for those of you who are JUST replacing the belts (and not the tensioners), this is a 5min job (maybe a 10min job if you work slowly). The air filter box, and radiator fan/shroud, DO NOT need to to come off to get to the belts. All you have to do is loosen the tensioners (16mm socket) and slip the belts off. And like he says in the video, take the lower (A/C) belt off first. Once the A/C belt is off, loosen the second (main) tensioner and the main belt can be slipped around/past the fan and out. The new belts can go back on in the reverse order, it is really that simple. the only tools you will need is a 16mm socket wrench. (the A/C belt is easier to get to if you put the car on jacks and work from the bottom)
BenDC85 MY belt snapped on the weekend and the car got a bit warm. I maybe drove about a km before stopping and letting it cool . The oil seems to be fine(not milky or mayonaise like ) would belt replacement and pressure test be the prognosis ?
My ‘97 2.8L Z3 required the removal of the air box, fan, fan shroud which included the expansion tank for me to even get access and clearance for the bolts. It only took about 1-2 hours to replace the belts
I know this was a long time ago, but what model is that true for? I have a 2002 z3 3.0i. The belt broke yesterday. I can't find the fan removal tools anywhere in town. Ordering them will take a month right now. Maybe because of the shutdowns. I hope you can tell me that I can replace the belt with just a 16mm socket! Thanks!
The air conditioner belt tension pully , upper mounting bolt was removed in the beginning of the process. No where in the completion of the job, after belts replaced, does it show or say that that bolt (upper bolt on the air conditioning tension pully) needs to be replace. This is a very important step and was left out of the video,However, this video was very helpful and very much appreciated for me, not being a mechanic, saved me at least a couple hundred dollars. Thank you
Invaluable Information & Video ... Did my 2000 BMW Z3 today, changing pulleys and belts and the power steering fluid filter .. save myself tons of bucks with this video at my side .. Thanks!!
You guys did an excellent video, probably one of the best on youtube! However the OP to this question should note that there are some models with the M54 (such as 330ci) that will have an additional idler pulley positioned above the tensioner that the belt runs under. This pulley is often the source of bearing noise when worn. anyway, thanks BA I was able to complete this project his weekend thanks you!
I really just wanted to say thank you this video was the shit .......i have a BMW 530I the only the diff was the fan shroud because the radiators hose is part of that assemble but after you get that out this video is 100% and way easy ....trust me i can believe to tell you the money i saved for about 2hrs of work thank you once again
I replaced all of my pulleys and belts this Saturday just gone 14th/06/2014 . My car is 2002 530i MSport, virtually everything shown above is correct except when he slides out the fan cowling. At the bottom of the cowling there is several heaters hoses attached which you also need to un hook. Not disconnected I managed to slide it up high enough and twist it to right to get it all out the way without discoonecting those hoses, however you will need to disconnect the little black hose that attaches to the header tank on the right hand side of the top of the radiator. It is a bit awkward but then i simply laid the cowling back onto the engine allowing enough room to access the lot. Whole job took 1.5 hours taking my time. I only had to add a cup full of coolant afterwards. Works perfectly , used OEM parts and replaced all pulleys and belts
Very useful video. Quick question since i only know little to nothing about my 00' bmw e46. My car started to sound like cramp coming from under the hood for about 2 months now. Some says it was the tension and the belt? if so, should i continuing driving it like that for a while or should i get it check out?
I love RUclips, I was looking because a shop said I should replace my belts and wants $630 to do the job. they also want $260 to replace the fuel filter. I dont like doing the mechanics myself but these prices are insane for the amount of labor involved. I guess I will scratch them off my list and/or do it myself.
The idlers are "hard mounted" and direct the belt in order to apply additional torque to a driven pulley or to direct the belt to the next pulley. A tensioner pulley is spring or hydraulically mounted an "pushes" or "pulls" on the belt in order to keep the belt tight on the pulleys.
Thanks for your notes. There are indeed, differences between specific engine models, in placement and use of idler pulleys as well as the differences in mechanical vs hydraulic tensioners.
Gr8 video. Well done. Thanx. Have a 325i 2002 model, on mornings cold start and misfires. After a few minites it idlies fine . What is the cause of that?
