This video identifies why and when to replace serpentine belts, idler pulleys, and tension pulleys on BMW engines, the engine shown in this video is from a 1995 BMW M3 (S50US)
Awesome video. I agree with the water pump pulley being easily broken. Mine broke when I tried to remove the pulley bolts to replace the water pump on my 528i. It ended up costing me $50 from the dealer.
Great Video. Yes. Everything fails on you if the belt fails! I managed to nurse my 528i for 20 miles after the belt failed. With no power steering, failing electrics and over heating. I stopped once to let it cool off after 10 miles. 20 minutes later made the last 10 miles home. The actual cause was identified to be a water pump bearing that had seized and therefore thrown the belt off.
@delta3008 I also changed the tensioner's and pulleys, hoses, wheel alignment, tire balancing, oil change along with what I mentioned in my first post. Now my car handles like a dream.
I have a zhp 330ci convertible and i just changed all the parts you mentioned including the crank case vent vale. my car sounded like a tea kettle when I accelerated to 2k to 3k rpm. Also when the belts begin to give it sounds like birds chirping under the hood. ALSO replaced the coolant expansion tank. Spent about 1,700k.
Very informative video - Thanks I will change the idler roller and all necessary components when doing the timing belt and I recommend using OEM or major brand parts!
Well explanation, changing my every 110K miles, and had no problem, till I used cheap crap. At marker of 70K went out. So if you doing that job, spend a little more and get good staff. Thanks again for good info
@delta3008 I also changed the tensioner's and pulleys, hoses, wheel alignment, tire balancing, oil change along with what I mentioned in my first post. Now my car handles like a dream. I failed to mention I had an oil leak because of the crank case valve and was putting 2 quarts of synthetic oil every 2 weeks. All is well now. Word of advice people, if you find a good mechanic treat them like gold and buy them a X-MAS gift every year because good mechanics are hard to come by.
01 540i, I here this loud grinding noise coming from my car and my battery ligh comes on but sometimes the noise stops and everything goes back to normal. watching this video it has to be my small pullys. Thanks for the video!
@y2jpspmoney My wife has a 325i that failed to start recently. It sort of sounded like it was out of time as it cranked over. I talked to some decent mechanics and both said it was badly flooded. They went on to say that wet cylinders will reduce compression and can make it sound like it's out of time. I pulled the plugs, cranked the engine a few times to clean out the cylinders, poured a small amount of synthetic oil in the cylinders, reinstalled clean plugs and it fired right off.
@y2jpspmoney Hey, thanks for the reply. I've since changed the valve cover and gasket and used good quality sealant in trouble areas. So far, so good -- no leaks. I had a good mechanic change the idler pulleys and belts also. As for the plugs, my car had OEM NGK plugs in it. So that's what I went back with. All's well now. The car runs great.
@willytv275 use new oem Bosh spark plugs dont get any oil or cleaner on them. make sure everything inside is very clean, if you have over 150,000 mile on that car I'm sure the old rubber seal is burnt to a crisp so it will be like hard plastic when you scrape it off, it shouldnt be like that should be soft like the new one you need to buy. Also put some sealent around the areas where it bolts down they tend to leak from those spots no need to dot the whole thing. give that a try goodluck
@528im52 Thanks for posting! i think you may have answered my problem, i have a very faint but constant squeel on my 318i almost like i slipping fanbelt but much quieter and doesn't get louder as i speed up. the noise kicks in after 5 ten minutes of driving. stops if i push in the clutch starts again as i release. The belt does have those cracks on the underside. i'm hoping the noise is a squeaky pully. with the help of such video's i'm thinking of changing the belt and the 2 pulleys myself.
Good refresher 4 me, I took Automotive fundamentals in college back in 1999 an got the ASE but never used my skills i aquired my father always had his guys do it for me at the shop he owned. he passed away so now I have been working on my car myself since he died. All I can say is its all coming back to me. Question my E36 is sounding off idle when I turn on the AC. is that the AC that needs to be replaced runs fine when off an can you make a video for that replacement it would help thanks.
