Belt Squeal

raptorman5174 · 07-12-2020, 12:14 PM

Ok guys I'm getting pretty frustrated here with this. I have a cold start belt squeal that goes away after the car heats up. Sounds like a flock of birds chirping away under my hood

it's pretty obnoxious and it's driving me crazy.

I have replaced practically everything.

belt
tensioner
all the pulley's
and the harmonic balancer.

I checked the alternator pulley and it is not seized up, spins in one direction and locks up in the other as it should.

i'm thinking I might have gotten a bad tensioner when I ordered it.

any help would be appreciated

Emilime75 · 07-12-2020, 12:23 PM

I just installed a new OE(made by INA) tensioner and idler pulleys, and the top pulley on the tensioner was defective. It had a wobble and I was afraid it would throw the belt. Warrantied it and replaced so now it's good.

Did you have a squeak before replacing all of the drive belt components?

raptorman5174 · 07-12-2020, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emilime75

I just installed a new OE(made by INA) tensioner and idler pulleys, and the top pulley on the tensioner was defective. It had a wobble and I was afraid it would throw the belt. Warrantied it and replaced so now it's good.

Did you have a squeak before replacing all of the drive belt components?

I did not have a squeak before but the tensioner would bounce around when the car was running.
so I had to replace it, I hadn't been in there yet so I bought the kit from FCP.

I'm going to replace the tensioner again and hope that fixes it.

HiRev335i · 07-12-2020, 01:13 PM

the bird chirp is usually a defective pully looks like you got one that may of been. I'd start by taking the belt off again spin each individual pully manually see if you can hear or possibly feel any difference in the way it spins

Emilime75 · 07-12-2020, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raptorman5174

I did not have a squeak before but the tensioner would bounce around when the car was running.
so I had to replace it, I hadn't been in there yet so I bought the kit from FCP.

I'm going to replace the tensioner again and hope that fixes it.

My belt kit also came from FCP, so warranting it was easy. Pretty disappointed with the fact that it was defective in the first place, curious if yours turns out to be, also.

If you haven't warrantied anything through FCP before, it's pretty easy. You can warranty just the tensioner instead of the whole kit.

raptorman5174 · 07-16-2020, 11:48 AM

got my new tensioner today from FCP. Installed it and my chirping bird sounds are now gone.

The unit I replaced didn't look bad or have any obvious signs that I could see.

The only thing I will note is that the bolt that holds the top pulley also holds the tensioner on. Make sure the bolt and pulley are lined up and not off center and also torqued down correctly

Emilime75 · 07-16-2020, 12:16 PM

That sucks. Good that you got it replaced and fixed the squeak, bad that what is supposed to be good quality parts are coming in defective.

07-12-2020, 12:14 PM	#1
raptorman5174 Second Lieutenant 47 Rep 259 Posts Drives: 2007 E92 335i 6 speed Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central Jersey iTrader: (0)	Belt Squeal Ok guys I'm getting pretty frustrated here with this. I have a cold start belt squeal that goes away after the car heats up. Sounds like a flock of birds chirping away under my hood it's pretty obnoxious and it's driving me crazy. I have replaced practically everything. belt tensioner all the pulley's and the harmonic balancer. I checked the alternator pulley and it is not seized up, spins in one direction and locks up in the other as it should. i'm thinking I might have gotten a bad tensioner when I ordered it. any help would be appreciated __________________ 2007 e92 335i 6 speed FBO CPE Catted HiFlo DP's BMS SSK & JB4
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

07-12-2020, 12:23 PM	#2
Emilime75 Colonel 1209 Rep 2,476 Posts Drives: 2010 335i E92 LeMans Blue Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Merica! iTrader: (1)	I just installed a new OE(made by INA) tensioner and idler pulleys, and the top pulley on the tensioner was defective. It had a wobble and I was afraid it would throw the belt. Warrantied it and replaced so now it's good. Did you have a squeak before replacing all of the drive belt components?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-12-2020, 01:13 PM	#4
HiRev335i Private First Class 46 Rep 117 Posts Drives: 09 E92 335i sport pkg Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	the bird chirp is usually a defective pully looks like you got one that may of been. I'd start by taking the belt off again spin each individual pully manually see if you can hear or possibly feel any difference in the way it spins
	Appreciate 1 VehementCrom177.00 Quote

07-16-2020, 11:48 AM	#6
raptorman5174 Second Lieutenant 47 Rep 259 Posts Drives: 2007 E92 335i 6 speed Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central Jersey iTrader: (0)	got my new tensioner today from FCP. Installed it and my chirping bird sounds are now gone. The unit I replaced didn't look bad or have any obvious signs that I could see. The only thing I will note is that the bolt that holds the top pulley also holds the tensioner on. Make sure the bolt and pulley are lined up and not off center and also torqued down correctly __________________ 2007 e92 335i 6 speed FBO CPE Catted HiFlo DP's BMS SSK & JB4
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-16-2020, 12:16 PM	#7
Emilime75 Colonel 1209 Rep 2,476 Posts Drives: 2010 335i E92 LeMans Blue Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Merica! iTrader: (1)	That sucks. Good that you got it replaced and fixed the squeak, bad that what is supposed to be good quality parts are coming in defective.
	Appreciate 0 Quote