Bizarre - My first time being stranded thanks to the e34 :(

[kngpen]

So I had just got finished doing a complete oil change. Gave it the test drive around the highway and everything worked great. I parked it and turned it off and went inside for a little bit. My girlfriend called and wanted me to come visit her. So I left and here is where it begins….

I get about 3 miles down the road and the power steering stops working. Its harder to turn the slower I go. The battery light comes on and the “park brake” lights come on as well. I keep driving trying to get to my girlfriends place which is a couple more miles. Well next thing you know, my car is overheating. I pull to the side of the road turn on my hazards pop the hood, and its smoking, and there’s coolant underneath the car (don’t know if anything busted or what, radiator is relatively new). The weird thing was that the belts popped off. The smaller one which I believe is for the power steering popped all the way off while the bigger one, the fan belt popped off but is still in its section. The belts are a few weeks old and it just now started getting really cold. I have no clue what has happened but this is what I am guessing. The belts aren’t correct for the car or are too big or something along those lines. They popped off and the car overheated (car still drives fine btw). I dropped the car off in the shop parking lot but they wont be open till Jan 2nd. Can anyone find any correlation in this? Is it my fault or perhaps faulty belts (they aren’t broken). Please help, thanks

-Joseph

[Paul in NZ]

its all related to the belts..although the parking brake light confuses me.Have you changed the belts?????

[MBXB]

Sounds like the belts were not tensioned properly last time they were changed. i.e. the front and rear of the belt need to have the same amount of tension. The "tech" who tightened up my AC belt used some kind of prybar and probably pulled slightly towards the front, then locked down the tension nuts, pulling them out of line. The belt lasted 4 weeks. I caught it in time. One edge of the belt was almost worn thru.

[Bellicose Right Winger]

Interesting symptoms. Throwing one belt + coolant leak sounds like M50 water pump failure. Grab the fan blade and check for play. The other belt drives the AC compressor. Both belts thrown suggests improper installation, wrong belts or crank pulley problem.

Paul Shovestul

[Bill R.]

alternator to the water pump on the m50tu, the other belt is for the compressor. Its very easy to lose one belt due to failed water pump bearing or a failed bearing on the pulley tensioner and then have that belt get entangled in the other belt and tear it up too...





Interesting symptoms. Throwing one belt + coolant leak sounds like M50 water pump failure. Grab the fan blade and check for play. The other belt drives the AC compressor. Both belts thrown suggests improper installation, wrong belts or crank pulley problem.

Paul Shovestul

[Russell]

BTW, the ribbed belts on the M50 engine are automatically tensioned.


Interesting symptoms. Throwing one belt + coolant leak sounds like M50 water pump failure. Grab the fan blade and check for play. The other belt drives the AC compressor. Both belts thrown suggests improper installation, wrong belts or crank pulley problem.

Paul Shovestul

[bimmerd00d]

there are 2 types of belts, my guess is that the wrong one was installed.

[Mass535Love]

I had the same thing just happen. It boggled my mind for a little bit. I was driving to the store to pick up some oranges and dog food when I noticed the car nearing the red. I turned off of 9 and headed back home. About 1 mile away. When getting home I looked again and noticed my ABS light, parking light, and battery light were on also. I have no idea why the parking brake light is on but it is.

Anyway I couldn't figure for the life of me why it's doing all of this. Upon 2nd inspection I notice my fan/alternator belt is broken. I call up and find a replacement from Advance. They quote the belt at being 40.5 inches where I measure mine at 40 inches. Is this going to be a problem? This 1/2 inch difference?

[Kalevera]

Don't know about the inches, but:

On the 535 fan belt, the dealer will sell you a Conti 13x1040. You can try to pull it on; I couldn't pry it over the alternator (this is the way it's supposed to go on, and I couldn't do it even when the alt tensioner was as close to the engine block as it can get), gave up, and returned the part in favor of Advanced Autopart's "gatorback"-esque 13 x 1055. The manual lists a 1055 or 1060, I forget which... The 1065 that Autozone sells for the car is TOO BIG, won't tension properly, and will end up squealing.

The 1055 has tensioned and worked fine for me. I would use anything between 1040 (if you can get it on) and 1055 on the car.