@mmoniot - We haven't found a 100% rule in determining which models have the separate idler pulleys and which don't. In fact, the BMW micro-film for this 2001 3.0 Z3 shows an idler on the main belt. Obviously, there is none. An idler pulley helps the belt to properly wrap around one or more of the accessory drive pulleys. The non-idler applications have a different belt routing that the idler applications. Idler pulleys are secured by a bolt through the center of the pulley.
It should be noted that this particular M54 motor in this Z3 apparently does not have an idler pulley. Would be an interesting side note to explain why some M54's do and some do not have this additional pulley and also what it does, especially since most viewers probably have an E46 (which has an idler pulley on its M54).
Thanks!! I'm guessing right now that it is (was actually - it's working fine now after 200 or so miles!) the secondary cooling fan (which is why it could keep sounding for a few seconds, after the engine was turned off). I'll have it looked at by my mechanic here in Dallas next oil change.
I have a 2004 E46 325ci with a a Hydraulic detensionizer. Is removing tension on the hydraulic model the same as the electrical model? i would like to know before I start removing the fan and attempting to replace my belts. Thank you !!!
DeTensioning the belt was accomplished with a T50(60? can't remember) as shown here. The tensioner can be removed after the idler pulley was removed. If you're changing your tensioners, you might as well change the idler pulley as well. Assembly is the reverse of removal.
Quick question, if I only want to replace the a/c belt at the moment, do I still have to remove the fan? It looks accessible from the bottom, but I don't want to cause any problems. My car is a 97 328 sedan
Great video! Very helpful, but I managed to change both belts in my e39 without taking off visco fan and air filter. I only had to remove radiator hose. It wasn't very easy but job done.
As noted in the video, you do not need to remove the radiator (or the hoses) in order to replace the belts and the pulleys. We removed them so that we could get a better view of the belts and pulleys with the video camera. We would normally only remove the fan and the fan shroud.
How was it to remove the belt and tensioner with the additional idler? It seems that the idler is restricting access to the bolt for the upper tensioner. Is there a particular sequence to removing and assembling?
Remove the plastic center cap on the tensioner pulley and use a Torx or hew bit (with a ratchet) to press against the hydraulic piston (in the same manner as shown for the mechanical tensioner).
You will need at least a 3/8" drive socket set. However, a 1/2" drive set would be better, especially for detensioning the tensioner. The socket used for the detensioning in the video is 17mm. However, different models may have different sizes.
I have a 2002 E53 3.0 M54. I want to replace the belts and tensioners, but would like to be thorough while the belts are off. I am going to also replace the water pump. What other parts/pulleys should I replace while its opened up?
Well, we're not sure just whet the mechanic may have had in mind, but the belt replacement certainly does not require removal of the turbocharger. The belt is accessed through the passenger wheel-well area. Remove the wheel, then remove the inner plastic shielding.
The M50 will be very similar. Any differences will be more due to whether the engine has a mechanical tensioner (as shown in the video) or a hydraulic tensioner.
one question will it couse any damage or problem when trying to take the fan off but the whole belt system spinns. because i cant find a fan clutch removeal?
Yes, all of our videos are fully edited so we can show hours of work in a few minute video. We did indeed use the hammer to break this one free. In our overall experience, on many models, they do usually break free with a good crisp hammer hit. You typically do need the pulley holder tool, so that the pulley does not turn when you hit the hammer. If the pulley is held secure so that it cannot move, the hammer blow will do the trick most of the time. Just remember, the thread is left-hand.
Question: I have a 2002 330ci and have had an on and off high-pitched whine over the past few days (when it whines, it's full loudness and when it's not, car sounds fully fine It's always one or the other when start 'er up). When it's there, I turn engine off, engine comes to a complete stop yet the whine continues for a full second or two and THEN winds down. Any idea what it might be? (The idler pullys have stopped while the whine continues for a sec or two ... and THEN slows).
@chicoloco101 - While you may or may not "need" a new tensioner or idler pulley, it would certainly be wise to replace all of the pulleys. This will assure that you do not have a pulley failure at some point after replacing the belts. A faulty pulley can cause an annoying squeal and eventually will seize or come apart. This will result in loss of and damage to the belts .... as well as a full vehicle failure as the water pump and alternator will no longer be operating.
If the pulley has any play or roughness when rotated ... replace it. The further school of thought is to always replace the pulleys when replacing the belts. If a pulley seizes or gets too wobbly (loose), it will throw the belt, resulting is a road side tow and subsequent repair .... or damaged engine due to overheating.
