Soccer,

Yes, the auxilliary water pump can indeed cause damage to the climate control, however, why replace it if it's not bad.

Check the pump to see that it does NOT draw more than 1.3 Amps. If it draws more than 1.3 Amps, replace it.

I personally think that replacing parts on one car at a particular mileage because the same part failed on other cars at that same mileage without testing them is wasteful.

My auxilliary water pump on my '88 124 with 170K miles is still working fine. I checked it not too long ago for current draw and it was fine. If I had replaced it at 120K miles it would have been a waste of money and effort.

I believe mine is still in good shape, because I have kept the cooling system flushed and clean. If your cooling system has gotten dirty and been ignored, your pump may not pass the test. But it doesn't cost anything to test it. Give it a shot.

Good luck,

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Larry Bible
'84 Euro 240D, 516K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
'81 300D Daughter's Car
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles