Every car may overheat as it nears the 100,000 mile mark. Some do so even sooner, depending on how a person drives the car. Overheating and coolant leaks from the engine are signs that the water pump in your Toyota Highlander has failed. However, with the proper tools and instructions, you can replace your Highlander water pump with moderate ease.
Remove the Toyota Highlander's negative battery cable. Using a screwdriver, loosen the screw that connects the negative battery cable to the battery post. Pull the cable away from the post.
Activate the parking brake, place cinder blocks behind the back wheels and then jack up your Toyota Highlander. Use jack stands to help support the jack.
Place a large container under the drain hole to catch the discharged coolant. Open the cap on top of the radiator and unplug the drain plug underneath the radiator to allow the liquid to flow into the container.
Locate the water pump, commonly mounted on the front of the engine block. Remove all of the engine components in front of the water pump, which includes the alternator and the water pump pulley.
Take off the water pump by removing the retaining bolts. Remove and discard the gasket between the water pump and the engine.
Arrange the new water pump on the mount. You won't need sealant for the gasket on a Toyota Highlander. Hold the water pump and gasket in place as you secure it with the new bolts. Tighten each with a torque wrench to 80 inch pounds of torque.
Install the rest of the components in the order you removed them. Tighten the pulley bolts to 19 foot pounds torque. Replace the radiator's drain plug and refill the radiator with coolant.
Remove the jack stands and lower the Toyota Highlander to the ground. Remove the cinder blocks.
Attach the negative battery cable to the post and tighten the screw on the clamp. Start the engine and check for leaks. Clean up any coolant spills.