I have a 2000 BMW 528i with a sports package and it looks the exact same as this one for putting it back together I don't know if it had or didn't have a idler like some pictures show but its lookes like this were there is none
You shouldn't have any specific trouble in de-tensioning the belt by rotating the tensioner pulley against the tensioner. Once the pulley is rotated, pull the belt off of one of the pulleys and then release the pulley.
Can a mechanical tensioner fail and how would one know when it does? Can the pulley be replaced on a mechanical tensioner? I have a 95 325i. Thanks for the videos!
The pulleys on the mechanical tensioners are not available separately. Therefore, the tensioner assembly must be replaced if a pulley faulty. Besides the obvious pulley bearing failure,
i have a 2003 bmw 745li and i have problem with my belt i change the belt 4 times and the idler and tensioner but i found out that i have to use a belt from the dealer i can put a new belt on and it will work good for about 2 weeks are 1500 miles then it will start squeezing again do you think i have to get a tensioner pulley from the dealer
I can't seem to get the belt back on, even when the tensioner is at its loosest. I know the belt is correct because it fell off when the power steering pump prong broke off, so I replaced that, so the belt must go back on, I would think that one would loosen the tensioner and slide the belt back on just like you did and then tighten the tensioner back, but I can't seem to get the belt on. I tried a couple of cheap installers, but they were too small and didn't fit, the magnets don't stick, I just can't figure it out. Mine is an E38 2000. Any ideas?
We do not actually offer vehicle service at our NH headquarters. We can see that, with our knowledge, it would appear that we are servicing the vehicles. We did start into this business servicing and repairing BMWs, back in the '70s. We now operate the online, phone and catalog business. Our continued knowledge comes from still being enthusiasts and owning and driving these cars. Unlike some enthusiast oriented businesses, our employee parking is packed with BMWs and MINIs. 800-535-2002
...you said in video "the A/C tesioner was already replaced, so we will not be replacing it" ??????? REALLY? The one pulley tensioner I needed to see being replaced! Your Video is INCOMPLETE.
Without the pulley holder tool, you certainly could be rotating the belt, pulleys and engine, with the 32mm wrench. This will not cause any damage, but can be frustrating. Bavarian Autosport does offer both the pulley holder tool and the 32mm wrench. Note, in the video, how we suggest that a hammer be used (against the 32mm wrench) to shock the nut loose. See our website at bavauto.com or call us at 800-535-2002
i have an 528 i 1997 ..and my brother has the 1996 i have automatic and he has manual..we both have m52 engine only one strange thing he has two pulleys also one above the tensioner pully and i have only the tesioner pulley but not one above it like on video ..how is this possible
Was told need to replace belt and tensioner. Is the tensioner really need to be replaced $600 for a spring that got some oil on it? Would like to not replace old one if it looks good, but not sure if would be OK . Any ideas?
Well.... it depends. The pulley bearings do wear as well as the tensioner spring or piston (depending on type). What application are you looking at that has a $600 tensioner?
If you have a general sense of torque values (and what they feel like) for typical fastener sizes, there is no real need to use a torque wrench for the fasteners involved here. Of course, each fastener does have a specified torque and if you wish to have these values at hand, the applicable Bentley Publishing repair manual will contain the information. Bentley repair maunuals: www.bavauto.com/se1.asp?dept_id=5228
I changed my alternator on my BMW 545i 2005 and now I am getting active steering inactive on my dashboard and it hard to turn. what can I do need help. thanks
can you help with e36 m44 motor belt tensioner. this looks as ugly as it gets and there is no info anywere for this model.it looks like you need to take the whole poer steering assembly off just to get to it
HELP! HELP. where is the input turbine shaft sensor on 1999 BMW 328i. I'm trying to solve a P0715 code. I googled it but had no serious info. These videos are excellent.
This is a transmission fault code and is referring to the input speed sensor. The sensor is mounted into the transmission housing just forward of the valve-body, after removing the fluid pan. Click the link below: www.bavauto.com/fland.asp?part=24%2035%207%20507%20706
My only gripe with this video is that I just noticed they removed the radiator hoses but they don't mention any of it on the video. Is it gonna make a huge mess and how do I prevent it? I understand you have to edit the video but that is critical not to mention someone as newbie as myself could really get into some deep trouble if I screw something up. Just some constructive criticism, no disrespect.
for those of you who are JUST replacing the belts (and not the tensioners), this is a 5min job (maybe a 10min job if you work slowly).
