possible water pump leak

[twocamrys]

My water pump and timing belt were both replaced 2 years ago when my 98 Camry only had around 90K. I recently noticed that the coolant in my reservoir is a little low so I took it into my local Toyota stealership for an oil change. They claim that the water pump is losing coolant from the weep hole and it would need to be replaced. They also recommended that I replace the timing belt again at the same time. Since both the water pump and the timing belt were replaced 2 years and 18,000 miles ago, this seems a bit odd that the water pump would fail so soon. Is there another reason why my car could be losing coolant? Is it really necessary to replace the timing belt at the same time since it is only a few years old? The water pump and timing belt were replaced by an independent shop and I've been told that the warranty on the parts has expired.

I only plan on keeping this car for another year so I really don't want to fix things that aren't necessary. Any advice would be appreciated.

[JohnGD]

Yes, timing belt and water pump are usually replace together to save labor. When you change one, change the other too. But if you DIY and can get to the belt in 30-45 minutes then leave the belt in there. But for about $20 online might as well replace it.

Did they actually replace the water pump? I wouldn't count on it unless you verified it. There are problems with the newer eco-friendly oil filter inserts not getting replaced and most owners can't tell.

You can check for leaks yourself and make sure that's actually the case. If the coolant is dripping out of the weep hole then I don't think the pump will last another year. You may notice the leak more after a cold soak.

[fenixus]

who replaced the water pump and timing belt at 90k miles?
dealers usually skip water pump replacement if there is no sign of any leaks. also, aftermarket water pumps tend to go (gaskets actually) very fast on 5s-fe ... mine started weeping after merely 1.5yrs from install in a local shop. it was a Bosch pump. not sure if the early failure was more coolant type (green) related or the gasket problem, either way fins on the pump looked bad (dirty black).