Can anyone help me identify this problem?

[RealMCR12]

I have a 2003 Toyota Camry and recently i noticed this...watch the video. It seems like the pulley might need to be replaced. I don't know if you can see it but the pulley wobbles alot. But i was also reading online that it could be the alternator..i don't know if the noise is coming from the pulley or idk. Here is the video, any help would be greatly appreciated.

If it is the pulley that's making the noise..around how much would it cost to fix this problem?

Thank you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYt1Y2qgDl0

[Surfslinger]

Sure looks (and sounds) like the water pump is toast. Cost for you to DIY could be anywhere from about $30-$100 for the pump (depending on brand and where purchased. Dealer, I'd figure $400+.

[johnfrisco]

The Camry definitely sounds like a bad water pump but to be sure, you should remove the belt and spin each pulley by hand. Even though when my water pump went bad, it wouldn't make the noise by spinning it by hand. But that noise is something you don't want to wait to have fixed! $400 sounds steep for a water pump that's not behind the timing belt. Get it fixed by an independent shop.

[LE05]

Ouch, that sounds horrible. I'd agree with the guys above, water pump bearings are gone. I'm surprised it's not leaking!

if you're mechanically inclined, replacing the water pump is not too difficult. aftermarket water pumps are as cheap as $20 plus the cost for FIPG (Form In Place Gasket). I wouldn't go the cheapest water pump though, go with a name brand or OEM. OEM is made by Aisin and can be had from rockauto.com for $62.

if you can't or don't want to fix it yourself, dealer or independent shop is your best bet. Dealer will usually be expensive, probably about double or triple the cost for a DIY job.

[Surfslinger]

Originally Posted by johnfrisco

$400 sounds steep for a water pump that's not behind the timing belt.

It does sound steep for the type of pump, but three years ago I had two dealerships quote mine for my 03, I4, and one was over $500, another $326 before taxes. The $500 one said book time was 3 hrs (yeah right), and the other I don't recall, but it seems 1.4 is correct book time. This was for new pump R&R, and whatever the coolant, FIPG, and other misc shop fees came to. Figured $400 was close with potential price increases over three years.

I had just moved to a new rental w/o my tools unpacked/delivered yet, and in the end I never did any replacement... The leak on mine was at the very front edge of where the base of the pump meets the block... Looks like the FIPG Toyota applied was crap, and let small amounts of coolant leak in this area on cool down. A little silicone applied to the area stopped it by 99%, and I'm not installing a new pump until it actually leaks at the bearing, or gets a wobble (not as bad) as seen in the video. I don't know what is the current typical Toyota hourly shop rate, but when I worked at a dealership circa 2003, $70-$75/hr rings a bell.