Gone are the days of a engine belt driven water pump on late model BMW's. The BMW engines inline 6 cylinder N51 N52 N54 N55 are equipped with electric water pump. This allows the DME to fully control and modulate the coolant flow through the engine without dependency on RPM. This electric design allows for engine power output efficiency and balanced cooling responsibilities for the engine. More cooling power is required on demand for turbocharged engines such as the E90 E60 N54/N55 vehicles.
Failing Water Pump Warning Signs
The electric water pump tends to fail after 50,000 miles and the early warning signs are the yellow engine temperature light which will then turn red when the car is overheating. The heat will no longer blow hot due to low coolant circulation and the coolant level is below minimum. Once the water pump fails the car will enter fail safe mode to prevent engine damage. The common fault codes stored in the DME are 2E82 Electric coolant pump, cutoff, 2E81 Electrical coolant pump, speed deviation.
The electric water pump is an integral part of the cooling system and should be replaced every 50K miles as preventative maintenance to avoid being stranded on the side of the road when the car enters limp-home mode and damaging engine/cooling system components as a result of overheating. The thermostat is also replaced in conjunction as it is mounted onto the water pump when removed.
N51 N52 Electric Water Pump and Thermostat
Turbocharged N54 N55 Water Pumps
The electric water pump plays a crucial role on turbocharged engines such as the N54 and N55 which requires more cooling performance on demand and this can determine engine power and fuel economy. The pump will run with the engine off to reduce heat soak as these engine will reach higher operating temperatures. Our BMW repair shop are seeing these cars towed in from all over Brooklyn when it can certainly be prevented by future planning. Call us for maintenance details for your BMW.
N54 N55 Electric Water Pump