When I start the car from cold, I get some kind of a checking noise from around the timing belt housing...It's like "schick schick schick", NOT squealing or squeaking.
It's there for about 5-10 mins and then when the car warms up, it goes away. Unless you leave the car overnight to cool down, if you start it again, there's nothing there.
So just to be 100% sure it was the timing belt, we took all the drive belts (A/C, P/S, alternator) off last weekend and started the car from cold with no auxiliary belts.
And the noise was still there, which means it's either the timing belt or the tensioner...
The belt was replaced along with a new tensioner (ContiTech kit) last year in November and it has about 5k miles on it, so is it a dodgy tensioner or possibly something else?
P.S. It's a facelift 325i.
Timing Belt Tensioner Noise?
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HairyScreech
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Hmm, tricky one, a tight belt can make a noise but I doubt this is the case here as the belt has been on for a while.
I would advise caution here as there is a chance the tensioner rivet has partially failed and is throwing the belt against the front cover, in which case it is a matter of time until damage occurs.
Best to pull it all off and check. You can just pull the alu covers off and check the belt and tensioner that way, if contact has been happening then it should be obvious.
I would advise caution here as there is a chance the tensioner rivet has partially failed and is throwing the belt against the front cover, in which case it is a matter of time until damage occurs.
Best to pull it all off and check. You can just pull the alu covers off and check the belt and tensioner that way, if contact has been happening then it should be obvious.
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Brianmoooore
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There's a hard rubber plug blocking the gap between the rear of the belt cover and the block on the LH side, in the diagnostic socket area.
Remove this and you can feel the the tension of the belt. If it's slack and there's loads of rubber debris around, then the rivet has failed, as above.
Remove this and you can feel the the tension of the belt. If it's slack and there's loads of rubber debris around, then the rivet has failed, as above.
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zd3bx
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Thanks guys, got no choice but to strip everything and have a look, just wanted to get a rough idea of what this was.
Is it common for this to happen? I mean, a brand-new Conti-Tech tensioner...What kind of quality is that if fails within a few thousand miles? Or possibly it wasn't installed properly?
Is it common for this to happen? I mean, a brand-new Conti-Tech tensioner...What kind of quality is that if fails within a few thousand miles? Or possibly it wasn't installed properly?