@willytv275 Was your check light on? did you have oil on your spark plugs before you started seeing mechanics or trying anything that you stated you did in your comment? if you had oil on the plugs to begin with it could be bad seals on the valve cover. there are "O" rings for each plug they go bad an let oil into the cylinder chamber which will give a bad air fuel mixture code on the scanner. try replacing the valve cover gasket, clean everything with part cleaner realy good and use new
hey karl, big fan of your tutorials. I was wondering what your thoughts are on aftermarket water & power steering pulleys? me e46m3 is mostly for daily driving with occasional autox. thanks
is the idler pulley the one with the belt going under it next to water pump with the 4 silver bolts sticking out? it's not the one directly in the middle like he says in the video.....isn't that the tensioner pulley?
Thank you so much! How do you know if the crankshaft pulley goes bad? I am getting ready to do the repair of the belt, tensioners, and pulleys, but the big one...I keep getting told...usually does not get replaced....however, these were all just estimates given to me over the phone.. x5 3.0 2008 95K miles...if the crankshaft pulley is wobbling, it should be replaced, no?
Great tutorial ! ! ! Karl, I'm concerned about the belts and pulleys on my 2004 BMW 320i. It's got just 40,000 miles on it, and the original belts/pulleys look and sound okay. But they've been on ten years! Would you replace? Many thanks for your great videos!
Hey Karl, 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).
Cool how much do you think it would cost to do my idler and Tensioner, I should of done them both when I changed the belt and water pump dame it. I have some noise from the belt when at idle @528im52 do you think its the pullys my E46 330Ci has 88k on the clock
thank you so much would these cause a check engine light because i wanna fix any engine problems to make my car least for a long time plz get back to me if u can
Is squeaking sound coming from belts normal on cold start in cold time of the year? I didnt notice it during summer. The noise stops once car warmed up
quick question 2001 bmw x5 3.0 that when i turn the ac on it throws a misfire code if ac os off it dosent do it now could this b cause by a failut of a ac tensinore pully. ive checl every other possiblity just not the pullys an belt otself
hi i wonder if you can help me with a problem i have with my e46, it has a m43 engine, the car bucks when i'm driving and stalls when i stop at lights, i get the asc light when it starts doing this i got a code 136-engine speed / referens signal, not sure what it means would you have any idea what it could be?
Thankyou for doing this, my e46 is my first car and the belt has literally shredded up to bits today, this has taught me alot. Thank you!
My belt just snapped on my 98 e36,now i know why and what to do next. Many thanks for the easy to understand tutorial.
the most straightforward vid. I have replaced parts as mentioned & it's not screaming thankyou.
Thank you and compliments from The Netherlands. I replaced the tensioner and idler pulleys on my M43B16.
Very informative, and explicit. Helped me better understand what was wrong with my e46. Thank you!
Awesome video. I agree with the water pump pulley being easily broken. Mine broke when I tried to remove the pulley bolts to replace the water pump on my 528i. It ended up costing me $50 from the dealer.
Thank you, great simple video, very well explained 👍
Great Video.
Yes. Everything fails on you if the belt fails!
I managed to nurse my 528i for 20 miles after the belt failed. With no power steering, failing electrics and over heating. I stopped once to let it cool off after 10 miles. 20 minutes later made the last 10 miles home.
The actual cause was identified to be a water pump bearing that had seized and therefore thrown the belt off.
Great video, and great information. Getting ready to replace all belts and pulleys on my E46 M3
Thank you so much for uploading this video...I was suspecting this very issue and was going to get played by a dealer without this information!
@delta3008 I also changed the tensioner's and pulleys, hoses, wheel alignment, tire balancing, oil change along with what I mentioned in my first post. Now my car handles like a dream.
I have a zhp 330ci convertible and i just changed all the parts you mentioned including the crank case vent vale. my car sounded like a tea kettle when I accelerated to 2k to 3k rpm. Also when the belts begin to give it sounds like birds chirping under the hood. ALSO replaced the coolant expansion tank. Spent about 1,700k.
