[enrita]

Today for the second time my Alternator/Servo belt shredded. Battery light on , steering wheel gets really hard. Battery must have been down because after only 5 km of highway on my way home (was testing the car with a friend of mine) the ABS light came on, AT light etc etc so we had to stop and called the truck that took it to BMW.

First time happened at 25K and now at 40K . Am i the only one with this recurring problem with the belt???

tow trunk had a camera filming the back of the truck. Took a picture:

[Brian135i]

I have seen one other person with a shredded belt. :-(

[scottp999]

Strange.

It's amazing all the electrical gremlins that come out to play when the battery is marginal. In addition to the ones you mentioned, my radio volume would not work.

[vasillalov]

Perhaps you have a bent pulley, bad bearing or simply the tensioner is too tight and it is shredding the belt.

Also, check to see if the belt feels oily. Often, if the belts get contaminated by coolant, oil, etc etc, they will degrade rather quickly...

[chocobo15]

i had this happen ... i'm @ around 8k on my odometer

they replaced several pullies along with the belt

it scared the shit out of me when it happened. Lost power steering, AC, traction control, etc etc, every single possible warning light came on

towed to BMW, and they fixed it in a couple days. I hope this isn't another one of those recurring problems!

[FLA 335]

that does sound strange... i was curios about the thread title as i hadnt seem anything like this come up before... yikes! i guess i should be more weary about the possibility of this happening... have either of you degreased or put belt dressing or anything usual? or did this just happen out of the blue??

hope it gets fixed!!!

[jrsniper12453]

When you took it in the first time did they just replace the belt? There was a sib or something that a fault in the frame of some cars (07 coupe i know for sure) made it so when you went over bumps it flexed up and rubbed against the alternator belt, which obviously will lead to it fraying and eventually snapping. Look into it quick before your warranty is up.

[itsbrokeagain]

I had this issue with mine, it being an 07 6MT. The power steering pulley at the bottom rubbed subframe, and broke, seen it starting to happen on my friends 07 as well.

Bmw should replace it with a smaller pulley and fit a newer belt...unless you broke the updated one!

[badass335]

Originally Posted by Matt@Camber-Toe

I had this issue with mine, it being an 07 6MT. The power steering pulley at the bottom rubbed subframe, and broke, seen it starting to happen on my friends 07 as well.

Bmw should replace it with a smaller pulley and fit a newer belt...unless you broke the updated one!

+1
Had the same thing happen to me. Making a left off a highway, oncoming semi-truck about 50ft away, i hit the gas pedal and wham, dash lights up, lose powersteering etc. freaked me out. The horn on the oncoming truck didn't help either. I slam the gas pedal, and make it across the light. pull over and look under the hood and can see the shredded belt. Call bmw, have the car towed and they find bits of belt INSIDE the engine.

on the plus side, i got a new engine block and subframe pulleys under warranty but another 30secs and it wouldn't have mattered as i'd be a fly on the semi's grill!

Apparently the issue was the subframe and pulley. there is a SIB on it.

[jrsniper12453]

Originally Posted by badass335

+1
Had the same thing happen to me. Making a left off a highway, oncoming semi-truck about 50ft away, i hit the gas pedal and wham, dash lights up, lose powersteering etc. freaked me out. The horn on the oncoming truck didn't help either. I slam the gas pedal, and make it across the light. pull over and look under the hood and can see the shredded belt. Call bmw, have the car towed and they find bits of belt INSIDE the engine.

on the plus side, i got a new engine block and subframe pulleys under warranty but another 30secs and it wouldn't have mattered as i'd be a fly on the semi's grill!

Apparently the issue was the subframe and pulley. there is a SIB on it.

Good thing it wasn't the hpfp that went out or the whole slamming the gas pedal might not have worked so well.

[enrita]

yeah the first time a pulley broke and with time ate up the belt. Will see what it is this time.

[enrita]

nice .. happened again at 61K.....

[Lulz_M3]

Originally Posted by enrita

nice .. happened again at 61K.....

I would have them replace the pulleys, something is out of spec