Water pump squeakng...

Hi, I have a '95 318is, it's been making a squeaking from the engine, I thought it was the belts, but now I'm pretty sure it's the water pump. I recently changed the coolant, and it really affected the sound of the squeaking, plus the sound is coming from the pump. Someone informed me that it may be the pulley, but looking at images of the pulley, it doesn't look like it even has a bearing, and it looks like it just bolts on the front of the pump, so it doesn't seem like that could be it. Do you know if this pulley has a bearing that could be making the noise? Thanks.

__________________
This post was auto-generated based upon a question asked on our tech article page here: Pelican Technical Article: BMW Water Pump Replacement

[Wayne 962]

All the components in the engine that rotate have bearings, so it may be the bearings inside the pump. You can remove the drive belt and fan and then try to turn the pump with your hand. You may find that it sticks or is not smooth, which is an indication that it needs to be replaced. You can try removing the belt from the water pump and then running the engine for a few seconds when its cold to see if the sound disappears. If it does go away, then it's most likely your water pump.

- Wayne

[jereisluke]

Thanks for the tips, I'll try them. You said everything that rotates has bearings, but it doesn't look like the pulley that bolts on the front of the water pump has a bearing. But I can't see the backside of mine, so I was wondering if you knew offhand if it has a bearing that could possibly be making the noise.

[jamin325i]

its cheaper to replace a bad bearing pump then the total additional assoc. parts that can be taken out when the pump has catastrophic failure. ask me how i know?