moorejd

SHORT VERSION
My water pump just blew (allegedly), pitching the drive belt, and now the garage wants almost $6k to fix it (including replacing the alternator, drive belt, and all the associated gubbins).

LONG VERSION
Friday evening at some traffic lights in Manhattan, a weird error message flashed up on the display of my 2006 997.1 C2S, something about a "battery / generator" warning and seconds later the car cut out. I restart the engine, but a few yards down the road notice a weird screeching noise (almost like the handbrake was on), followed by another warning message, this time warning that the engine was over-heating. I pull over immediately (the temperature gauge is suddenly very high), pop the engine bay, and see that the drive belt is split. The temperature gauge seems to be normal again. But I call AAA and have the car flat-bedded to the nearest garage, rather than risk damaging the engine by "limping" 2/3 miles home.

Yesterday morning, the mechanic (not my usual, not a specialist), calls and tells me he'll need about four hours to pull out the drive band, and that in addition to a new band, I may need new tensioners, pulleys etc., since these drive bands don't just pitch by themselves by no reason. I'm irritated, since the car had its 60k service about 3k miles ago (by a specialist), which included a new drive band. But "it-is-what-it-is." (My usual mechanic tells me he'll cover the cost if it was his fault, but not if the band failed because something seized.)

This morning, the garage calls me to say that the water-pump is (allegedly) shot and needs to be replaced (this, allegedly is what caused the belt to split), and that he can't get the pieces of the band of out the alternator, so that too has to go. For a new alternator, water pump, and band (including thermostat housing, radiator hose, coolant, tensioners, pulleys etc.), he's estimating near-as-makes-no-difference, $6,000, including about $2.7k for parts he claims are "Porsche original" (but who knows what he'll actually use, or whether *all* of these actually need to be replaced.) And he can't tell me that there is no over-heating related damage to the engine. (Although I can't see how there would be; I don't how far you'd have to drive to damage something, but surely I didn't do it here.)

My gut-feeling is to eat the four hours he's burned diagnosing this, and have the car towed to my usual mechanic, so at least, if I *do* have to eat the cost of all this, it's "done right," and hopefully with less expensive components (e.g. Pelican parts puts the cost of a rebuilt Bosch (OEM) alternator at more than $800 less than a rebuilt Porsche alternator, and I just can't see what the difference could be.)

Has anyone had something similar happen? Other thoughts? (And no, alas, I don't have an aftermarket warranty.)

ChicagoSpeed996

That does sound like a lot, but without a detailed list of the work and parts, hard to say. I know that the Porsche dealer did my water pump and belt for $1400, but that was the previous owner.

sandwedge

Unless the alternator is $4,500 this sure sounds like an expensive shop you've found. I say that since I had an almost identical failure on my -09 C4S except the alternator was ok. Parts and labor cost for the water pump, belt and some other bits and pieces came to around $1,600 as I recall it. At a Porsche dealership.

gota911

Go with your gut feeling. Cut bait and have the car towed to your mechanic, assuming you trust him completely. If not, cut bait and have the car towed to a Porsche dealer.

Either way, sever ties with the shop that currently has your car. While their diagnoses might be spot on, this story smells of fish.

Please let us know how this turns out.

BIG smoke

tow it to your usual shop. Even if the second opinion is the same amount. You will sleep better, knowing that it had to be $6k.
Water pump pricing varies. $200-1000 depending where they are sourced. Alternators? $300-1500 on pelicanparts.
Keep us informed on the findings.
I like the indy to keep and show me the parts. If your really handing over a big wad of cash. I like to see the broken part. It just makes me feel better, as I slide the inch of twenties over the counter.

DC911S

That does seem a might excessive.....ask for a complete list of the parts and the cost.

Racetwin2

He is absolutely making a drama of this.

Neither water pump or alternator are complicated to replace as far as I know. I will be very interested to understand what he means by the belt destroying the alternator. How can that happen ? Never heard of it. I think this is almost criminal behaviour.

Racetwin2

I don't see how this can be more than 3-4 hours work plus material. Worst case buy a used alternator. But again I dont see the logic in that being damaged. The belt I can even change myself in 20 minutes. A hoax If you ask me.

moorejd

The garage is quoting 4 hours for diagnostics (i.e., what they've done so far to pull off the airbox, remove the old belt, and whatever fishing around they did to determine that the waterpump is damaged, and they can't remove the remaining bits of belt from the alternator); 6.5 hours to replace the alternator / drive belt; and 9.1 hours to replace the water-pump (including refilling the coolant, testing etc.)

Minok

Why are the drive belt bits in the alterator and cannot be retrieved? Pull the alternator, and pull them out - its not like the belt is a conductor.. but seeing what the mechanic is looking at would help.

Seems like replacing the water pump and drive belt is all that should be needed - unless Porsche's design is indeed such that the one failing part pulls down a bunch of other parts with it.

DC911S

So he says the water pump seized, made the belt shred and break, piece(s) of the belt got ingested by the alternator....I suppose that can happen, but a new water pump, alternator, idle pulley, belt, refill coolant and burp the air out...for 6K?

07C4S

Essentially this exact same thing happened to me...except I didn't get to the overheating point. I noticed when exiting the highway that I had no power steering (feels good BTW) and headed to the nearest safe place to pull over - then I got the battery/generator warning. I had the water pump, tensioners, and belt replaced. My alternator was fine. It was the belt tensioner that caused the chain reaction but the water pump wasn't far behind. Apparently the water pumps on these cars are a known weak spot and should be replaced regularly. I don't have the repair bill handy but that sounds extremely high. Luckily my extended warranty covered it. Tow it to your other mechanic.

Racetwin2

Yes the alternator has gaps but I don't see how the belt can get inside the alternator. I have never heard of such an issue so I bet it's a scam. Waterpump could be true but its not a huge job. 4 hours for removing air box and concluding the belt is of is also a joke if you ask me. It takes less than 10 minutes to remove the air intake and then you have full access. Turn the pulleys until you find the faulty one. But he probably spend 3 hours and a cup of coffee figuring out how to come to the 6000.....

sandwedge

The hours quoted here seem completely obscene. Call your dealer or your indy and ask how much time they allow for replacing a water pump. I bet it's not 9.1 hours.

mjsporsche

Unfortunately, most Manhattan repair shops have a sleazy reputation. My apology up front for generalizations but those shops are thieves..

I would pay the bill via credit card (Amex if you have it) and get your vehicle picked up and delivered to your indie that you have used before with confidence. And if you feel you were screwed, talk to AMEX after the bill is paid and your car is in your possession.

Never have your car towed to a Manhattan repair shop unless it is Porsche of Manhattan.