X5 3.0 Alternator and belts DIY (with pictures!)

[MPDano]

Less than 2 months and my Alternator is no longer putting out. What a pain. Now I have to remove it again and take it back to the local shop that rebuilt it. I just can't get motivated to do this.

[generx]

Originally Posted by MPDano

Less than 2 months and my Alternator is no longer putting out. What a pain. Now I have to remove it again and take it back to the local shop that rebuilt it. I just can't get motivated to do this.

I feel your pain.

My battery light came on again over the weekend. I have a 2-year old battery and a fairly new alternator. I posted a new thread HERE asking for some input from the experts.

[MPDano]

Ok all, pulled and dropped off my Alternator at the shop that rebuilt it. I told him that I tested it with a volt meter the day I installed it and it showed around 13.5 volts. I then told him all my other cars show an average of 14.5 volts. He said this is true, but the BMW has the battery in the rear of the car and this is why it is 13.5 volts.

Is this true? Can someone please take a volt meter to their battery post while running and take a reading?

[generx]

MPDano, your mechanic is incompetent. Voltage its the same while running whether you take a reading off the terminal posts in front or directly on the battery.

[MPDano]

Originally Posted by generx

MPDano, your mechanic is incompetent. Voltage its the same while running whether you take a reading off the terminal posts in front or directly on the battery.

I resemble that comment! Lol. I am actually the wrencher behind the scenes. That was info from the Shop that rebuilt my Alternator. Well, I just picked up the Alternator after work and then got pulled for Family chores. Yeah, I also thought that explanation to 13.5 volts was hog wash, but wanted to hear it from you guys too.

I am still hoping someone can verify that pulling a 13.7 volt average from a running X5 "IS" Normal. Please.

[rwhite79]

This post also helped with R&R the belts. Good info.

[Foose]

Originally Posted by Thumbs

Yep- that is what is different on mine. Yours has the mechanical tensioner while mine is hydraulic. Here is the realoem link: RealOEM.com BMW E53 X5 3.0i Belt Drive Water Pump/Alternator

In the image it is part #21 and you torque the allen head bolt #7 clockwise to compress the cylinder:

Does anyone know what size bit I need for bolt #7 and #16?

[Thumbs]

I don't recall exactly what I used, but it was something standard that I already had in my tool box.

I did find the torque specs in the Bentley manual for the fan clutch:
w/ BMW tool 11 5 040 30Nm
w/o BMW tool 40Nm

None of the pictures I took are really worth a darn. Sorry I can't help any more than that.

[kirkpjo]

on the tensioners--do you torque it to a specfiv number or just tighten as hard as you can?

[Thumbs]

The Bentley manual doesn't list specific torque specs for any of that so I would go with the DIN standards for the size and grade of bolt. Sorry I can't be of more help than that.

Best,
Randy