The air filter box, and radiator fan/shroud, DO NOT need to to come off to get to the belts.
All you have to do is loosen the tensioners (16mm socket) and slip the belts off.
And like he says in the video, take the lower (A/C) belt off first.
Once the A/C belt is off, loosen the second (main) tensioner and the main belt can be slipped around/past the fan and out.
The new belts can go back on in the reverse order, it is really that simple. the only tools you will need is a 16mm socket wrench.
(the A/C belt is easier to get to if you put the car on jacks and work from the bottom)
Right-on, BenDC85 - Thanks for sharing this point.
BenDC85 That's right. I have replaced both tensioners and never needed to remove the fan. It's just slightly tighter but not to bad.
BenDC85
MY belt snapped on the weekend and the car got a bit warm. I maybe drove about a km before stopping and letting it cool . The oil seems to be fine(not milky or mayonaise like ) would belt replacement and pressure test be the prognosis ?
My ‘97 2.8L Z3 required the removal of the air box, fan, fan shroud which included the expansion tank for me to even get access and clearance for the bolts. It only took about 1-2 hours to replace the belts
I know this was a long time ago, but what model is that true for?
I have a 2002 z3 3.0i. The belt broke yesterday.
I can't find the fan removal tools anywhere in town. Ordering them will take a month right now. Maybe because of the shutdowns.
I hope you can tell me that I can replace the belt with just a 16mm socket!
Thanks!
And now 10 years later I still make good use of your superb photos
The air conditioner belt tension pully , upper mounting bolt was removed in the beginning of the process. No where in the completion of the job, after belts replaced, does it show or say that that bolt (upper bolt on the air conditioning tension pully) needs to be replace. This is a very important step and was left out of the video,However, this video was very helpful and very much appreciated for me, not being a mechanic, saved me at least a couple hundred dollars. Thank you
This is the best BMW DIY vid I have ever seen. Thanks a lot.
Very professional guide, BMW would be proud
Invaluable Information & Video ... Did my 2000 BMW Z3 today, changing pulleys and belts and the power steering fluid filter .. save myself tons of bucks with this video at my side .. Thanks!!
I love this channel, saved me so much money on repairs for my E46!
EXCELLENT video. Abundantly clear. Used it to quickly and easily change out the belts on my E34 today.
Glad we could help, Ron.
You guys did an excellent video, probably one of the best on youtube! However the OP to this question should note that there are some models with the M54 (such as 330ci) that will have an additional idler pulley positioned above the tensioner that the belt runs under. This pulley is often the source of bearing noise when worn. anyway, thanks BA I was able to complete this project his weekend thanks you!
I really just wanted to say thank you this video was the shit .......i have a BMW 530I the only the diff was the fan shroud because the radiators hose is part of that assemble but after you get that out this video is 100% and way easy ....trust me i can believe to tell you the money i saved for about 2hrs of work thank you once again
I replaced all of my pulleys and belts this Saturday just gone 14th/06/2014 . My car is 2002 530i MSport, virtually everything shown above is correct except when he slides out the fan cowling. At the bottom of the cowling there is several heaters hoses attached which you also need to un hook. Not disconnected
I managed to slide it up high enough and twist it to right to get it all out the way without discoonecting those hoses, however you will need to disconnect the little black hose that attaches to the header tank on the right hand side of the top of the radiator. It is a bit awkward but then i simply laid the cowling back onto the engine allowing enough room to access the lot. Whole job took 1.5 hours taking my time. I only had to add a cup full of coolant afterwards. Works perfectly , used OEM parts and replaced all pulleys and belts
Thanks for sharing your input.
These guys do the best videos.
Very useful video. Quick question since i only know little to nothing about my 00' bmw e46. My car started to sound like cramp coming from under the hood for about 2 months now. Some says it was the tension and the belt? if so, should i continuing driving it like that for a while or should i get it check out?
I love RUclips, I was looking because a shop said I should replace my belts and wants $630 to do the job. they also want $260 to replace the fuel filter.
I dont like doing the mechanics myself but these prices are insane for the amount of labor involved. I guess I will scratch them off my list and/or do it myself.
The idlers are "hard mounted" and direct the belt in order to apply additional torque to a driven pulley or to direct the belt to the next pulley. A tensioner pulley is spring or hydraulically mounted an "pushes" or "pulls" on the belt in order to keep the belt tight on the pulleys.
