit of coolant at the weep hole, but if the level stays good..............

jj14

Thanks Pauloil. I took it to a neighborhood mechanic and he said that he'd have to remove several parts to confirm whether there really is a leak in the pump - but he did look from underneath the car and said that he did notice some coolant that shouldn't be there. He said that he could fix it, but his cost was about $100 less than what the dealer is charging. (dealer is at $900 - this mechanic is charging $800)

The fluid levels are relatively stable (I haven't see any of the fluid levels go down in about a year) - I'll try to get one more opinion this weekend and then decide.

Timothyj

Had my Lexus dealer change the timing belt and water pump on my 04 ES. A little over 800. didn't trust my local shop.

GS4_Fiend

iTrader: (22)

$1000 for just the water pump? That's rip off. Even with timing belt and water pump shouldn't even cost that much. take it to an independent shop that's reputable. Much cheaper

jj14

The dealer's quote is 900 for water pump, timing belt, idlers, gaskets etc. I checked out one local (reasonably reputable - not jiffy lube type) shops - his quote was 800. I plan to get another quote this weekend before deciding on where to take it.

jye04

Hi, jj14,

I sent my car to the dealer for maintenance yesterday and was told the same thing. I wonder to which dealer did you sent your car. Mine is Parkplace Plano. The assitant manager also sent me photos to show the leaks. It was very minor. However, my problem with the "suggestion" was that the timing belt schedule is at 90k and replacing it at 50k is kind of unreasonable (mine also has low milage.)

jj14

Hi jye04, I went to Park place Grapevine.
The timing belt is really not that expensive - it is the labor for installing it that is expensive.
Personally, I would change both out because otherwise, you'll have to pay the huge labor charge at 90k anyway.
(I think it was an extra $80 or so to get the timing belt changed - in addition to the water pump).

What is their estimate?

MikeLex

Under normal service and proper maintenance a low mileage 2005 ES shouldn't have a water pump leak. My 98' with 55 K on it still has the original pump. If, however, the diagnosis is confirmed, change the timing belt also.

jye04

Same as the initial quote you got, a little over 1K.
Mine is very minor and I did not see any drips/spots on my garge floor. I'll just keep an eye on it for now.

jj14

If/when you decide to do the fix, try asking them for a discount. They dropped my cost about $150 just by asking.

(but as Mikelex said, if you do change the water pump, change the timing belt also - regardless of whether you are at 90k miles or not - else you will pay almost the same amount again when you hit 90k miles)