Frankie_997.2

Hello and firstly let me say that this is my first post so please forgive me if I managed to screw up the post or image!

Also I used the search function and their are plenty threads on leaking 997 water pumps but I couldn't find any that really showed or suggested where they normally leak from...

So here goes....a newbie looking for help! A week ago I got my car out of storage (3 months) even though it's still mid-winter as I couldn't resist, the weather was great and there was a lack of salt on the road.

After a 1 hour drive, I returned home and noticed a few drops of coolant on the road underneath the car. I got under the hot car (school boy error) and could see a leak coming from the hose that goes between the thermostat and water pump (at the thermostat end I think!). I checked the levels and it was still well above minimum coolant so luckily I got it early enough.

My question is whether anyone from the limited info and image can give me an educated guess as to whether a screwed water pump would leak at the thermostat hose end or whether it may simply be a bad gasket / hose corroded in storage over the last 3 months (and 7 years of life!).

Final question - I will not attempt to replace the water pump....but if it is a hose or gasket I am guessing it is still a big job to release the hose and secure a new one!???

Many thanks for any assistance you may be able to provide!

ChicagoSpeed996

The water pump does not seem to be leaking. it does seem localized to the plastic coolant tube or the thermostat housing. Do more investigating to see where the leak is coming from. Clean up the area and see if you can more clearly identify the area of the leak. The water pump and thermostat are a pain, but not insurmountable.

DC911S

Frankie_997.2

Guys - thanks so much for the informed replies. To answer both....I will take a look at the weekend and clean it up to try and identify the exact point of the leak.

Looking at the plastic pipe, I suspected it would be a task to remove and replace.

Another question, as the labor cost will be no doubt be high (and out of my pocket), would you recommend replacing the water pump and thermostat at the same time? The car is 2010 with 93,000km (60,000 miles) and I am thinking that if the water pump and thermostat need taking off (or close to), I don't want to be the fool that pays twice in the next year or two!! However I read that the 997.2 has an upgrade on the water pump design from the 997.1 so I also don't want to waste money foolishly!! I understand you guys don't have a crystal ball but just wondering what you would do.

thanks again.. ..

DC911S

Frankie_997.2

Hi Guys - just because I know it can be frustrating when someone asks a question and then never posts the final outcome...here goes...

It wasn't the water pump but correctly as pointed out, the hose that was leaking.

Porsche dealer quoted 2K USD (6hrs labour) but commented that usually a number of other parts such as brackets and fasteners are also required (so I thought prob 2200 - 2500 would prob be the outcome).

I went to two independent specialists and got too different answers: first quoted the parts (around 80USD) but stated without a good look they would not want to quote on labour (which is fair enough). The second independent quoted me 300USD including the parts and 1 hour labour. Considering this independent is a main global porsche racing team sponsored by the main dealers I assumed that maybe they were doing pit stop style hose changes!

Anyway....i went with the cheap quote knowing that they are a very respected independent and considered even if they doubled the bill (IE got it really wrong) it was still not a bad price. Well true to form the phone calls started coming even before the car went to the garage. Oh we forgot to add the cost of coolant to quote at 200 so we are now at 500. Still doesn't seem bad. Then the car went in.

I called to see if it was ready later that day and was told it would not be ready until the next day as more parts were needed. Oh and the bill will be 1400 (now we are 1100 more than initial quote).

To get to the hose they had to remove parts of the exhaust, Waterpump and other small brackets etc. Most of these they could not re-use such as exhaust brackets and needed replacements (all factory parts). The hours they billed were now at 4.5

So in all honesty I paid 1400 for what looks like a decent tidy job (rear end looks clean and straight with all new brackets etc) saving most likely 1000 over main dealer. What gave me the sh*ts was the incompetence of a garage that are supposed to be specialists who got the quote so wrong. To be fair, even I know that they were never going to do the job in 1hr, further more I knew that a full coolant replacement couldn't also be included in the 300 USD. So the question is.....how did the specialist get it wrong. I think the answer was simple....they asked a junior or even apprentice mechanic about replacing the specific hose and he had no real clue.

