2015 35i MSport serpentine belt replacement time ?

[pfschim1]

Hey there fellow E84 owners/appreciators. I had battery service done on my 2015 X1 35i MSport today (hesitant start up, info screen flashed on start, tech showed 28-35% battery voltage and apparently the undervolt condition fried some system relay). New battery, relay and annual service done and the car is humming along as always. SM said I should strongly consider replacing the serpentine belt and tensioner though.

The car is 6 years old and has 44k miles. I'm a little skeptical of this dealership on maintenance guidance and wanted to see what you all think about the likelihood of my car really needing this work at 44k miles. Seems on the early side to me, but maybe not. It's not a huge job (quoted $791.00) but it ain't chicken feed either.

any insight to share on this topic ? something I can look for myself ?

Thanks!

[wheela]

Hmmm... I also have a 2015 X1 35i MSport, but I'm at 59k and change for miles. At this point, the dealership hasn't mentioned doing anything with my serpentine belt. I'd be really interested to hear what people have to say regarding a replacement interval, it would suck for that to go. Did the dealership mention any symptoms that yours may be wearing out early? Any squeeling, or oil dripping onto the belt?

[pfschim1]

no symptoms reported at all, the serpentine work was just listed as suggested repair in the work detail papers.

Did some reading on the topic and it seems like users can check the belt themselves ... primarily looking for a high level of cracking on the edges of the belt ... so many per inch I think. Not sure if I can actually do this, but I'll give it a try.

As I mentioned, I am somewhat skeptical of this particular BMW shop. Last year they recommended that I get my oil pan gasket replaced as there was an "active leak". I had not noticed any oil loss or oil levels dropping, so I passed on that particular repair. FWIW, while replacing the oil pan gasket might seem like a modest cost repair, its not! BMW qoted me $2,300 for the work. Evidently, due to the design of the X1, the front axle and suspension have to come off the car in order to reach the oil pan to replace the simple oil pan gasket. Geez!

So, I'm going to see if I can examine any part of the serpentine belt and see if it shows any cracking at all.

oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

[pfschim1]

kinda quiet around here lately. No one have any opinions or experiences to share about this serpentine belt replacement question ?

[d-A-w]

Funny you say that, I changed both recently.

I changed my battery 2 weeks ago.

Car failed to start 3-4 times, where I had to wait 20 seconds, and then it would start. I remembered it used to shutdown quickly last winter due to battery when I just wanted to listen a bit of radio. I still could charge the old battery full, but changing it wasn't a placebo, the new battery starts so quickly compared to the old one.

I changed the serpentine/tensioner/idler pulleys last week. Sound it was making was crazy annoying, so I changed all that and it's running like new now.
I took my time, did it at 0°C, and it took me about 1h30. Today, I could probably do it in less than 45 minutes. It costed me 260$CAD total.
I used this how-to from Kies Motorsports :

My 2015 35i has 86,000km.

[pfschim1]

thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, I'm unlikely to do this work myself. I'm past the point of wrenching on my cars anymore.

So, 89km = 56k miles. I wonder if my 44k miles of wear really justifies the replacement ?
I know that if the darn thing breaks, I could be in a world of hurt so I guess I need to check with some local qualified, non-BMW dealership shops to see what price I can get for the work.

[Gamb1t]

Modern serpentine belts last for many miles. 44k miles seem too soon needing replacement. Also unlike belts of yore, new EPDM material do not exhibit cracks. They wear much like tire treads. There is a tool you can use to check. A new belt will have deep V-shaped grooves while a worn one will be shallower and wider U-shaped grooves.

If your tensioner is failing, you may experience belt squeals. You can check the belt deflection range too. If you are going to replace this, you might as well replace the idler pulley.

Are you getting error codes indicating poor battery charge? Poor battery health can trigger all sorts of error codes because the sensors are not receiving the right amount of voltage.
I hook a CTEK smart charger to my 2014 X1 once a month to keep the battery in healthy shape. There are alot of cumulative electrical draw even if the car is off due to various sensors. I'm still on my original AGM battery @115k km. Car starts up with no fuss.

Trouble starting can be attributed to engine starter issue.

[pfschim1]

I've had no issues overtly related to the serpentine belt. No squealing, no unusual noises, no error codes ... just a recommendation from my BMW dealer Service Advisor to replace the belt and tensioner.

The battery issue I had seemed legit. Nearly 7 year old battery (tech showed it had as little as 28% charge) and starts that were getting iffy. Since the battery replacement the car has been fine.

I have a local shop with a solid reputation that does BMW work and they said they could check the belt for me, so I think I'll give that a try before I make any decision to do this repair.

[pfschim1]

Thought I'd come back and update on this situation.

After the Christmas/New Year holiday busy season past I finally got my X1 over to a local shop with a great reputation that specializes in german auto repair.

The tech did an inspection of the serpentine belt, tensioner and pulleys and told me I was at pretty much no risk. No noise from the pulleys, belt tension was good, and the belt itself had not even worn the markings in any meaningful way.

So, I guess I'll chalk this up to either VERY conservative maintenance advice from the dealer .... or perhaps even unethical pushing of an un-needed repair.

As I mentioned in my original post, I have had a few interactions with my local BMW dealer (East Bay BMW in Pleasanton, CA) since my 2015 X1 went off the original new car maint package that have left me less than impressed with their honesty.

Oh well, live and learn. Good news for me is that the SF Bay Area has quite a few independent shops that have great reputations.

[healeydays]

I have a 2014 35i that has 38K on it. It was stored for a couple years and not driven much and the belt was starting to slip so it is time and my shop is doing it as I post.

[bosstones]

2014 N55 w/ ~83k miles. No issues with my (original) belt and pulleys. I'll be replacing mine w/ a belt and pulley kit from FCP, though. My reason is more proactive since I am leaking from the OFH (and valve cover...grrr). Belt and pulleys seem straightforward enough to DIY, especially when I'm already under the hood replacing thise gaskets.

[healeydays]

The quote on mine is inline with yours.

Vehicle Belt Drive TECH: G E
Labor: Drive Belt Tensioner R&R $309.14
Part: Accessory Drive Belt Kit w/o Water Pump 1 $348.66
Total $710.42