Nissan Repair: estimate of labor & parts cost, nissan sentra, drive belts

Question
I have a 1999 Nissan Sentra and was wondering about what it should cost me in labor & parts to have my water pump replaced and how long it should take so I know if the shop is trying to pull a fast one on me before I let them do the work?

Answer
Hi William -

Normally this is a one day job. The timing belt has to be removed to get to the water pump, so it is a good idea to replace that along with the water pump. usually they will try to sell you stuff like the tensioner, idler pulleys, drive belts, etc. It is hard to say that these things really need replacing as I need to look at it first. The cooling system needs to be drained as well, so it is prudent to replace the thermostat and flush the cooling system.

Depending on parts installed and labor rate per hour, the job should be about $200. If it gets to be about $400 or more, too much.

hope this helps -
aloha
calvin