Not sure how I feel about this specific garage at this point...they did a good job in the end and prob saved me 1K over main dealer....but equally they seemed somewhat clueless. Anyway - I will maybe give another independent specialist a go next time and go in to discuss the quote before booking!!

thanks again to the guys that responded.

DC911S

That's what I was told up front by the dealer. All that had to come off, it seems Porsche designed the whole engine around that damm coolant pipe. I bet the shop you were at knew it all along. They just wanted to get it in the bay and torn apart and THEN tell you.

love2drive

This is quite a useful and thoughtful post. I appreciate the detail provided. The knowledge provided from the collective experience shared here will no doubt influence my decisions when I feel I need to replace my water pump for my 2012 GTS. I'll keep my eyes peeled for this leak.

Thank You all.

Bruce In Philly

In my experience, a great indy still has to learn and they learn on your car... it is just the way it is. Oh, and so does the Porsche dealer despite their "training" and manuals. I had a great indy but I always thought if it was, in my opinion, "complicated", I would default to he dealer.

These 9A1s are pretty reliable and even simple things like waterpumps are way more reliable than the previous generations so I would never assume an indy knows what they are doing.... I would have no problem taking a leak to an indy as everything is usually bolt on/off and a good mechanic can deal with it. If it was some odd internal engine code... well I may go to a dealer for that one.

I had my indy replace my gear oil in my 2009 MT and he used the wrong fill hole..... he had worked at the dealer for many years but apparently, I was his first 9A1 gear oil change. So.... YMMV.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

willee21

Frankie_997.2

Yes.... It is the hose (95% sure). That is the exact problem I had and I also came across another on here that had it (so must be fairly common).

It is only a hose, but the issue is all the components that must come off to replace the hose. Things like exhaust bracket, rear bumper parts etc. The clips used to hold all that together are in my opinion single use.... Especially after a good few years on the car.....

The hose was cheap but the labor and bits and pieces killed me on price.

I wish you luck.... I would be interested to know the cost in North America v Switzerland!

Rocoporco

First time posting guys, so please forgive any etiquette not followed. One of the reasons I went with 997.2, as a first time Porsche owner is the reliability and now affordability. After some research, couldn't find any issues with them compared to .1 cars. But, as with any machinery, time and age takes its toll and gremlins seems like are starting to show. Really love this car. But finally came across this post. Having the same exact leak. Did they say what went wrong with the tube? And if anyone can recommend a good repair manual. Thanks in advance.

Rocoporco

First time posting guys, so please forgive any etiquette not followed. One of the reasons I went with 997.2, as a first time Porsche owner is the reliability and now affordability. After some research, couldn't find any issues with them compared to .1 cars. But, as with any machinery, time and age takes its toll and gremlins seems like are starting to show. Really love this car. But finally came across this post. Having the same exact leak. Did they say what went wrong with the tube? And if anyone can recommend a good repair manual. Thanks in advance.

Frankie_997.2

Apparently the pipe is a perishable part (like all rubber / plastic) . My car had been parked up for 3 months over winter (in garage),
the leak started on first drive back on the road, and I was told when parked for a longer period they can crack/breakdown faster and then leak when back on the road.

Sorry I have no clue RE a manual or guide to repair... But a lot of 'stuff' had to come off!

Good luck!

Rocoporco

Thanks for the timely response. I do the same. Basically on drive it during good weather. Sits in a cold damp garage most of the time. Thought the cold may of had something to do with a seal as suppose the actual part. I do most of my own work. And especially at a quote of $1700 I'll be looking a little deeper into doing it myself. But it looks like the gremlins are starting to hatch with these cars. Price to play I guess. Just sucks at 25k miles. Oh well... thanks again.