You will want to replace the other two V belts while you're doing the fan belt. And if the belts were neglected to the point that they're snapping, I'd also check/do preventative maintenance on the cooling system. Definitely flush the coolant with BMW cool blue or any other phosphate-free coolant if it's been more than two years (or you have reason to believe it's been more than two years).

Do a search on the board for the title "e34 hell" - I discussed getting the wrong belts/parts from these places in length on that thread.

Don't run the car without the fan belt - it's a very bad bad idea.

best, whit

[Mass535Love]

I got the Dayco TopCog 13A1055. I'm guessing the size is 1055. I got it from Advance Autoparts for $15. I'm looking in the Bentley manual and it (as far as I know) doesn't show exactly how to replace this belt. Does it only go over the Alternater/fan pulley or are there others? How do I get it over the fan? Do I have to remove the fan to get it on? Do I need any special tools? I've only replaced one belt before and that was a simple, loosen tensioner/slip belt on, job on a 88 mustang. Can anyone point me in the direction for step by step to get it on? I can figure it out if someone tells me but I just don't know what to do with the fan. There's not as much room in the engine compartment as I'm use to with the mustangs puny 4 cyl engine :)

I only ran the car not knowing the belt was broken. I honestly don't know how the battery lasted without the alternator. My alt died in my mustang and the battery was drained in no time.

[Kalevera]

Yes, that's the same belt I'm using.

You don't have to remove the fan clutch to replace the belts, but it will make your life easier. You need a thin 32mm wrench to do it (Park Tool sells one that does the trick for about $4). Else, find something that will take it off. The clutch has left hand/reversed threading (so righty is loosey).

The reason I mentioned replacing the other belts is that you have to remove them in order to install the fan belt. Here's my procedure for doing it:

1) Under the hood: pull the fan shroud and, optionally, the fan. Fan shroud has two plastic "rivets" that hold it in. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to pop them out. If you pull the fan, set it on the ground so that the blades are vertical, so the clutch stays in the same position relative to the ground as it does when affixed to the water pump.

2) Jack the front of the car up or put it on ramps.

3) Remove the plastic engine cover (3 x plastic screws and one bolt on the subframe, IIRC).

4) Loosen the adjusters and belts on the power steering and ac compressor. Remove the old belts.

5) Install new belts, tension them so that you can push down about 1/2" in between the accessories. This should be not too tight, not too loose.

Important note: a common problem on the m30's is to have stripped teeth on the tensioners or a half shattered gear. If this happens, use a large screw driver to manipulate the amount of tension on the belts.

Good luck! Best, whit

[Mass535Love]

Very nice, Very detailed. I think I have enough to get this done now. I'll pick up 2 more belts and get them all taken care of. Thank you.

[Mass535Love]

Is #2 important? Will I be working mostly from underneath the car?
I'm trying to locate the adjusters. I guess I don't know what they look like. I'll keep looking.

[GS535i]

It's been a while since doing 535i belts, but check for and loosen all securing bolts on the alt, PS, AC, etc before turning the adjusters: If the accessories are not free to pivot on their mounting bolts - adjusters are sure to bend or fail. Some mounting bolts are nicely hidden on the back side ....

[Kalevera]

I WOULD UNLESS YOU HAVE A LOT OF DEXTERITY.

SORRY FOR THE CAPS - I JUST SPILLED MY DRINK ALL OVER MY KEYBOARD AND IT DOESN'T w2ORK CORRECTLY ANYMORE. ARGH

[gma]

Same thing happened to me on the way back from skiing - yes, it was frickin' freezing!

I first noticed the steering getting tight, then the idiot lights. The overheating / pegged temp gauge is what pulled me over (also, still runs fine - M50's are darn near bullet-proof!).

We didn't notice the water pump pully awry until we were well into the roadside inspection. I think the state trooper's flashlight had enough umph for my buddy to see it (he stopped to see that we were ok and let us sit in his cruiser till my gal could pick us up). (Rambling for a reason - hang on).

On the way to fetch us, her Mercury Mistake ... er ... Mystique froze the thermostat and gernaided on the way there.

My fix - $400 for parts and labor. Hers - $2,000 for a motor swap for a car worth barely that much - the head looked like a roller-coaster ...

Does anyone make an audible overheating sensor? It's far too easy to not notice a pegged temp gauge.