SOLVED!: E53 X5 3.0 sounds like dying banshee on fire when I take my foot of the gas

[IkirisTheX5]

Originally Posted by Fifty150hs

+2

Sounds like bearings for the idler and tensioner pullies. Had a similar issue several years ago. Used a stethoscope to pin it down. Replaced the pullies and no more noise.

@Fifty150hs: thanks so much for sharing - that's a great start to my hierarchy list of most likely bearing components to fail in the M54.

You think I should go for a full accessory drive belt kit like the one in the link and knock out all potential problem areas along the belt route?

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...iABEgKL8vD_BwE

[Fifty150hs]

Originally Posted by IkirisTheX5

@Fifty150hs: thanks so much for sharing - that's a great start to my hierarchy list of most likely bearing components to fail in the M54.

You think I should go for a full accessory drive belt kit like the one in the link and knock out all potential problem areas along the belt route?

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...iABEgKL8vD_BwE

What year is your X? That may not be the right tensioners. I have an '06 and it has the "hydraulic" tensioner. That said, if you can't hear those bearings with your stethoscope, putting those parts in will likely cure your problem if those parts have bad bearings. My X didn't really make much noise at idle either, but with the stethoscope, using the little cone ended attachment, I could here a little bit of bearing noise in my pullies. That's why I went ahead an replaced them.

This is the tensioner my X has: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...1287838797-1-2