How to Replace the Water Pump in a VW Passat

The water pump is a vital part of the Volkswagen Passat's engine. In fact, it is the heart of the cooling system, circulating the coolant. A faulty water pump can cause some serious damage to the engine of your Volkswagen Passat. Make sure to change out a bad water pump in order to prolong the life of the engine.

Instructions

2.8L V6 Passat Engine

1

Disconnect the negative battery cable.

2

Push the lock carrier assembly to the service position and remove the front bumper, then take the lower engine slash shield out of the engine.

3

Place a drain pan underneath the radiator and drain the cooling system from the radiator into the pan.

4

Take the accessory drive belt, the engine driven cooling fan, the drive belt, the timing belt covers and the timing belt out of the engine.

5

Loosen and remove the water pump bolts. Remove the water pump, discarding the o-rings and gasket.

6

Install the new pump with new o-rings and gasket, tightening the bolts to 84 inch pounds (10 Nm).

7

Reinstall and reconnect the components in the order in which they were removed, making sure to tension the timing belt properly according to necessary procedure.

8

Refill the engine's cooling system with coolant. Start the car and check for leaks when the engine reaches normal operating temperature.

1.8L Passat Engine

9

Disconnect the negative battery cable and push the lock carrier assembly to the service position and remove the front bumper, then take the lower engine slash shield out of the engine.

10

Place a drain pan underneath the radiator and drain the cooling system from the radiator into the pan.

11

Take the accessory drive belt out of the engine and take out the cooling fan.

12

Loosen and remove the clamps to the coolant hoses attached to the water pump and take out the intake air duct.

13

Take the mounting bolts from the alternator and move the alternator forward and remove. Disconnect the wiring to the alternator.

14

Remove the bolts and brackets for the intake manifold, the engine torque, the cylinder block, the alternator, engine cooling fan and power steering pump. Position these brackets to the alternator, cooling fan and steering pump with a piece of wire and set to the side.

15

Disconnect the coolant hoses and thermostat from the water pump and remove the bolts to the coolant pump housing, disconnecting it from the timing belt cover.

16

Remove the pump. Clean all the mating surfaces, discarding the gasket and o-ring.

17

Install the new pump with a new gasket and o-ring, tightening the bolts to 84 inch pounds (10 Nm).

18

Reconnect and reinstall all other components in the order in which they were removed, tightening the coolant pump bolts to 18 foot pounds (25 Nm) and the coolant pump housing and timing belt cover bolts to 84 inch pounds (10 Nm).

19

Refill the engine's cooling system with coolant. Start the car and check for leaks when the engine reaches normal operating temperature.