Wujohn

I've not heard of one. Since it sounds like they upgraded the water pumps for newer .2's (say late 17 or 18 models) and replacements, I hope the problem is mostly solved except for the ones left that have not yet been replaced.

DHL

I just bought a 2017 Carrera S with about 12K mi on it. I have not even put 100 mi on it since purchase and now I notice the car is leaving small pink puddles just aft of motor. I checked my coolant level and the red ball is in the "min" cutout.

Are these symptoms of a potential water pump failure? The closest dealer is 80 mi away. Do you think I can drive it there without the coolant dropping to too low a level? I can bring coolant with me to top up along the way if needed.

Wujohn

Certainly sounds that way. Seems like a risk to me to drive your car 80mi; have you checked your insurance to see how far they will tow without fee? It would really suck to have the car hit 250+ degrees half way into the trip.

Gh0st0

CPO? Sure you could work out something with the dealer if you just purchased it.

Bob Z.

Top it off and hit the road.

Pwannabe

I'm assuming high temp would hit pretty quickly, no? Without the pump there's no circulation of the coolant. Even in a normal situation my car hits 200F within 10 minutes of driving. I'd imagine unless it was a cold blizzard outside, the car will only make 5-8 miles before reaching max temp?

DHL

Did contact the dealer and he says Porsche will flatbed the car free of charge (Roadside Assist). The car is still under it's original factory warranty.

He also told me it is the water pump, but not a shaft seal (as I assumed). He suggested NOT driving that car any further because the part that fails is the impeller, and when it does it makes a royal mess in the cooling system. I don't quite see how an impeller can produce a fluid leak, but he mentioned something about excess pressure generated when it fails.

Only remaining issue is how I get down there to pick up the car. The transport for the car is covered, but not for me.

DHL

If the water pump "fails" catastrophically (ie the impeller explodes or comes apart) even if you catch it and shut down, you could damage the motor. It will happen within seconds. Not worth risking if Porsche is covering the flatbed to the dealer.

DHL

Both the dealer and an indi in the area do recommend it. Motor is too valuable to risk damage vs costs to tow.

Gh0st0

Head down with the flatbed and pick up a loaner?

DHL

Not CPO. Car was sold by a local BMW dealer (it was a trade on a new M5 Competition). I wonder if this BMW dealer knew about the coolant problem? Anyway dealer says Porsche roadside assist will cover the transport and repair is covered under warranty.

DHL

This is a possibility assuming the flatbed driver will let me tag along.

Wujohn

He will-give him $20 if he protests at all. Get the loaner and have fun with it.

DHL

Update:
Porsche Roadside Assistance picked up my car today for delivery to the dealer. They were fantastic. Showed up exactly on time, and was very professional getting the cart on the flatbed. Car was pissing coolant from the pump pulley area (engine running) while we loaded her on the carrier. Very glad I did not try to drive the car to the dealership. Seems like the leaking got bad quickly. Rode with the transport down to the dealership. At the dealership in Santa Barbara, CA, Jason the service adviser was great and attended to me immediately. When I asked him about the pump failures, he replied "at least your pump is not making a lot of noise", which kind of implies we caught this before the pump came apart internally (my interpretation).

They sent me off with a Macan loaner, and I should see my 911 in a few days or so. Very good experience with this dealer so far.

DHL

No cash needed. And got a Macan loaner to boot.