Peugeot 3008: PureTech 1.2T Internal Water Pump Failure & Coolant Ingress

The PureTech 1.2T uses an internally-mounted water pump driven by the timing chain rather than the auxiliary belt, meaning pump failure often destroys the chain and tensioner simultaneously. The plastic impeller corrodes and breaks apart, causing coolant circulation loss and severe overheating within minutes. Coolant can also migrate into the engine oil via a failed seal, producing the characteristic mayonnaise contamination in the oil filler cap.

• Creamy or mayonnaise-like residue under the oil filler cap or on the dipstick
• Rapid coolant level drop with no visible external leak
• Temperature gauge rising abnormally fast, particularly at low speed or idle
• White smoke from the exhaust under normal operating temperature
• Overheating warning light illuminating, sometimes with no prior symptoms

1. 1

   Check the coolant reservoir for oil contamination (dark or oily film on the surface).

2. 2

   Check service history for any water pump replacement — it should be done simultaneously with timing chain work.

3. 3

   Remove the oil filler cap and inspect for creamy white or brown emulsified deposits indicating coolant-oil mixing.

Parts involved: Water pump.

$2,500 to $5,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “Has the internal water pump been replaced, and was it done at the same time as the timing chain?”
• “Can I see the last few oil change records — was the oil ever milky or discoloured?”
• “Has the car ever required a coolant top-up between services, and if so how often?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.