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*** DIY Belt Tensioner Replacement With Pictures ***

171K views 97 replies 61 participants last post by  AudioSavant 
#1 ·
Remove 4 clips and remove cover. Close up of clips (pull pin straight up to release)









Remove to additional screws that enclose the fan blade. Facing the car on the left. Remove torx screw and unhook the two electrical connections. Facing the car on the right side, remove the pull-pin clip just like the first photo.










Remove the fan and fan shroud. The fan loosens up left to right when facing the car.




Use a 16mm or 5/8” socket wrench to release the tension on the tensioner to release the belt counter clockwise.






Remove dust cover from the top pulley and remove to access the tensioner bolts below.





Remove top and bottom tensioner bolts.








Install is the reverse. Here’s a diagram of the belt if you forgot to take a picture.






The hardest part is getting the fan back on. Be patience and remember to spin the fan right to left when putting it back on.

Enjoy and I hope this helps all..



Created by Almario
 

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#31 ·
#33 ·
if its really annoying and you think its obviously an issue that you cant resolve... ask a mechanic to inspect the noise... should be free. but some might charge you. good luck
 
#34 · (Edited)
I have the same noise...had my mechanic to take a look at it and said I need the belt change..the idle pulley and the belt tensioner...
never heard of Idle pulley...is that the same as deflection?

I go to RealOem...and see 2 different pulley. Adjusting and Deflection....could the adjust pulley be the problem as well?
 
#36 ·
Belt tensioner& pulley OEM manufacturer

Hi, can anyone recommend or tell me if the manufacturer matters or if they the quality of the tensioners & pullys I am looking at are all the same?

I live in Canada so I preference would be to order from www.autopartsway.ca with their free shiping over $75.

Any other suggestions are welcome.

mfg: INA
www.bimmerspecialist.com/canada/parts/product_details/11281427252

mfg: ?
http://www.autopartsway.ca/autoparts2/index.cfm?fetch=part~ID=2003~BMW~325i Sedan~241030

mfg: Ruville
http://catalog.worldpac.com/marks/w...03&category=All&part=Acc.+Belt+Tension+Pulley
 
#42 ·
idle pulley aka deflection pulley for who was asking. I have the hydraulic system which im having a problem with.
I change my alternator this weekend and stripped the t-50 bolt in side the tensioner pulley. Does anyone know how to get this hydraulic system off?? Or have an idea of how to get the stripped bolt out?
I'm sure you guys know there isnt very much space with the fan out
 
#43 ·
mine has been making noise since 2 years ago. especially in the cold morning. but lately it has stop after spraying WD40 on it. just dont spray it on the belt.
 
#45 ·
fan clutch tool & 32mm thin wrench

I am trying to find the 32mm slim wrench and the pulley holder on line but I am not having any success. Can anyone help me out with identifying who I can get this from other than the local bmw dealership. I need to replace the idler pulley, but I cannot get the fan off.
Hi, as I said, I bought mine from bimmertools.com. It was a little pricey ($73), but they are really solid.

http://www.whatsyourconcept.com/itemDetails.asp?itemID=879
 
#47 ·
very nice write up man, ill be bookmarking this for reference when i go to do this on, probably, wednesday.
 
#48 ·
help! i cant get the fan off. im sitting here turning the nut for the fan from left to right as noted on page 1 but nothing is happening, so help?
 
#49 ·
Do you have the two wrench set used to remove fan?
 
#50 ·
ha no i do not but i got it off like right after i posted that. i just used an 11/4 wrench, yes, eleven/four wrench and a really long screwdriver. the screwdriver was used as a crowbar to hold the part of the fan with 3 bolts still while i loosened the fan nut. but after that, everything was very simple.
 
#51 ·
Excellent! Some of the guys use the two wrenches and others are lucky enough like you to use one wrench and a long screw driver. I tried the screw driver and couldn't budge it, so off to the two wrenches I went. Change water pump as well while you were there?
 
#52 ·
nah, it was alreayd 930 here when i started that little project, so i was just more interested in getting the tensioner changed out, but turns out im gunna have to replace that deflection pulley as well because both that and the tensioner pulley had gone bad. so i'll get that sometime next week probably. i have a few other minor issues to worry about for now.
 
#54 ·
Tensioner Replacement

My engine started making a loud whining noise at start up but would disappear when it warmed up. The dealer said it was the tensioners and wanted $1300 for the repair. I found this great post and it gave me the confidence to try the repair myself. I bought 2 new tensioners and belts from Autohaus AZ and a $15 32mm wrench at Autozone and did the repair myself in about 90 minutes. The engine sounds like new again. Thanks to E46Fanatics for saving me over a thousand bucks!!!

I ended up getting the mechanical tensioners. I drive the car about 10,000 miles a year so I figure I have another 7 or 8 years before I have to worry about this again.
 
#60 ·
I was worried about the same thing. You just have to do a visual and see it it looks like item # 2 in post 57 (non-hydrallic) or if it looks like the pic in post 9 & has a hydrallic cylinder.

Not much help I know. But if you have the hydrallic type the cylinder should be easily identified.

I also highly recommend doing the idler pulley @ the same time. It's inexpensive and it typicall goes with the same frequency of the tensioner pulley.
 
#65 · (Edited)
If you have the mechanical pulley, and you just want to replace the pulley on the Alternator tensioner and the AC tensioner without buying the whole unit, you can buy them at Autozone. Duralast Part #231133. Cost is $29.99

The AC Pulley and Alternator tensioners uses the same pulley.

They are the same as the Dayco brand ones that others have said to work. The Autozone (Duralast) brand pulley are probably made by Dayco and put in a Duralast box. They are 100% identical.

The Dayco/Duralast pulleys look exactly like the OEM ones, except they have an orange color center instead of black. The Dayco/Duralast also says INA on them, which is the same as the OEM ones.

here is the link:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ca...ner&store=3351&searchText=&brandName=Duralast

 
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