Serpentine belt replacement

Mark444444 · 06-04-2019, 08:53 PM

Hi All,
Today, while doing 80 mph on the PA turnpike in my 2014 535 I felt a weird snap and rubber flopping feeling on the driver's side. Thought it might be a tire but it wasn't. All of a sudden I had a charging malfunction warning followed by loss of AC, loss of power steering and a limited chassis function warning. I managed to limp the car to the dealership which was six miles away. From everything I've read, this is a serpentine belt, a very common bugaboo for this engine. My question is has anyone had something similar happen, and if so, how much did the bill wind up being? Also, at 126k miles, do I have any recourse because it's a known issue?

Thanks!

ezaircon4jc · 06-04-2019, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark444444

Hi All,
Today, while doing 80 mph on the PA turnpike in my 2014 535 I felt a weird snap and rubber flopping feeling on the driver's side. Thought it might be a tire but it wasn't. All of a sudden I had a charging malfunction warning followed by loss of AC, loss of power steering and a limited chassis function warning. I managed to limp the car to the dealership which was six miles away. From everything I've read, this is a serpentine belt, a very common bugaboo for this engine. My question is has anyone had something similar happen, and if so, how much did the bill wind up being? Also, at 126k miles, do I have any recourse because it's a known issue?

Thanks!

You must have an X-Drive as the RWD F10 has electric power steering with no connection to the serpentine belt. Serpentine belts "failing" are a "known issue" on EVERY car that has one. There is no real difference between a serpentine belt and the old fan belts. It is a maintenance item and should be inspected regularly and changed at the first sight of wear. Hopefully the belt debris didn't get sucked into engine through the front seal.

socale39 · 06-04-2019, 11:54 PM

Replaced my entire belt drive system as preventative at 100k. It’s good practice on any car at this mileage and includes replacing the idler pulleys.

I would highly recommend replacing the tensioner and idler pulleys when having the belt replaced.

Surly73 · 06-05-2019, 08:43 AM

What's "special" about the N55 and a few other BMW engines, is that it's not just a normal serpentine belt failure.

First, the common failure item of the oil filter housing gasket can lead to oil leaking all over the belt, tensioner and nearby coolant hoses etc... This leaking oil causes the belt to fail faster than it normally would. (But there's still lots of warning)

When the belt breaks, it's very common for it to get wound up behind the main pulley and belt shrapnel gets forced through the front main seal and into the timing chain and oil pan.

This is a big deal.

You really, really don't want a belt failure on these engines because the collateral damage could mean a new engine, or thousands in labour to recover all of the pieces of belt.

There's lots of threads on this. Check your belts and pulleys! Watch for OFHG leaks!

06-04-2019, 08:53 PM	#1
Mark444444 Private 176 Rep 50 Posts Drives: F10 LCI BMW 535i msport Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Philadelphia iTrader: (0) Garage List 2024 BMW i5 m60 [0.00]	Serpentine belt replacement Hi All, Today, while doing 80 mph on the PA turnpike in my 2014 535 I felt a weird snap and rubber flopping feeling on the driver's side. Thought it might be a tire but it wasn't. All of a sudden I had a charging malfunction warning followed by loss of AC, loss of power steering and a limited chassis function warning. I managed to limp the car to the dealership which was six miles away. From everything I've read, this is a serpentine belt, a very common bugaboo for this engine. My question is has anyone had something similar happen, and if so, how much did the bill wind up being? Also, at 126k miles, do I have any recourse because it's a known issue? Thanks!
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06-04-2019, 11:54 PM	#3
socale39 Major 209 Rep 1,044 Posts Drives: 04 545i SMG Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: California iTrader: (0)	Replaced my entire belt drive system as preventative at 100k. It’s good practice on any car at this mileage and includes replacing the idler pulleys. I would highly recommend replacing the tensioner and idler pulleys when having the belt replaced.
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06-05-2019, 08:43 AM	#4
Surly73 Lieutenant Colonel 534 Rep 1,873 Posts Drives: '11 535xi 8AT KWv3 MPE MHD xHP Join Date: May 2012 Location: Oakville, Ontario iTrader: (1)	What's "special" about the N55 and a few other BMW engines, is that it's not just a normal serpentine belt failure. First, the common failure item of the oil filter housing gasket can lead to oil leaking all over the belt, tensioner and nearby coolant hoses etc... This leaking oil causes the belt to fail faster than it normally would. (But there's still lots of warning) When the belt breaks, it's very common for it to get wound up behind the main pulley and belt shrapnel gets forced through the front main seal and into the timing chain and oil pan. This is a big deal. You really, really don't want a belt failure on these engines because the collateral damage could mean a new engine, or thousands in labour to recover all of the pieces of belt. There's lots of threads on this. Check your belts and pulleys! Watch for OFHG leaks!
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