Porsche Cayman 987 Water Pump Failure

The Cayman 987, produced between the years of 2005 and 2012, was yet another successful Porsche entry into the two-seat luxury sports car market. Shortly after its initial unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the 987 won over a dozen of the automotive industry’s top awards.

Furthermore, during several rigorous road tests, the 987 was proven to be almost as powerful as the Porsche flagship, the Carrera 911. A not unusual problem associated with the Cayman 987 concerns the water pump failing.

The water pump is the piece of your 987 that sends the coolant throughout all parts of the car. When it works properly, it ensures that your engine never overheats. If the water pump does wind up failing—either due to old age, excessive wear, or simply being a poorly manufactured part, the greatest danger to you car is that it could overheat as the coolant slowly begins to drain away. In the worst-case scenario, a broken pump could cause massive damage to the interior of the engine due to binding.

Catching a failed water pump early is therefore in your best interests. Keep you ear trained on your car’s running sounds. If you begin to hear squealing, that should be an early warning. A failing water pump will begin to squeal louder and louder as the problem intensifies, but you shouldn’t need to wait for this to happen before you realize there’s a problem. Other signs include a smell of anti-freeze permeating the cabin and a visible loss of coolant fluid from the car.

Dumping more coolant into your coolant reservoir will only mean that you’re pouring more chemicals into the road, and the broken pump surely will not fix itself. To ensure the safety of your engine, take you 987 to a local Porsche maintenance technician. This trained professional can discover the exact nature of the malfunction and return your car back to its pristine condition.
