The water pump is the heart of the Toyota Highlander's cooling system, circulating the coolant. Make sure to change out a faulty water pump, which can cause the engine to overheat resulting in serious damage.
Disconnect the negative cable on the car battery before you begin.
Place a drain pan underneath the radiator. When the engine is cool, drain the cooling system from the radiator into the pan.
Take out the alternator.
Loosen the water pump pulley bolts and take out the water pump pulley.
Remove the water pump from the engine.
Insert and install the new water pump, tightening the bolts to 80 inch pounds.
Reinsert the water pump pulley, making sure to tighten the bolts to 19 foot pounds.
Reinstall the vehicle's alternator.
Refill the cooling system with coolant to the proper levels. Start the engine and check for leaks when the engine reaches normal operating temperatures.
