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View Full Version : Hydraulic tensioner - limited movement?


az3579
10-21-2018, 01:02 PM
Has anyone else run into the hydraulic tensioner not moving enough to get the drive belt on? I swear I remember this thing moving more in the past, and never had an issue getting the belt on. Today, however, it refuses to budge more than half an inch. That sounds way too short...

I've attached a video. Does this mean I need a new tensioner?? I'm stuck without a car until this belt goes back on .. I'm going on hour 3 of simply replacing pullies because I can't get this damn belt back on!

http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5bcce947f1737/VID_20181021_165604.mp4

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DeathTrap
10-21-2018, 01:57 PM
It's not supposed to move like that is it?
Mine was a more fluid (pun intended) and smooth motion like a shock.
az3579
10-21-2018, 05:36 PM
Shortly after posting this, I made a judgement call and Uber'd my behind to Advance to buy a tensioner. That did the trick; the new tensioner gave me that extra inch of movement I needed to get the belt on. Hell, I got it on with the first try after it was replaced!


It's not supposed to move like that is it?
Mine was a more fluid (pun intended) and smooth motion like a shock.

The tensioner is supposed to move a lot more than it was moving. There wasn't anything wrong with the fluidity of its motion, just that it only moved half an inch when I needed it to move more like 1.5-2 inches to be able to slip the belt on.
papa_g
10-23-2018, 02:09 PM
Actually mine is really bad too. Sometimes i feel like i am going to to strip the torx head because i have to push on the breaker bar really hard to vreate enough space for the belt. Might be time for a new one for me as well
John in VA
10-23-2018, 05:48 PM
I'm getting a squeal/whistle from a pulley and/or tensioner lately when first starting the car - might be time to replace them along with belts. Is there a preferred brand to use or to avoid? Thanks in advance!
pedro2u
10-24-2018, 04:54 AM
I was getting a squeal only at start up too. I replaced the belts in August with genuine OEM's from FCP and the problem is gone
John in VA
10-24-2018, 06:12 AM
I was getting a squeal only at start up too. I replaced the belts in August with genuine OEM's from FCP and the problem is gone
Just belts = cheaper! I got the car (this is the 2003 E39 530i) with 75K miles & it has 120K now - no telling when the tensioners & belts were previously replaced, if ever. Thought it might be time, but wondered about the non-genuine supplier quality - Febi, INA, Meyle - and who makes the parts for BMW?
ZHPizza
10-24-2018, 06:42 AM
Just belts = cheaper! I got the car (this is the 2003 E39 530i) with 75K miles & it has 120K now - no telling when the tensioners & belts were previously replaced, if ever. Thought it might be time, but wondered about the non-genuine supplier quality - Febi, INA, Meyle - and who makes the parts for BMW?FCP is great about listing the OEM suppliers for different parts so you can find the ones with the BMW logo (and markup) ground off.
san
10-24-2018, 08:22 AM
FCP is great about listing the OEM suppliers for different parts so you can find the ones with the BMW logo (and markup) ground off.

That may not work always. When my thermostat failed I ordered a genuine BMW part from fcp and I think it was made by wahler. The thermostat that failed had the bmw logo ground off but was from a different supplier, febi if I remember correctly. So it is possible that bmw change their suppliers for a part and it is also possible that manufacturer who once supplied the parts to bmw might not adhere to the same standards. Just a thought...


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