Thanks for your notes. There are indeed, differences between specific engine models, in placement and use of idler pulleys as well as the differences in mechanical vs hydraulic tensioners.
Good voice and professional video. Excellent!
your video is clear and precise. i enjoy the videos. i have 2008 e60 bmw 528XI. do you have a video showing serpentine belt and water pump removal
Not for the xi model, at this time.
Gr8 video. Well done. Thanx. Have a 325i 2002 model, on mornings cold start and misfires. After a few minites it idlies fine . What is the cause of that?
@mmoniot - We haven't found a 100% rule in determining which models have the separate idler pulleys and which don't. In fact, the BMW micro-film for this 2001 3.0 Z3 shows an idler on the main belt. Obviously, there is none. An idler pulley helps the belt to properly wrap around one or more of the accessory drive pulleys. The non-idler applications have a different belt routing that the idler applications. Idler pulleys are secured by a bolt through the center of the pulley.
It should be noted that this particular M54 motor in this Z3 apparently does not have an idler pulley. Would be an interesting side note to explain why some M54's do and some do not have this additional pulley and also what it does, especially since most viewers probably have an E46 (which has an idler pulley on its M54).
Thanks!! I'm guessing right now that it is (was actually - it's working fine now after 200 or so miles!) the secondary cooling fan (which is why it could keep sounding for a few seconds, after the engine was turned off). I'll have it looked at by my mechanic here in Dallas next oil change.
I have a 2004 E46 325ci with a a Hydraulic detensionizer. Is removing tension on the hydraulic model the same as the electrical model? i would like to know before I start removing the fan and attempting to replace my belts. Thank you !!!
DeTensioning the belt was accomplished with a T50(60? can't remember) as shown here. The tensioner can be removed after the idler pulley was removed. If you're changing your tensioners, you might as well change the idler pulley as well. Assembly is the reverse of removal.
do you recommend anti seize on the fan clutch nut? what kind would be best if any?
Quick question, if I only want to replace the a/c belt at the moment, do I still have to remove the fan? It looks accessible from the bottom, but I don't want to cause any problems. My car is a 97 328 sedan
Great video! Very helpful, but I managed to change both belts in my e39 without taking off visco fan and air filter. I only had to remove radiator hose. It wasn't very easy but job done.
As noted in the video, you do not need to remove the radiator (or the hoses) in order to replace the belts and the pulleys. We removed them so that we could get a better view of the belts and pulleys with the video camera. We would normally only remove the fan and the fan shroud.
Thanks so much for the high quality video! Excellent job Bavarian!
@fenceposter -
Thank you for the kind words!
The main belt drives the water pump, alternator and power steering pump. The air conditioning compressor is on the smaller secondary belt.
Is there a link to the specific wrenches needed, and do I need a hydraulic or regular tensioner? Thanks.
We don't have an M44 engine here to check for you. We seem to recall that the power steering pulley may need to be removed from the pump.
How was it to remove the belt and tensioner with the additional idler? It seems that the idler is restricting access to the bolt for the upper tensioner. Is there a particular sequence to removing and assembling?
Remove the plastic center cap on the tensioner pulley and use a Torx or hew bit (with a ratchet) to press against the hydraulic piston (in the same manner as shown for the mechanical tensioner).
You will need at least a 3/8" drive socket set. However, a 1/2" drive set would be better, especially for detensioning the tensioner. The socket used for the detensioning in the video is 17mm. However, different models may have different sizes.
wow you just saved me a lot of money, thank you so much
wow thanks a lot i wasabout to pay 250 for that, with the help from you i can do it myself.
I have a 2002 E53 3.0 M54. I want to replace the belts and tensioners, but would like to be thorough while the belts are off. I am going to also replace the water pump. What other parts/pulleys should I replace while its opened up?
Hey I have a 1990 bmw 750il …having trouble with alternator belt…keeps squielling high pitch..would u happen to have a video on it step by step?
Do you have to change the tensioners and pulleys if ypur just changing the belts? Or can I just change the belts
You have the N52 engine. This is a different engine (M54 is shown) and the belt routing will be different, but the basic procedures will be similar.
Thanks Saved me $300 from having to take it to the dealer! On my E60.
Would i be able to use any socket wrench set? And if you can please, what size socket exactly for the tensioner?
