I suspect that the water pump is leaking 2000 e39 528i

[riverjamie]

Lately I've noticed coolant in the driveway. I inspected all the hoses and radiator all seem good no leaks. Removed engine shield under car and noticed that the coolant is coming down behind the crankshaft pulley from above. It's so hard to see around the water pump area even with small flexible mirror. But I could see signs of coolant puddle in one small area below the front of the pump assembly. I'm going to order a pump, belt, and thermostat. Anything else that might cause this that I might be missing?

Thanks

[StephenVA]

Lately I've noticed coolant in the driveway. I inspected all the hoses and radiator all seem good no leaks. Removed engine shield under car and noticed that the coolant is coming down behind the crankshaft pulley from above. It's so hard to see around the water pump area even with small flexible mirror. But I could see signs of coolant puddle in one small area below the front of the pump assembly. I'm going to order a pump, belt, and thermostat. Anything else that might cause this that I might be missing?

Thanks

This link will help answer your questions on what to expect...
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/199986

[Ed CT]

The biggest culprit for leaking on the I6 is the t-stat housing, either the gasket or cracked plastic housing. You may want to look there before $pending on a WP, unless it's due for replacement anyway.