$500 Water Pump?

[95E320cab]

Shocked that a water pump costs this much, parts and labor. The dealer said $900! Add another $400 for a tensioner. Any common experiences with water pumps? How can it take 6 hours to change one out? Wanted to do it muself but don't have that kind of time for DIY jobs, plus I need the car to get around.

[LuckyF8]

I had to replace the water pump on my 90 300ce today, I think mine is about the same as yours. I have a very good friend that ownes a independant MBZ shop. The new pump cost $279.00 and he charged me $300.00 labor. It's a hard job, and I trust him.

Before I got this car, he told me a water pump was around $600.00, Valve Job $1000.00 etc.

I think you should get it done for around $650.00.

I wonder how much it would cost for a Cad Northstar V8?

My bet, it would be a lot more $$$$$

Anyone know if I paid to much?

[Richard Eldridge]

Look up the price Fastlane charges for a water pump. You'll save quite a bit of the $262 list for a 300 CE 24 valve.

[LuckyF8]

Richard, is that an OEM part?

[Richard Eldridge]

Go to Fast Lane, then Catalog, then give year and model, click on coolong system and scroll down and click on water pump

The part number is G3000 30944

The one made by Graf is $161.77, the one made by Laso us $197.33 for a 1992 CE 24 valve

Call them at 888-333-4642

I assume that MBZ does not make all the parts that go on the car. I am also assuming that it is a lot better made than the water pumps on US cars that tend to last about 70K miles.

Repairing water pumbs is a lot harder with the serpentine belts and so forth used these days. It took me about three hours to replace the one on my 77 Toyota Celica. I imagine an experienced mechanic could do this in under an hour.



Good luck!

[95E320cab]

Thanks. I'll post what mine actually costs tomorrow. I know lots of people posing here would change their own water pump. I feel guilty for paying someone to do it.

[Mike Murrell]

Maybe prices have gone up?

I paid a local MB dealer $100.00 on the button + local tax for a pump with a star on it about 2 yrs. ago.

I've heard it said that the MB dealers have good prices for water pumps. Not sure about what their labor cost would be to install it.

[G-Benz]

Before I joined this forum, I had the dealer do the job on my W124. This was over two years ago, and it cost me $850!!

You can save a lot by buying it thru FastLane and doing it yourself, but I will agree with the others that it is a time-consuming job. The serpentine belt is not so much the issue as having to remove the belt tensioner to gain access to the bolts neded to be removed...

[95E320cab]

Try $712.00 on for size. This is not a cheap repair. They also changed my serpentine belt in that price (take away $35). THe pump istelf was almost $250. However, I have had the car one year and this is the first real money I've had to spend on it. Oh well, looks like Santa isn't going to be as generous as last year.

[Richard Eldridge]

I rather long for the days when I could buy a water pump for my 77 Celica for $36.98 and install it myself in a couple of hours.

Of course, a MB water pump is made better and will propably outlast two or three Toyota waterpumps. Mine had 180K miles on it when it combined with the atmosphere, the last 140K were my miles and I replaced the waterpump twice.

Admitedly, I had a sore back for a couple of days, and I think I usually skinned a knuckle as well.


I throw a can of water pump lubricant/ anti-rust in my radiator every year. That seems to make them last longer. There is nothing in it that could clog anything and I am assuming that it replaces the chemicals that gradually get combined with the metals of the radiator and block.

After 4 years, my anti-freeze looked just like new: no rust at all.

Good luck with your car and new water pump.

Sheesh, some of those $ quotes are up there in the M-100 league!!

[Benzmac]

We would do this job for about $500-$550 depending on the pump and belt. I prefer the OE rebuilt pump, but have used the Graf and the Laso and both pumps work very well.

Good luck. PS, If you don't have the tools, don't even think about it on a 104 engine. The special 6mm allen sockets are a killer.

[kidMoBile]

Benzmac:
Killer as in spendy, or as in really cool?! Just kidding. I'll bet it's the former. Do you know how much by any chance? I've got 60K miles on my car, so I'll most likely be doing this again at least one more time. Worth it?
Thanks!
Brian

[glenmore]

Here is a data point from Southern Cal.

I just had the water pump fail. Unfortunately it came immediately after a head gasket job, right on the drive home!

When it rains, it pours.

The new pump was a Laso, plus new belt, and the seal at the oil filter housing (a real PITA) was $687. Labor was 5 hours @ $65/hr.

The indie said he gave me a slight break because it happened so soon after the $1686 head gasket job.

The real question is whether to have changed the pump out while everything was already apart or bolt back on a (seemingly) perfectly good working water pump. The indie said it is not like you save all 5 hours of water pump labor if you did it with the head gasket. Save maybe half the labor. My indie is of the opinion, "if it works, leave it alone". Some pumps last 50k, some pumps last 150k.

In hind sight, considering the hassle and time to limp back to the indie (with 6 gallons of water in my trunk), the actual time for the repair, picking up the car, etc., I should of had the pump done with the head gasket.

glenmore
1991 300CE

[GregS]

The quotes you got were about right. I was quoted around $800 by the dealer, and around $750 for an indie to do the job. Those prices were out of the question, so I did it myself - not a lot of fun, and quite time consuming. Just the price of owning one of these cars I guess.

GregS
'84 300D, 178k
'90 320CE, 166k