2012 Kia Sedona waterpump (w/Hyundai Lambda II V6)

Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
23
Location
Wisconsin
I haven't been able to find any repair manual or other instruction online for a water pump replacement for a 2012 Kia Sedona. Since I'm probably not going to do the job myself I wasn't planning on ordering a manual.

There is a very audible howl coming from the engine. I couldn't pinpoint the noise myself so had the little hole-in-the-wall shop next to my work check it out. They pulled the serp belt and found significant play in the water pump pulley and believed that is the source. I like the guy that runs the shop, but it is really pretty sketchy place. He didn't write up a repair quote, he just verbally told me what he thought it was. When I asked him what he would charge to repair it, he pulled up something on his computer and said the book calls for 3.5 hours of labor. Just eyeballing the location of the pump though, I don't see 3.5 hours of labor. It is the top accessory and I don't see any obstructions to access it other than maybe the top engine mount. That mount looks straight forward to remove as well.

Has anyone replaced a water pump on one of these, or even a related Hyundai Lambda II V6? The pump itself cross references to a number of vehicles with the same or similar engine. I did find a reference that says the pump is mounted to the front cover. The only way I can see 3.5 hrs is if the pump is mounted to the back of the cover and the whole front cover has to come off.

Any ideas? I'm hoping the shop referenced an older (2005 and older) Sedona which I think had a more involved process for water pump replacement.
 
The flat rate labor times are listed in the repair service information like AllData or Mitchell. Whoever has a paid subscription to a service information source will be able to tell you what the book time is for your Kia Sedona. You can even get your own subscription at a lower cost as a DIYer, but that will be for one single car. The mechanics get paid a set book time for a specific task even though the actual time may be shorter or longer than book time. The book time will be a set value, but what varies is the shop's hourly rate. So if the shop's hourly rate is $70 per hour, the repair cost will be $70 times book time.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
So if the shop's hourly rate is $70 per hour, the repair cost will be $70 times book time.


Not necessarily. A lot of shops use a labor matrix.
 
If you want it done cheaper DIY. The shops go by the book rate plain and simple. Even if the guy could fly through it in 90 mins, the savings don't get passed onto you.

When I was researching doing to the timing belt for my 98 Sienna, a mechanic on the garage journal boards said he could do a Sienna timing belt job in one hour flat. and The stealer gave him a two hour window to complete it.

The pros know all the places fasteners can seize and give them fits and they know all the shortcuts and have all the right wrenches and tools.

There are no videos on YouTube for that motor?
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
The flat rate labor times are listed in the repair service information like AllData or Mitchell. Whoever has a paid subscription to a service information source will be able to tell you what the book time is for your Kia Sedona. You can even get your own subscription at a lower cost as a DIYer, but that will be for one single car. The mechanics get paid a set book time for a specific task even though the actual time may be shorter or longer than book time. The book time will be a set value, but what varies is the shop's hourly rate. So if the shop's hourly rate is $70 per hour, the repair cost will be $70 times book time.


I figured he checked something like this, I just didn't really trust that he checked the right thing. He made a quick phone call to someone after checking book rate because he thought it seemed high too. The answer he got on the phone was something about it involving the time belt. Since it doesn't have a belt, it added to my suspicion that something smelled wrong about it.
 
Originally Posted By: JC1
If you want it done cheaper DIY. The shops go by the book rate plain and simple. Even if the guy could fly through it in 90 mins, the savings don't get passed onto you.

When I was researching doing to the timing belt for my 98 Sienna, a mechanic on the garage journal boards said he could do a Sienna timing belt job in one hour flat. and The stealer gave him a two hour window to complete it.

The pros know all the places fasteners can seize and give them fits and they know all the shortcuts and have all the right wrenches and tools.

There are no videos on YouTube for that motor?


If I knew if was a straight forward job to unbolt the pump and replace I'd DIY it. If it turns into pulling the entire front of the engine off though, I'm out.
I'm willing to pay the book rate for labor. It's at least a neutral opinion on how long it should take. You win some and you lose some with it. But I'd at least like to be sure the book rate I was quoted is correct.

I came up empty on Youtube. I found older ones, but none with the Lambda based engine.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: JC1
The pros know all the places fasteners can seize and give them fits and they know all the shortcuts and have all the right wrenches and tools.


This. Sometimes the pro charging a higher hourly rate ends up cheaper than a low hourly rate amateur.

When I shopped around to have adjustable camber arm installed on my dad's Mazda5, an alignment shop refused to do it because the last time they did they have to remove the charcoal canister to get to it. Another alignment shop said 1 hour flat, and the result is right on the dot.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: JC1
Service Manual?

Have you checked the Hyundai/Kia forum?
If there is somebody who has done it, they are probably there.
 
Last edited:
As Critic stated the standard book time for this job is about 1.4 give or take a tenth. This is not a common problem on the Lambda engine, only have done two myself. It is a pretty easy job for a diy , provided you have the necessary tools. Simply drain coolant from radiator, jack up the engine with a jack and block of wood on the oil pan. Remove the engine upper mount, should be a mix of 17mm and 14mm studs/bolts. Turn belt tensioner counter clockwise to get the belt off(good time to replace it). Unbolt the four bolts holding water pump pulley on ,either 10mm or 12mm bolts. Once the pulley is off you can attack the pump itself, should be about 8-10 10mm bolts holding it on. Make sure to get a new gasket, I spay tack the gasket to the pump. Thats not necessary but I find it works for me. Install is just basically the reverse .I also set the new pump gasket out and put the removed bolts in their corresponding holes , to ease install. To fill the system , turn on the heat full blast and slowly fill the system. Its not a super hard job, a nice saturday afternoon type of project for the diy scene.
 
Thanks! Your description is just how I imagined the job would go by looking at it.

It's 12 degrees here with snow on the driveway now and I only have an unheated, small, one-car garage. For 1.5~ of labor, I'll stay out of the cold and have a (less sketchy) shop do it. I have to put some brake pads on this weekend which is enough cold weather punishment for me.
 
Originally Posted By: Short_Bus
Thanks! Your description is just how I imagined the job would go by looking at it.

It's 12 degrees here with snow on the driveway now and I only have an unheated, small, one-car garage. For 1.5~ of labor, I'll stay out of the cold and have a (less sketchy) shop do it. I have to put some brake pads on this weekend which is enough cold weather punishment for me.


If you farm out the work , make sure its a reputable shop/dealer. Insist on a new pump gasket and belt depending on your mileage. Using KIA OE coolant wouldnt hurt either, very few cooling system issues for KIA's using OE coolant.
 
Just refreshing this thread to add video instruction, basically the same but the Sedona 3.5 has more room so no worries about the long bolt not coming out completely. Just replaced mine as part of a timing tensioner replacement, and I have a small leak at the top of the water pump, appears to be leaking past the gasket near that top 12mm bolt, there is a small curve it starts to pool in as it leaks. Not going to take it off yet as I may acquire another gasket before removal. Too late for me here as I might have missed something, but again a lesson in check/compare new and old parts thoroughly.
 
Going to recommend get the Fel Pro gasket 35935 because it has the extra blue seal, I had a Gates Water pump and gasket from Rock Auto, not that the gasket was bad except it had a crease, might have been from shipping, I remember seeing it when I received but didn't think it would cause an issue, probably the wrong approach, I installed it thinking it would conform. Here's the image showing that edge, that was near the top where I was getting the leak. Cleaned the surface again and put on the new gasket and so far no leaks.

20210808_120727.jpg
 
Back
Top