Advice taken! Making the time to watch more. ('92 325i)
528im52 please come back with more of your great videos! We need you now more than ever. 528im52tu.
Very informative video - Thanks I will change the idler roller and all necessary components when doing the timing belt and I recommend using OEM or major brand parts!
Thanks for explaining the idler and tensioner pullies!
Well explanation, changing my every 110K miles, and had no problem, till I used cheap crap. At marker of 70K went out. So if you doing that job, spend a little more and get good staff. Thanks again for good info
Great tips and very clear explanation. Thanks for the video.
@delta3008 I also changed the tensioner's and pulleys, hoses, wheel alignment, tire balancing, oil change along with what I mentioned in my first post. Now my car handles like a dream. I failed to mention I had an oil leak because of the crank case valve and was putting 2 quarts of synthetic oil every 2 weeks. All is well now.
Word of advice people, if you find a good mechanic treat them like gold and buy them a X-MAS gift every year because good mechanics are hard to come by.
01 540i, I here this loud grinding noise coming from my car and my battery ligh comes on but sometimes the noise stops and everything goes back to normal. watching this video it has to be my small pullys. Thanks for the video!
Great Advice, I had to learn the hard way
Very good information. Thanks for the post.
@y2jpspmoney My wife has a 325i that failed to start recently. It sort of sounded like it was out of time as it cranked over. I talked to some decent mechanics and both said it was badly flooded. They went on to say that wet cylinders will reduce compression and can make it sound like it's out of time. I pulled the plugs, cranked the engine a few times to clean out the cylinders, poured a small amount of synthetic oil in the cylinders, reinstalled clean plugs and it fired right off.
Great video mate. I just had my cam shaft pulley go and i asked bmw to change all the pullies
How much did they charge for the cam shaft pulley
@y2jpspmoney Hey, thanks for the reply. I've since changed the valve cover and gasket and used good quality sealant in trouble areas. So far, so good -- no leaks. I had a good mechanic change the idler pulleys and belts also. As for the plugs, my car had OEM NGK plugs in it. So that's what I went back with. All's well now. The car runs great.
@willytv275 use new oem Bosh spark plugs dont get any oil or cleaner on them. make sure everything inside is very clean, if you have over 150,000 mile on that car I'm sure the old rubber seal is burnt to a crisp so it will be like hard plastic when you scrape it off, it shouldnt be like that should be soft like the new one you need to buy. Also put some sealent around the areas where it bolts down they tend to leak from those spots no need to dot the whole thing. give that a try goodluck
Thanks. This really helped me out.
Great video. Thank you sir!
Damn good video. Very informative.
@528im52 Thanks for posting!
i think you may have answered my problem, i have a very faint but constant squeel on my 318i almost like i slipping fanbelt but much quieter and doesn't get louder as i speed up. the noise kicks in after 5 ten minutes of driving. stops if i push in the clutch starts again as i release.
The belt does have those cracks on the underside. i'm hoping the noise is a squeaky pully. with the help of such video's i'm thinking of changing the belt and the 2 pulleys myself.
Ok idler and tensioner pullies have been noted, thank you. What about the crank pulley or that other pulley above it? Should I be worried about them?
very informative, thanks
thanks for the heads up man
great video
Good refresher 4 me, I took Automotive fundamentals in college back in 1999 an got the ASE but never used my skills i aquired my father always had his guys do it for me at the shop he owned. he passed away so now I have been working on my car myself since he died. All I can say is its all coming back to me. Question my E36 is sounding off idle when I turn on the AC. is that the AC that needs to be replaced runs fine when off an can you make a video for that replacement it would help thanks.
