E91 Straight Six Bearding

E91 Straight Six Bearding

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Discussion

g3org3y

20,606 posts

190 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
Not great news for the E91

Wife driving home today, apparently battery light came on and steering v heavy. Just about got it back home into the drive. (She also mentioned a whirring sound!?)

Am assuming alternator fail.

How far can you drive with a fully charged battery and non functioning alternator?

d_a_n1979

8,085 posts

71 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
g3org3y said:
Not great news for the E91

Wife driving home today, apparently battery light came on and steering v heavy. Just about got it back home into the drive. (She also mentioned a whirring sound!?)

Am assuming alternator fail.

How far can you drive with a fully charged battery and non functioning alternator?
Not very; could it be a belt that's slipped/snapped?!

I'd want to check under the bonnet before starting/driving the car personally!

g3org3y

20,606 posts

190 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
d_a_n1979 said:
Not very; could it be a belt that's slipped/snapped?!

I'd want to check under the bonnet before starting/driving the car personally!
Yes, quite possible.

I'll have to see what the dealio is when I get home this evening after work. Another faff. rolleyes

Court_S

12,764 posts

176 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
g3org3y said:
Not great news for the E91

Wife driving home today, apparently battery light came on and steering v heavy. Just about got it back home into the drive. (She also mentioned a whirring sound!?)

Am assuming alternator fail.

How far can you drive with a fully charged battery and non functioning alternator?
Isn't the alternator relatively easy to change (well compared to say the waterpump)?

bmwmike

6,918 posts

107 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
+1 for checking the belt and if it has snapped, hope you can find all of it eek

JakeT

5,406 posts

119 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
As others have mentioned, check the belt. If the tensioner has failed some of the belt may have been sucked through the front main seal. Otherwise it would be an idler failure or the belt has just snapped.

Since the pump is electric the engine won’t overheat at least. smile

g3org3y

20,606 posts

190 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
I'll report back when I get home.

Of all the BMWs I've had, this one has been the more niggly/problematic.

(They don't make 'em like they used to etc)

Gunk

3,302 posts

158 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
If it is heavy power steering and a battery light on, I’d almost guarantee that its just the belt. It drives the power steering pump and alternator.

bmwmike

6,918 posts

107 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
Gunk said:
If it is heavy power steering and a battery light on, I’d almost guarantee that its just the belt. It drives the power steering pump and alternator.
Was thinking same. And my comment about hopefully being able to locate the belt was in reference to the whirring noise...

g3org3y

20,606 posts

190 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
What do you guys reckon, might be the belt!? hehe






Gunk

3,302 posts

158 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
Has it slipped off or has it snapped?

Court_S

12,764 posts

176 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
Whoops….hopefully nothing has been ingested.

g3org3y

20,606 posts

190 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
Gunk said:
Has it slipped off or has it snapped?
It seems to have torn longitudinally!

Court_S said:
Whoops….hopefully nothing has been ingested.
On cursory glance appears ok.

I've taken the airbox off to get a better view.


I released the tension to try and get the belt off, but it's caught behind the tensioner.


And also caught down here:


Getting dark so left it for the night. I THINK I have the tensioner, idler pully and belt (as well as waterpump actually) in the garage for N52 as I was planning to get it done on the 630i at some point.

EDIT: Found them:


What would cause such a belt failure? Presumably one of the spinning components has failed/seized? The idler pully seems fine, as does the waterpump and alternator. I can't spin the tensioner as that bit of belt stuck behind.

Edited by g3org3y on Wednesday 22 June 07:11

bmwmike

6,918 posts

107 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
Could be a weak tensioner / wobbly idler wheel walked the belt off. I'd change the tensioner and belt then watch it with the engine running, be obvious if something else is amiss.

VS02

2,003 posts

59 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
Maybe not completely related to E9x but a tenuous link (but not worth a new thread), I saw these wheels fitted to an M135i which made it look fantastic, am I right in thinking these are 18” E92 M3 wheels?





g3org3y

20,606 posts

190 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
bmwmike said:
Could be a weak tensioner / wobbly idler wheel walked the belt off. I'd change the tensioner and belt then watch it with the engine running, be obvious if something else is amiss.
That's the plan. Will get on it tomorrow morning and see what's what.

(Am trying to channel my inner Sreten hehe)

bmwmike

6,918 posts

107 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
g3org3y said:
bmwmike said:
Could be a weak tensioner / wobbly idler wheel walked the belt off. I'd change the tensioner and belt then watch it with the engine running, be obvious if something else is amiss.
That's the plan. Will get on it tomorrow morning and see what's what.

(Am trying to channel my inner Sreten hehe)
Not a bad job but make sure you have a torx plus socket, or at least that's what mine (n53) needed.. Much snugger and more secure fit than regular torx.

Edited by bmwmike on Tuesday 21st June 23:34

helix402

7,832 posts

181 months

Tuesday 21st June 2022
quotequote all
g3org3y said:
On cursory glance appears ok.

I've taken the airbox off to get a better view.


I released the tension to try and get the belt off, but it's stuck behind the tensioner


And also down here:


Getting dark so left it for the night. I THINK I have the tensioner, idler pully and belt (well as waterpump actually) in the garage for N52 as I was planning to get it done on the 630i at some point.

EDIT: Found them:


What would cause such a belt failure? Presumably one of the spinning components has failed/seized? The idler pully seems fine, as does the waterpump and alternator. I can't spin the tensioner as that bit of belt stuck behind.

Edited by g3org3y on Tuesday 21st June 21:49
Old belts fail. It looks to have been leaked on too for a while which tends to hasten demise. Good news that you’ve got the new bits in stock.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 22nd June 2022
quotequote all
VS02 said:
Maybe not completely related to E9x but a tenuous link (but not worth a new thread), I saw these wheels fitted to an M135i which made it look fantastic, am I right in thinking these are 18” E92 M3 wheels?




Those are BMW performance wheels, not M3 wheels. Can’t remember the number, there was a 19” version for E9X cars. The 18” M3 wheels were 219 and 260, very similar. (I’m warming up, the performance wheels might be M269s).

helix402

7,832 posts

181 months

Wednesday 22nd June 2022
quotequote all
270s are E9x M3 winter wheels, 8x18.