Well, we're not sure just whet the mechanic may have had in mind, but the belt replacement certainly does not require removal of the turbocharger. The belt is accessed through the passenger wheel-well area. Remove the wheel, then remove the inner plastic shielding.
The M50 will be very similar. Any differences will be more due to whether the engine has a mechanical tensioner (as shown in the video) or a hydraulic tensioner.
excellent presention as always.
one question will it couse any damage or problem when trying to take the fan off but the whole belt system spinns. because i cant find a fan clutch removeal?
excellent vid. gonna be doing this to my 2000 320i here in tokyo
How can I get one of your awesome Bavarian Autosport Red towel/mat things that are in all of your videos?
Yes, all of our videos are fully edited so we can show hours of work in a few minute video. We did indeed use the hammer to break this one free. In our overall experience, on many models, they do usually break free with a good crisp hammer hit. You typically do need the pulley holder tool, so that the pulley does not turn when you hit the hammer. If the pulley is held secure so that it cannot move, the hammer blow will do the trick most of the time. Just remember, the thread is left-hand.
Question: I have a 2002 330ci and have had an on and off high-pitched whine over the past few days (when it whines, it's full loudness and when it's not, car sounds fully fine It's always one or the other when start 'er up).
When it's there, I turn engine off, engine comes to a complete stop yet the whine continues for a full second or two and THEN winds down. Any idea what it might be? (The idler pullys have stopped while the whine continues for a sec or two ... and THEN slows).
@chicoloco101 -
While you may or may not "need" a new tensioner or idler pulley, it would certainly be wise to replace all of the pulleys. This will assure that you do not have a pulley failure at some point after replacing the belts. A faulty pulley can cause an annoying squeal and eventually will seize or come apart. This will result in loss of and damage to the belts .... as well as a full vehicle failure as the water pump and alternator will no longer be operating.
If the pulley has any play or roughness when rotated ... replace it. The further school of thought is to always replace the pulleys when replacing the belts. If a pulley seizes or gets too wobbly (loose), it will throw the belt, resulting is a road side tow and subsequent repair .... or damaged engine due to overheating.
I have a 2000 BMW 528i with a sports package and it looks the exact same as this one for putting it back together I don't know if it had or didn't have a idler like some pictures show but its lookes like this were there is none
You shouldn't have any specific trouble in de-tensioning the belt by rotating the tensioner pulley against the tensioner. Once the pulley is rotated, pull the belt off of one of the pulleys and then release the pulley.
The M50 engine will be very similar. You may find that the tensioner assembly is hydraulic vs. the mechanical style shown here.
@woah4
The AC belt can typically be replaced from below, without removing any other parts ... besides the lower splash shield.
Hello,
Why your BMW Z3 in your video do not have a idler pulley ?
ProSlam id like to know to cause I'm having trouble with my 325i
Do you have the same video for the E83 SD Msport?
Can a mechanical tensioner fail and how would one know when it does? Can the pulley be replaced on a mechanical tensioner? I have a 95 325i. Thanks for the videos!
The pulleys on the mechanical tensioners are not available separately. Therefore, the tensioner assembly must be replaced if a pulley faulty. Besides the obvious pulley bearing failure,
i have a 2003 bmw 745li and i have problem with my belt i change the belt 4 times and the idler and tensioner but i found out that i have to use a belt from the dealer i can put a new belt on and it will work good for about 2 weeks are 1500 miles then it will start squeezing again do you think i have to get a tensioner pulley from the dealer
If doing it from the bottom then removing fan clutch is not needed ?
What about the AC belt tensioner bolt when putting it back on?
What year and model Z4? If it has the M54 6-cylinder engine, yes it would be basically the same.
Be glad that you have the hex head on the tensioner, rather than the Torx.
Great Video, very professional, thanks for sharing.
how do you keep your engine so clean
How would you do this for a R56 MINI cooper S? My mechanic said it would be $500 or something ridiculous because he would have to move the turbo
I can't seem to get the belt back on, even when the tensioner is at its loosest. I know the belt is correct because it fell off when the power steering pump prong broke off, so I replaced that, so the belt must go back on, I would think that one would loosen the tensioner and slide the belt back on just like you did and then tighten the tensioner back, but I can't seem to get the belt on. I tried a couple of cheap installers, but they were too small and didn't fit, the magnets don't stick, I just can't figure it out. Mine is an E38 2000. Any ideas?
