🔧 Kicks - Water Pump Replacement

On your Kicks, the water pump is bolted to the engine and circulates coolant through the engine and radiator. Replacement typically involves draining coolant, removing the drive belt, unbolting the pump, cleaning the sealing surface, and refilling/bleeding the cooling system.

Before I give you the exact step-by-step: on your Kicks, is your water pump the belt-driven type that’s accessible from the passenger-side wheel-well (behind the plastic splash shield)?

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-4 hours

---

⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Only work on a fully cool engine; hot coolant can cause severe burns.
• ⚠️ Support the vehicle with jack stands; never rely on a jack alone.
• ⚠️ Keep coolant off belts and pulleys; it can cause slipping.
• ⚠️ Dispose of coolant properly; it’s toxic to people and pets.
• 🔋 Battery disconnect is not usually required, but keep the key away from the car while working near the radiator fans.

---

🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 3/8" drive torque wrench (10–100 Nm range)
• Socket set (8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm)
• Serpentine belt tool or long 14mm wrench
• Flat trim clip tool
• Drain pan (at least 2 gallons)
• Funnel
• Plastic gasket scraper
• Shop towels

---

🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Water pump - Qty: 1
• Water pump gasket / O-ring (as equipped) - Qty: 1
• Engine coolant (Nissan Blue long-life equivalent) - Qty: 1-2 gallons (mix as required)
• Serpentine drive belt - Qty: 1 (recommended if worn/cracked)
• Fresh hose clamps - Qty: 1-2 (only if originals are damaged)

---

📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and chock the rear wheels.
• Let the engine cool completely (best: overnight).
• Plan to drain coolant into a clean pan if you intend to reuse it (only if it’s fresh and uncontaminated).
• If you confirm the pump is accessed through the passenger wheel-well, you’ll remove the RF wheel and the plastic splash shield to reach the belt and pump.

---

🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Confirm water pump access style

• Remove the passenger-side front wheel using a socket set (19mm lug socket if applicable) and raise/support the car with a floor jack and jack stands.
• Remove the splash shield using a flat trim clip tool and 10mm socket.
• If you can see the serpentine belt and the water pump pulley/bolt pattern from this area, reply “Yes, wheel-well access.” If not, reply “No, not accessible,” and I’ll switch you to the correct procedure for your layout.

Step 2: (Paused) Torque specs + exact bolt locations

• I’ll provide the exact bolt-by-bolt removal order and Torque to XX Nm (YY ft-lbs) values right after you confirm the access style above, since the torque and steps differ by pump layout.

---

✅ After Repair

• Refill coolant, bleed air, and verify the heater blows hot.
• Check for leaks at the pump and hoses with the engine running.
• Recheck coolant level after the first full heat cycle and top off as needed.

---

💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$950 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $80-$250 (parts only)

You Save: $370-$700 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-4 hours.

---

🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.