@willytv275 Was your check light on? did you have oil on your spark plugs before you started seeing mechanics or trying anything that you stated you did in your comment? if you had oil on the plugs to begin with it could be bad seals on the valve cover. there are "O" rings for each plug they go bad an let oil into the cylinder chamber which will give a bad air fuel mixture code on the scanner. try replacing the valve cover gasket, clean everything with part cleaner realy good and use new
Thanks for the effort.
hey karl, big fan of your tutorials. I was wondering what your thoughts are on aftermarket water & power steering pulleys? me e46m3 is mostly for daily driving with occasional autox.
thanks
Tip: Always carry an extra belt in the trunk, just in case it fails.
is the idler pulley the one with the belt going under it next to water pump with the 4 silver bolts sticking out?
it's not the one directly in the middle like he says in the video.....isn't that the tensioner pulley?
They both failed and caused the belt to shred, there was coolant leaking as well any idea where it might be coming from? Looked like the radiator cap
Great video - thank you :)
Great Mann Thanks
Thank you so much! How do you know if the crankshaft pulley goes bad? I am getting ready to do the repair of the belt, tensioners, and pulleys, but the big one...I keep getting told...usually does not get replaced....however, these were all just estimates given to me over the phone.. x5 3.0 2008 95K miles...if the crankshaft pulley is wobbling, it should be replaced, no?
Great tutorial ! ! ! Karl, I'm concerned about the belts and pulleys on my 2004 BMW 320i. It's got just 40,000 miles on it, and the original belts/pulleys look and sound okay. But they've been on ten years! Would you replace?
Many thanks for your great videos!
Why don't you want to start staggering the wear on the tensioner/idler pulleys?
my car is making a noise and I am sure is comming from the pulley or the tensioner..... But how do you know which one is failing?
What books have you read that you learned to talk so well?
Hey Karl, 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).
Cool how much do you think it would cost to do my idler and Tensioner, I should of done them both when I changed the belt and water pump dame it. I have some noise from the belt when at idle @528im52 do you think its the pullys my E46 330Ci has 88k on the clock
thank you so much would these cause a check engine light because i wanna fix any engine problems to make my car least for a long time plz get back to me if u can
how about showing me how to replace an alternator on a 98 23car and if it's not the Alt killing the Batt and the Batt is good, what is it?
Is squeaking sound coming from belts normal on cold start in cold time of the year? I didnt notice it during summer. The noise stops once car warmed up
Now thats a very farmiliar noise...I bettter change both of mine soon.
Doing the timming belt in an E46?! Are you talking about the steel timming belt that bimmers have?
quick question 2001 bmw x5 3.0 that when i turn the ac on it throws a misfire code if ac os off it dosent do it now could this b cause by a failut of a ac tensinore pully. ive checl every other possiblity just not the pullys an belt otself
hi i wonder if you can help me with a problem i have with my e46, it has a m43 engine, the car bucks when i'm driving and stalls when i stop at lights, i get the asc light when it starts doing this i got a code 136-engine speed / referens signal, not sure what it means would you have any idea what it could be?
Is it with replacing the water pump at the same time?
Do you have any DIY power steering replacement videos?
eugh, i need to do my pulleys, did everything else so far, but not the pulleys and they are noisy when spun by hand
Is is hard to get to the belt? How much of the car do I have to take apart?
Good day! be so kind to explain how to replace belts 1997 BMW 540. I write from La Pampa Argentina. Thank you very much!
How to check Frond pulley description number to match with my ecu
Can someone please tell me the name of the larger belt
My 323ci does a "chirp" kind of sound when idle, around 700 RPM. Does that mean it's the idler pulley, or not necessarily?
+Tony probably, doa belt and tentioner change. if its still there its goign to be a bit more expensive and tedious to fix, (bearings or misalignment)
how to take belt off?
I replaced both and my x5 belt still rip after replacement
Too bad the n54 turbos are not belt-driven
hey is there anyway i can send you a video of a noise I'm currently having and you can give me your 2 cents on it ? thanks
replacing belt every 60k km or max 3 years, so its not a very long time....
worth*
hey
fajne ale szkoda że nie znam tak dobrze angielskiego bo gościa nie rozumiem
thank you for this video!