Is this Belt removal the same for a M50 motor?
i have 1994 325i bmw, and im confused, is there just serpentine belt? or there is a serpentine belt and an ac belt?
is this the same way for the z4 engine?
Your video is great. Thank you
how would you do it on a hydraulic tensioner?03 325ci
We do not actually offer vehicle service at our NH headquarters. We can see that, with our knowledge, it would appear that we are servicing the vehicles. We did start into this business servicing and repairing BMWs, back in the '70s. We now operate the online, phone and catalog business. Our continued knowledge comes from still being enthusiasts and owning and driving these cars. Unlike some enthusiast oriented businesses, our employee parking is packed with BMWs and MINIs. 800-535-2002
Thanks for this video, its been really useful.
What is the difference between a idler pulley and a drive belt tensioner roller
...you said in video "the A/C tesioner was already replaced, so we will not be replacing it" ??????? REALLY? The one pulley tensioner I needed to see being replaced! Your Video is INCOMPLETE.
Ikr that's what I needed too lol but he says it the same so I guess it shouldn't be a problem. Just a little harder to get to.
Thanks for the positive input!
Without the pulley holder tool, you certainly could be rotating the belt, pulleys and engine, with the 32mm wrench. This will not cause any damage, but can be frustrating. Bavarian Autosport does offer both the pulley holder tool and the 32mm wrench. Note, in the video, how we suggest that a hammer be used (against the 32mm wrench) to shock the nut loose.
See our website at bavauto.com or call us at 800-535-2002
what socket are you using?
i have an 528 i 1997 ..and my brother has the 1996 i have automatic and he has manual..we both have m52 engine only one strange thing he has two pulleys also one above the tensioner pully and i have only the tesioner pulley but not one above it like on video ..how is this possible
@JuOn666 -
That's great to hear! Thank you for sharing.
Was told need to replace belt and tensioner. Is the tensioner really need to be replaced $600 for a spring that got some oil on it? Would like to not replace old one if it looks good, but not sure if would be OK . Any ideas?
Well.... it depends. The pulley bearings do wear as well as the tensioner spring or piston (depending on type). What application are you looking at that has a $600 tensioner?
told my 2007 328 needed new tensioner and belt - $600
Awesome video thanks!
Are there any torque specs to worry about with this process?
If you have a general sense of torque values (and what they feel like) for typical fastener sizes, there is no real need to use a torque wrench for the fasteners involved here. Of course, each fastener does have a specified torque and if you wish to have these values at hand, the applicable Bentley Publishing repair manual will contain the information.
Bentley repair maunuals:
www.bavauto.com/se1.asp?dept_id=5228
I changed my alternator on my BMW 545i 2005 and now I am getting active steering inactive on my dashboard and it hard to turn. what can I do need help. thanks
It may be "fine" as long as it is under compression (installed). But you should plan on a replacement.
@rdcate
Unfortunately, your car could have either system. You will need to make a visual inspection.
Makes the Job less intimidating! thanks for posting!
Thank you, this helps a lot
can you help with e36 m44 motor belt tensioner. this looks as ugly as it gets and there is no info anywere for this model.it looks like you need to take the whole poer steering assembly off just to get to it
nice and clean, thank you so much
HELP! HELP. where is the input turbine shaft sensor on 1999 BMW 328i. I'm trying to solve a P0715 code.
I googled it but had no serious info.
These videos are excellent.
This is a transmission fault code and is referring to the input speed sensor. The sensor is mounted into the transmission housing just forward of the valve-body, after removing the fluid pan. Click the link below:
www.bavauto.com/fland.asp?part=24%2035%207%20507%20706
BavarianAuto Amazing! this is a direct and clear answer. Thank you for your answer. I will not forget.
is this same way for a m50b20 bmw engine?
Really helpful, though it turns out I grenaded my PAS pump, so yeah bit more work to be doing.
This is awesome! Thank you very much!
My only gripe with this video is that I just noticed they removed the radiator hoses but they don't mention any of it on the video. Is it gonna make a huge mess and how do I prevent it? I understand you have to edit the video but that is critical not to mention someone as newbie as myself could really get into some deep trouble if I screw something up. Just some constructive criticism, no disrespect.
they said in the beginning that the radiator was removed for a better view, pay attention!
thanks for the video!