[azzura]

Curiously/annoyingly the ePer parts catalogue shows a different part number 55284051 but no indication of any change over time. It is common to very many other Fiat models as well as Alfa Romeo and Lancia. I don't know why the US Mopar catalogue sometimes has completely different part numbers.

 

[jackovheartz]

This type of stuff has been in my business profile for almost 40 years, not cars but IT.

Part number changes can be significant, subtle or merely an indicator of where the part was sourced from but otherwise exactly the same. You wont know unless you have a deep knowledge of part number generation within the organisation.

 

[60KG]

Got my 2018 Classica back with new water pump and hose, two weeks total to get parts and install, supposedly they worked on it two days straight once the parts came. No issues, other than a little dirt on the door panel from getting in and out and dirty from sitting outside for that long. Dealer did call me to make sure I hadn't added the wrong coolant, and it came back filled to the mark with the same color green so at least that should be good. Overall better experience than the dealer I bought it from, although I will still do my own oil changes.

 

[SteveP.]

Re: to Dancap, Sorry I didn't get back sooner. Here are my thoughts after listening to the sound clip: There is a "secondary electric water pump" that is controlled by the ECM and is turned on after the engine is shut off so as to continue to circulate coolant through the turbocharger and thus prevent heat damage to the turbo. What it sounds like from this 'puter is that there is air in the cooling system that hasnt been bled out since the water pump replacement. (i.e., electric water pump is cavitating). If in fact that is the case it isnt good and should be remedied. I would recommend doing it as soon as possible if you can, or return it to the dealer and have them do it ASAP. The other possibility I can think of is the electric water pump itself is faulty. Again, not good and needs to be fixed. I believe what you should hear is a "steady electric motor humm" for about 2 minutes after shutoff as my car does. Being a "Mainah" my car is now in storage until spring and I cant record its sound now. Hope this all helps, Dancap, wishing you success in resolving the issue. Please let us all know the results. s.

 

[Groznaya]

Really glad I stumbled across this old thread. I managed to get to 1 year/ 11K miles before my water pump failed. In a weird way, this thread put my mind at ease. Knowing that it's just a bad part for the '18 models instead of just Fiat being "unreliable" makes me not feel so bad.

My dealership warned me that they had been having difficulty getting parts delivered in a timely manner, so it's been sitting at the dealership for a week now. While I do have another car I can drive, I miss my baby dearly, as it's my daily driver. I don't feel right not driving it.

 

[Scajacuada]

Out of curiosity? Anyone bother asking the dealer how much a water pump / timing belt replacement would cost out of warranty? I would assume a thermostate, flush and fill also by the time the warranty expires?
$1600

 

[Incanus]

I need a clarification on all of this, if possible. How prevalent is the water pump issue in '18's -- rare, common, nearly all? And I've read that the water pump itself really isn't the problem; it's the factory misapplication of sealant, or bad sealant. True or false?

Thanks!

 

[maschinenbau]

I am curious too whether the leaking pump issue is just due to the RTV gasket. If that's the case, there would be no need to order new parts, as long as you properly scrape and clean the surfaces/grooves of all the old gunk. In Toyota world they call it "FIPG" or form-in-place gasket. They have different types for oil vs. coolant. If this happens to my car out of warranty (2018 at 11k miles), I would be tempted to try the Toyota stuff.

 

[Calehedron]

I need a clarification on all of this, if possible. How prevalent is the water pump issue in '18's -- rare, common, nearly all? And I've read that the water pump itself really isn't the problem; it's the factory misapplication of sealant, or bad sealant. True or false?

Thanks!

My personal take on it is the sealant, not the water pump itself and there is no gasket. The Mopar branded stuff has a very short shelf life and has very specific instructions for its application, wait times, and tightening. When it dries, it is SOLID. There is no pliability at all and I could see it cracking. It was not easy to remove from the block or the back of the pump plate.

For the rebuild, I used J-B Weld 31314 sealant that Greg spoke with their engineers about to find the right formula. It is oil and coolant resistant, has the proper temperature rating, and stays pliable.

 

[EDortiz]

I have an '18 and they replaced mine when they did the thermostat.

Same here for my 2018 Classica. This all occurred with only a couple of thousand miles on the vehicle. I bought it brand new in 2019. When changing out the failed thermostat they noted my water pump was weeping. Had car back after a day and a half.

 

[EDortiz]

Unfortunately there was a batch of pumps out there that leaked. I am surprised at only taking a week to get it replaced though, it is not a fun job for sure.

I had the failed thermostat and leaking water pump replaced in a day and a half at dealers, under warranty. Vehicle only had about 2000 miles on it.

Was the repair covered by factory warranty?

 

[Dancap]

Hi. Just to update. The weird noise I had after getting the water pump and thermostat replaced was due to them not bleeding out the radiator. After I bled it myself, the problem went away.
My 2 cents, don't trust the dealerships. They don't care about you or your car. Originally thought told them my thermostat and water pump needed replacement,but the representative said it only needed the water pump. I then got a call stating that after they only replaced the water pump it was still leaking so they replaced my thermostat. They have no clue. Also told them when I had the weird noise that they needed to bleed out the radiator to get the air bubbles out. They stated the sound was normal. Again, they have no clue.
As to the water pump/thermostat issue there have been 2 main speculations on this board:
1. It was a bad batch of water pumps for the given years 2. Like mine, many of these 124s have sat in the dealerships for over a year. This could have caused sealant/crack issues with fluid not circulating throughout the system.

 

[SteveP.]

Hi Dancap, happy to hear your "strange noise" was resolved by bleeding the coolant system and not a faulty auxillary water pump. Is the auxillary pump now sounding / functioning properly after shut down? s.

 

[Dancap]

Hi Dancap, happy to hear your "strange noise" was resolved by bleeding the coolant system and not a faulty auxillary water pump. Is the auxillary pump now sounding / functioning properly after shut down? s.

Hi Steve, everything is sounding normal again. Thanks again for all of your help.

 

[SteveP.]

No problem! Happy all is well!